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last.
    “I don't know,” said Edison. “I think we're missing some necessary information.”
    “What do you mean?” asked Roosevelt.
    “Theodore, I'm sure you and Bat made excellent time coming out here, and caused no
     undue commotions along the way, but believe me, you couldn't have kept your presence
     secret from all the other medicine men, even if none of them are quite as powerful
     as Geronimo. They could have attacked you at any time along the way. And that means
     you might not be the only reason this War Bonnet was created, or is being created, or will be created.”
    “Makes sense,” said Holliday.
    “It makes sense, but it means we're still in the dark,” said Buntline, taking a proffered
     cigar from Masterson and lighting up. “What do the other tribes plan to do? How do
     they plan to negate Geronimo's magic and keep you from doing whatever it is Geronimo
     wants you to do?”
    “He wants me to kill or neutralize this War Bonnet,” said Roosevelt.
    “Well, I'm sure he wants that too,” said Buntline, “but he's a devious old devil,
     even when he's on our side. And somehow he always gets what he wants. The trick is
     to figure out on the front end just what that is.”
    “I don't know that I agree with you,” said Holliday. “He's an honorable man. It's
     entirely possible that he wants exactly what he says he wants.”
    “Perhaps,” said Edison, refilling his coffee cup. “But I think, in the meantime, that
     Theodore might consider being my house guest. At least he'll be safe here.”
    Roosevelt shook his head vigorously. “I thank you for the offer, but I'll stay where
     I am.”
    “Are you certain?”
    “I'm certain,” replied Roosevelt. “I didn't come all this way to hide in a room, even
     one with as nice a library as yours doubtless has. Whatever War Bonnet's capabilities,
     we know there's an Indian military force, so I've got to be out and around recruiting
     men to face it. We're not going to be fighting them in New York or the Dakota Badlands,
     so I have to become more acquainted with the terrain.” He paused, as if considering
     whether or not to continue, and finally shrugged. “And there's something else.”
    The four others looked at him expectantly.
    “I am not entirely lacking in the power of persuasion,” said Roosevelt. “I thought
     I might visit the Southern Cheyenne and some of the others and convince them to come
     over to Geronimo's side.”
    “Are you crazy?” demanded Masterson.
    “They were his allies until a month or two ago,” said Roosevelt.
    “Then let an Apache talk to them!”
    “It's no different than speaking to a crowd of Democrats,” Roosevelt assured him.
    “The hell it isn't,” said Masterson. “The Democrats weren't sworn to kill you.”
    “They were sworn to defeat me. So are the Indians.”
    Masterson turned to Edison. “ You explain it to him. I give up.”
    “Theodore, you don't really want to ride unprotected into Indian territory,” said
     Edison.
    “I thought it was all Indian territory,” said Roosevelt with a smile. “Isn't that what this is about?”
    “You know what I mean.”
    “I do,” answered Roosevelt. “But Bat and Doc have told me aboutsome of the inventions you've come up with since the government sent you out here,
     and I thought you might like to supply me with some of them.” He flashed the others
     a grin. “So you see, I don't plan to ride into enemy territory, or anywhere else,
     without protection.”
    Edison sighed. “Theodore, I don't even know what I'm supposed to be protecting you from .”
    “Then I'd say that finding out is our first order of business,” answered Roosevelt.
    “Geronimo's told you all that he's going to tell you,” said Holliday. “Hell, it's
     probably all he knows right now.”
    “What do you propose, then?” demanded Roosevelt. “That we sit right here and wait
     for them to reach full strength and launch an attack?”
    “Me?” said Holliday. “I propose