turned, snarled at the deputy, and 昀椀red. The shotgun blast knocked the deputy 昀氀at. Robert was on one knee, pressing a hand against his bleeding thigh. He held his other hand toward Don. “God damn, Don. Stop it!” He looked from his deputy to Jacob. Jacob lay on his face and was still. A 昀椀st-sized circle of red stained his back, and blood was quickly pooling in the dirt beneath him. Like a dying trout, Liam stared at Jacob. Don leveled his gun. “Robert, don’t take the Lord’s name in vain.” ■ ■ ■ That night, Jenny and her mother sat at their kitchen table. A small pile of wet tissues lay on the table, and tears dripped off Jenny’s nose and onto the lap of her new blue dress. Both looked up as the kitchen clock struck eight. Jenny sobbed once more, stood, and left the kitchen. She marched three steps up her stairs, turned, and screamed, “No, Mother, he’s not coming! He’s a chicken, and I hate him! Suzy was right. I shoulda known!” She ran up the rest of the stairs, down the hall, and slammed her door shut. Mrs. Linsky answered her kitchen phone and listened quietly. 9 ■ PLAINS PARADOX