Copyright 1991 Aya Katz
Nabal and Abby came in early in the evening. Abby had on a slinky grey dress, some sort of silky material. She's usually a tad overdressed, but one doesn't notice it that much because she carries it so well. Everybody thinks Abby is beautiful, but I'm not sure, objectively, that she really is. She's slight and slim and her hair is a limp sandy brown, just short of blond, but not quite, and her eyes are slate grey, but maybe that was the dress reflected in them. Her features are plain, eyes a little triangular, nose a little too sharp ... but it's the way she carries it all that makes her seem so special. That, and the way men treat her.
Nabal is really kind of funny. The way he opens the door for her and gets her chair and all. A little too gallant to be real. David doesn't bother with all that stuff and he makes a lot more progress. I took them to their usual table and Nabal chose the chair with his back to the wall, so he could keep an eye on everything. He always looks as though he's expecting an ambush.
Which is sort of what happened, in a way, because just after I had brought them their salads, David walked in. He didn't hesitate a moment but went straight to their table. I saw Nabal wince.
David pulled up a chair from another table and straddled it. I approached them, ostensibly to see if David wanted to order, but really I didn't want to miss anything.
Abby was so comfortable, smiling and calm. She makes everything look easy. Nabal was tense, his fists clenched, and David was all right, just maybe a little too eager. I missed the initial small talk, but came in on it just as David was saying: "I'm thinking about running."
Nabal didn't say anything. Played with his salad, as though he hoped David would just go away.
Abby took up the slack. "Why?" she asked, natural as anything. Only it began to occur to me that it was a set up. They had planned this.
"It's time somebody cleaned up this County. Saul's been allowed entirely too much slack. This is the U.S. of A., not a banana republic." David looked to Nabal for a reaction and since there wasn't any, he asked: "Don't you agree?"
Nabal smiled, a crooked kind of smile. "Oh, it's the U.S. of A. all right," he said. "Don't know about the banana republic part of it, though."
"Can I get you anything?" I asked David.
He kind of turned his head, he'd been so intent on Nabal. "Oh, sure, Verity. A Coke." He turned right back to Nabal. "You don't support him, do you?"
Nabal shook his head. "I don't support anybody, except me and mine. But I was under the impression the Judge was a friend of yours."
I didn't hear what David said to that, because I went to get his Coke. When I got back, they were even more intense. Nabal looked angry and David was leaning over the table, his fist clenching his napkin, looking ready to bang it into the table linens. David was saying: "I stood up for you with Saul."
Nabal's voice was nearly without inflection. "I'm not interested in getting caught in the crossfire. I fight my own battles. I don't ask others to fight for me and I expect the same consideration from them."
David was angry, but he controlled it. He nearly knocked over the Coke I had placed in front of him, but caught himself just in time. His voice was earnest. "That's very well for you," he said. "You own half the County. What about the little people?"
Nabal leaned back in his chair, relaxing. "I wasn't aware that we had any leprechauns in Vacuum County." Abby smiled and reached for his hand. They interlaced fingers. David sighed.
"Can I get you anything else?" I asked.
That's when he noticed me. As a person, I mean. I could see the lightbulb go on, behind his eyes. He reached for me. "Take this young lady," he said. "She wouldn't even be here, if it weren't for this kind of thing."
Nabal turned his dark eyes on me. I wanted to just go hide. "The tippler?" he asked, casually. It stung.
"I don't drink," I said, angry tears catching in my throat. My voice sounded hollow.
He half-smiled. "Well, of course not. Since the Judge had you join AA."
"I've never drunk." I steeled myself against the urge to yell. "I haven't had a drop of liquor in my entire life."
He thought that over. "A pity. You don't know what you're missing."
"Come on, Nabal," David said, calmer now than before. "Don't act dumb. You know the story as well as anybody else. She came through here. Abner helped her with her flat tire and wanted the usual payment. When she wouldn't give, he hauled her into Court for D.W.I."
"That's hardly the Judge's fault."
"Saul gave her a year's probation and then snuck in that condition about not crossing the County line."
"Sounds generous," Nabal said. "He could have given her jail time."
"But I didn't do anything!" I yelled.
Nabal let go of Abby's hand. "What did the jury decide?"
"Damn it, Nabal, you know there was no jury. A jury would have eaten her alive. We pled."
Nabal's eyes narrowed. "So, what are you complaining about?"
Abby cleared her throat. "Well, it does seem unfair..."
Nabal cut her off. "You pled guilty," he said looking straight at me.
"Nolo," David corrected. "We pled nolo."
"I'm not interested in your shyster jargon," Nabal said, his jaw set. "You had the right to plead not guilty. You didn't exercise that right. You can't blame the judge for your own cowardice."
I started to open my mouth, but nothing came out.
David shook his head. "Don't get all self righteous on us, Nabal. You know very well what would have happened if we'd gone with a jury. The people here hate strangers. They'd have crucified her."
Nabal's teeth shone white. "Are these the little people you're trying to protect? Seems Saul was protecting you from them. Or is it just your boring jury speeches?"
David got up, shaking with anger. "You're either with me or against me. And I swear, I won't leave you a tree to piss on, when I'm through with you. I've got a personal friend in the Assessor-Collector, and I've got a hunch that ranch of yours has been grossly undervalued. Grossly." David stormed out.
I stared after him. Then I looked back at Nabal. He was angry all right, but I think that he was scared, too. Abby was frowning. "I'm sure he didn't mean that, Nabal," she said. "I'm sure he didn't."
I don't know what to think. I know David is right. I know I'm not guilty -- then why do Nabal's accusations bother me?
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