Read Online The Two Devils by David B. Riley - Free Book Online Page A

bunch of foamy bubbles soon appeared near the bank and Ellul and Ralph emerged from the water. Ellul had him by his privates. I was assuming males had privates, the females certainly did. And he threw the angel down on the bank hard. I rowed over and beached the boat. Buffy soon arrived at the scene on Paul.
    "What do we do with him now?” I asked.
    "I ain't going back,” Ralph insisted.
    "Give me the gun,” Ellul demanded.
    "Don't do it, Miles,” Buffy warned. “Remember what I said."
    The angel Ralph looked at me. “Well, you gonna shoot me or what?"
    "You willing to go back to hell?” I asked him.
    He folded his arms defiantly. “No."
    I drew the revolver out of the holster. “Then I guess I'll have to."
    "Miles, don't,” Buffy warned.
    "He won't go back to hell.” I cocked the hammer back. “Sorry pal."
    Then there was a flurry of air all around us, and everything bristled with static electricity.
    In a flash, both Buffy and Ralph were gone. I holstered the weapon. “Heck, I tossed them bullets into the river long time ago, Ellul. I couldn't of hurt him none if I'd wanted to."
    "What happened to him?” Ellul asked. He usually knew more than I did.
    "I think Buffy took him back to heaven.” I'd sensed all along Buffy wanted to bring him back to heaven even though Ralph wasn't particularly welcome there. Maybe she had a thing for him once!
    "Mister won't like it,” Ellul said.
    I shrugged my shoulders. “Tell him to take it up with God. Ain't nothing we can do about it."
    Ellul climbed up on his horse. “I go scare some children, then go back to hell."
    "Sounds like a plan,” I agreed.
    He tossed me a book—a hardcover book that looked brand new. Such things are a rarity out west. “Janus said to give this to you if you were still alive."
    I thumbed through it. The title was Two Little Farm Wives . While the title seemed innocent enough, the author was some French guy. And some other French guy translated it to English. “Well, we'll see you, Ellul."
    He shook his head. “Angels. Humans."
    I looked at the titanium bullets. I'd lied to Ellul. I still had them. I should have thrown them into the river. I did not. I put them in my saddlebags, instead. No other decision would have such a profound impact in my life over the next year as that one.
    I started back for town. I had hair to cut in the morning. There was supposed to be a bunch of soldiers coming through. They never let me cut hair for the locals, just people passing through. I figured I'd be busy, for once.
    Mrs. Bunyan served up a lamb stew. I ate a hearty portion, then I retired to my room. The French novel, it turned out, was something a naive farm boy from Kansas maybe shouldn't read. I found myself blushing by the third page—and I was alone. I read the first chapter, then drifted off to sleep.
    The next day was uneventful. I cut hair on ten heads and did four shaves, only drawing blood once. The boss was right pleased with me that day. Then, I got home and relaxed on the swing on Mrs. Bunyan's front porch. Mrs. Bunyan kept peering at me through the window. Finally, she came outside.
    "Mr. O'Malley.” She stared at me for a moment. “Mr. O'Malley, I was cleaning your room today.” She held out Two Little Farm Wives . “I had no idea you read such filth."
    I shrugged. “I'll pack my things."
    "No, it's not that.” She stared at me again. “Could I borrow it?"
    "Sure.” That evening, I got a really huge piece of apricot cobbler. Then, I went to bed.
    Aside from me, there were three other boarders—all elderly. Charlotte and Ethel Browning had both murdered their husbands, who were both cousins, by nagging them to death—according to the third lodger, Charles Fanning, a retired sea captain who'd given up in 1850, after he couldn't hire a crew for a return voyage to Boston. Back then, all the inbound sailors took off and went looking for gold.
    Having gorged myself on food that evening, I found an urgent requirement to visit the