Titanium Texicans Read Online Free PDF Page A

but he held up his hands. “Whoa there, son. Take it easy. There isn’t any call—”
    Tasso interrupted, “Sir, I am not your son. My name is Menzies. It is mister to you and Tasso to my friends.” He didn’t mention he’d buried his only friend. “I will thank you to remember that, if you please.”
    “Our apologies, Mr. Menzies,” Mrs. Lamont said. “We didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just our way of being friendly.”
    “I’m sorry, Mrs. Lamont, but I’ve had all of the Lamont friendliness I care for.” Tasso said.
    Mr. Lamont kept his hands in front of him. “Mr. Menzies, you don’t need to keep holding an old sky-raker. Besides, your scuffle with our boys was years ago, it’s all over and done with.”
    Tasso shook his head. “My scuffle with your boys was seven years ago at your Landing Day picnic. Your boys called me a name that was an insult to my dead mother. Adults denied me the opportunity to defend my mother and I didn’t hear an apology from your boys. I don’t see how it can be over and done with until I say so.”
    Mr. Lamont stepped in front of his wife. “Seven years is a long time before demanding an apology at the point of a stobor-shooter. My boys have grown up since then and they know better. Surely you don’t hold a grudge.”
    Tasso pointed the shotgun skyward. “This isn’t for that day, although I can hold a grudge as long as it takes. You and yours insulted my family and me twice this night. I will brook no more.”
    “Twice?” Mrs Lamont asked. “I don’t understand.”
    Tasso flipped the safety on the shotgun, but didn’t put it away. “Dougall used a word seven years ago that insulted my dead mother more than me. You know the word he used and you know why I object to its use. I’ll not repeat such a word in front of a woman. Dougall called me by the same name tonight in front of his sister. That is one insult and I’ll not be called that again without response.”
    Mrs. Lamont shook her head, “I’ll deal with him later.”
    Tasso shrugged, “So will I. Please, if you would be so kind as to inform him of my intent to thrash an apology from him?”
    “And the other time?” Mr. Lamont asked.
    “Now when you insulted Grandpa and me over my manners, when it appears you have neglected the manners of your own offspring,” Tasso said.
    “Young man,” Mr. Lamont said. “I’ve been as patient with you as I can be, but I don’t like having shotguns pointed at me and my wife. We’ll see what your grandfather has to say about your manners.”
    Tasso smiled sadly. “You have my apologies because you are a better man than I take you for if you have the ability to talk to men beyond the grave.”
    “Why you little—”
    Tasso interrupted him by lowering the muzzle of the shotgun, pointing it at Mr. Lamont.
    Mrs. Lamont put a restraining hand on her husband’s arm. “Mr. Menzies, there’s no need for firearms. Surely we can work through differences between neighbors without the threat of violence.”
    Tasso nodded. “I’d have liked that, ma’am, but since someone already tried to kill me tonight by sabotaging my flitter, I’m in no mood to be reasonable. I neither asked for your help, nor do I want it. Thank you for your offer. Please go.”
    “But your flitter—” Mrs. Lamont began.
    “My flitter is my problem,” Tasso interrupted. “I’ll fix it on my own or I’ll walk to my destination.”
    Lamont nodded. “Let’s leave the young fool—”
    Mrs. Lamont squeezed her husband’s arm and shook her head, interrupting him in mid-sentence.
    Lamont said, “Let’s go, honey. Mr. Menzies has made his wishes clear.”
    Mrs. Lamont said, “Please, Mr. Menzies? I was your mother’s friend once.”
    Tasso gritted his teeth to keep from speaking.
    “Please? I don’t want to abandon you out here alone, for her sake if for nothing else.”
    “Tell that to my mother!” Tasso yelled. “Everyone abandoned her but us. You never came around when she