But this apology would be for being so dismissive of the music she and her band play. If they’ve got enough heart to be here when it matters, in a fight that’s not even really their own, then there’s got to be more to that diddle-dee-dee music I’ve heard them play. I guess it comes from the heart, too, but I just wasn’t listening. I’d already made up my mind as to what both it and they were like.

Anyway, because it’s so quiet, everybody heard Siobhan’s question, and she looks embarrassed at the sudden attention directed her way. Before Cassie can answer her, Minisino stomps a hoof on the dirt and opens his big mouth.

“No,” he says. He points at Joe. “This one and I—we have unfinished business.”

I don’t believe this.

But Joe sighs, then stands straighter, shoulders going back.

“You think?” he says.

Minisino’s only response is his fixed glare.

Joe gives another sigh. “I suppose we do. You know, I was hoping I wasn’t going to have to whup your sorry ass, but you’re not leaving me a whole lot of choice here.”

“You’ve already stolen all my choices,” Minisino says. “Why should I leave you with any?”

Joe shrugs. “I don’t know. For the sake of common sense? Maybe for the fact that this is over, and we both know it, but you still figure you need to hit something?”

Minisino responds by letting his hands fall to his sides and assuming a combat-ready stance.

“Don’t play into his game,” Cassie pipes up. “You don’t need to do this anymore.”

Listen to her, I think.

But, “Yeah, I do,” Joe says without turning to look at her. “You know how it goes. If we don’t finish this now, we’re just going to have to go through it all over again another time. And maybe the next time it won’t end so pretty.”

Keep this up and it’s going to end anything but pretty, I think. I don’t know what he plans to do, but it’s painfully obvious from what happened earlier that if they go at it again, the buffalo war chief’s going to pound Joe into a lot of little pieces. Cassie’s right. There’s no need for this kind of posturing crap anymore. The army’s gone and maybe Minisino’s big and tough, but all we’ve got to do is stand together, and we can take him down. Just Jack and Joe and me, if it comes down to that.

I give Jack a meaningful look, but he shakes his head.

Let this play out, he tells me.

C’mon, Jack, I tell him. He’s going to kill Joe—just out of spite.