I set my jaw in a hard line, though not soon enough to contain the beginning of a smile at the Chinese girl's attention. the monkey is a little unnerving, I'll admit.  I've seen one before in Dodge, once in Atlanta; one was in a cage, the other on a leash and tipping its hat for coins while a man cranked a grinder.  This little furry thing, though, looks to be scolding the girl, and-- what the hell, did it just hit her with a little club or something?<br/><br/>Alex's cat is weird enough with how she's always conversing with it, treating it like some kind of respected relative who might chide her for taking too long with his damn sardines.  I suppose that, with all I've seen, it's not impossible to believe he really<i>can</i>talk to her, and if that's so then maybe this fussy monkey is really talking with the red-haired girl.  The girl with red hair like I've never seen in my life, and those glittering eyes...<br/><br/><i>Shit</i>, only in town for the time it takes a horse to piss and I'm starin' at some Angelica from the Celestial empire.  I give a little silent curse that my lady's blessings came with this seemingly insatiable desire to sneak under the bustles of half the women in the West.  Especially when there's such ladies about as I've never known.<br/><br/>Some of them head out to the stable, and I'm still leaning on the bar for a moment longer.  As the others head out to the stable, I look back to Alex again.  She's wearing those strange glasses still, and I know that when she's doing that, she often notices things that are different than what I would.  I might pick up a stray fleck of matted hair and be able to piece together how a timber rattler took down a wild boar, but she might notice something for which there's no actual evidence to the naked eye.<br/><br/>So I do what I do.  I size up the barman, piece together the details of his garments and his reactions, and review the lay of the town in my mind.  So much to investigate, but I'd best stable the horses.<br/><br/>"Alex, darlin, I can get the horses in."  I look up to her lovely blues, and give her the little smile that I sometimes do.  It's as close as I get to public affection, and it gives her the meaning I need her to receive; that I'm glad she has my back.  There's a trust between us now... something beyond sharing what we've shared or knowing what we know.  It's like some thread connects us to each other now, and I know that both our chances are better if we're guiding by the same star.<br/><br/>I head for the stables.