“It was a lot more than that,” Bishop said. “Hell of a lot more.”

Stagg laughed and shook his head. “Come on now,” he said. “How about me and you get back to the real world for just a few moments? If folks believe the only way of making a dollar in Tibbehah came from jiggling titties and fifty-dollar pecker pulls, they never imagined the markup on that good ole family fun that’s gonna churn out of this place. I see water parks and Ferris wheels and Putt-Putt golf. Enough wholesome entertainment for the whole goddamn Mid-South. Chief Robbie and those Indians sure gonna be pissed when they see I got ’em beat.”

“You gonna need me for anything else?” Bishop asked.

“Today?” Stagg said, reaching into his windbreaker and pulling out a comb. He walked over behind the old bar, the only thing left standing in the big metal shed, and began to style his hair, glad to have it grown back long and proper. “No, sir. Stay close, Mr. Bishop. May have something for you a little later. Ever think about going into the likker business?”

“I don’t drink likker, Mr. Stagg.”

“ ’Course you don’t,” Stagg said. “Man like you got too many ideals and convictions to go down that whiskey river. Just how many of your brethren got killed last year?”

“Just the one,” Bishop said. “Colonel Silas Pierce. A true American hero. Quinn Colson nearly cut him in half with a twelve-gauge Winchester. Bled out in that truck wash. Then they arrested twenty-two from our militia. They actually believe that done it. That they shut us all down.”

“The Watchmen Society?” Stagg said. “Hmmm. Real-life boogeymen. I know y’all’s type.”

“I heard you knew Brother Gowrie.”

“Sure,” Stagg said. “I may have heard of him.”

“Y’all did business at one time?”

“I may have sold him some supplies,” Stagg said. “Once or twice. That’s as far as things went.”

“He’s a true patriot,” Bishop said. “His writings are what brought me to Colonel Pierce and the rest of my brothers.”

“Ain’t that something,” Stagg said. “In my few dealings with him, I never knew Gowrie to be a literate man.”