Dichotomy
April 12, 2012
Universe: OW, Missing Scene, Sins of the Past
Character
Focus: Josiah
Language
warning: $5 words
Summary
- Some of
Josiah’s thoughts after Vin is taken by the posse
Length:
411 words
Josiah watched JD stalk away, then hefted Vin’s gun in his hand.
“Hey, Chris,” he said holding the holstered Mare’s
leg out to Larabee.
“Vin’s?” Chris asked
rhetorically.
“Vin may be needin’
his gun,” Josiah replied thinking of their plan to free Vin.
Chris nodded, took the weapon and headed for the
stables where his horse waited, already saddled.
Josiah watched him go, his mind playing over the
dichotomy of their group. On one hand, the seven of them had been hired as
peace keepers, lawmen, sworn to uphold the law.
Yet, their group was comprised of a gunslinger, a ladies’ man, an
ex-bounty hunter with a bounty on his head, a defrocked preacher, a gambler, an
ex-slave and a green-horn, all of whom were willing to do whatever it took to
keep their friend from hanging for a crime he didn’t commit.
Where should their loyalty lie? With
the law? With justice? With Vin?
Josiah turned to look down the street where Buck was
explaining things to JD. JD obviously believed in Vin
and what was right, but Josiah also knew the kid believed in the law and
justice being done for wrongs committed.
JD was now learning the hard way that sometimes
justice meant different things depending on which side you were on. For Vin, justice would only be done when his name was cleared
and Eli Joe was charged with the crime instead. For the family of the dead man,
justice meant Vin Tanner at the end of a rope.
The Marshall and his men thought they were doing
right by taking a wanted man back to justice. JD and the rest of the Seven
thought they were doing right by helping Vin get free.
Both sides believed they had right on their side.
Josiah knew he couldn’t let Vin
hang, but couldn’t help but wonder how this choice would affect all of them.
How would the townsfolk see them? What would the Judge have to say? Would they
be able to stay in Four Corners after all was said and done?
Later, after Yates was exposed as a false lawman and
Eli Joe was dead, Josiah would consider a different dichotomy, the one that held
them together. How could seven such different men with so little faith in
themselves and God be so loyal to each other?
It was a question he didn’t know the answer to, but
hoped he’d have a long time to figure out.
The end
I love feedback, keeps me writing. JudyL
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