Scene 1 - And the gunslingers followed...

You're headed towards what appears to be the living quarters of the farmstead.

Other buildings include a cow-stall, a storage barn, what appears to be a small workshop, an out-house, a bath-house, and a roofed-structure without walls that is set up with some simple tables and chairs - presumably a place to rest from the sun while still having access to some breeze, some light.

The farm consists of several fields of crops including maize, barley, potatoes - together with a sizeable vegetable garden. The soil is dusty and stony.

The crops aren't flourishing - and yet, they are doing much better than you would expect given the dryness and heat and the poor soil of this desert valley.

It doesn't look like there is accommodation or space for anyone other than Spline and Beretta. Your guess is that the house, from what you can see through windows as you approach it, has within it a kitchen, and private space and accommodation for your hosts. Not much else.

There's no obvious lock on the door to the cellar as you walk past it.

Your hosts open the front door of the house, Spline and Podge make their way inside, while Beretta stands outside, holding the door open for you to enter if you choose. She seems genuinely welcoming, a wry smile on her that you feel is in response to Mattie's "sass", as she says

"Long days and pleasant nights." Beretta formally greets you with, as you approach her.

"If you be wanting to join us for some food, some company, some chit-chat and palaver, then at this time o'day, that'll be most comfortable here inside."

@microtheMacroBear/Oscar You keep your eyes peeled as you walk through the farmstead, and make your way inside the living building. You remember that Beretta already referenced The Armadillo, the spoke, when she said:

"It ain't for nothing that this here farmstead came with the name 'Armadillos Rest'".

However, in addition to that, you see no obvious signs or signals on display that you would link to Thinosho the Armadillo, Dancing Jack, or any other nefarious or evil forces, influences, or people.

As Mattie comes to the door, Beretta stops her and says:

"Aye, it's been rare quiet out here these last years - I dunno, maybe once or twice a year the travelling merchant comes through with her wagon. Might buy some crop or vegetable seed off her, exchange a trinket or two when she does. But foot, horse, wagon traffic - almost none of it these days.

But, aye, mighty strange, we had a visit just a few days ago from the durndest twiddling musical sorcerous type. Stayed with us a night and a day and a night, he did. Felt quite bewitched by him. Left a sour taste in the mouth once he'd gone, know what I mean?"

"Aye, young'un." responds Beretta to Oscar.

"Kinda like that."

"You know how memory and time these days, how they feel kinda ragged, hard to hang on to, worn out?"

"With him here, it was all'a that but turned up to 11... or more like 20 or 30..."

"He came upon us of an evening. Spline here opened the door to him, it were already dark - and you know how damn dark it gets out here in these here wastelands."

"Spline opened the door, his gun at the ready, backed up by Podge here - I was elsewhere, myself - attending to, er, business."

Spline takes over the story.

"He stood there, black cloak and black boots and black hair against that star-bright black sky, a pitch-black guitar strapped to his back."

"'Why hello there, strangers!' he said to me and Podge. 'You'd like me to join you for your evening victuals, I can tell that - I'll make my way in here, make myself at home, join you, and entertain you...' and in he came and we just stood there, and turned, and joined him, as though it were the only thing we'd ever wanted to do".

Beretta joins back in:

"Aye, and then I turned up and that black-hearted grin turned to me and he said upon me 'Ah, but you, ma'am, we're not strangers, are we? We've met before, in your days as a gunslinger...' and you know, I often forget that I was one'a you once upon a time, I too were part of a ka-tet, I wielded this little beauty here in the service of Arthur Eld until... until that ka-tet and my wandering and my oath were no more... I don't rightly remember how that all happened. But so it did, of that I have a surety."

"Black Francis, he named himself, 'Black as this here midnight geeeee-tar' he told us, and played for us he did, upon that darkest of instruments, dark songs and light, classics and awful tunes that mayhap were never heard before and I hope never are heard again. I know that the first song that he threw out at us was one we all knew - that I think, that I expect, we all know... that one about that underwater guy who controlled the sea... and the monkey..."

"I can't rightly relate much more to you than that."

Spline nods at this and adds

"He did, though, leave a package behind. And I think it's intended for you all..."

"Thank-ee kindly ma'am, for those kind words - and I sense good heart - a'yours" says Beretta, addressing Rose.

"That about the True Aim might'a been true a time ago, but now, aye, there's a fair bit more spray and pray on the rare times I need to use this sweetheart in anger."

"Luckily for us, ol' Spline here still have a mighty fine eye - and you'd be surprised the amount of trouble a wrathful tentacled corgi like my Good Boy Podge here can cause for someone who's looking for that self-same kinda trouble..."

"That package - wrapped in deepest sunken black paper it is - we bundled it up, hid it away at the top of our barn back there. Didn't feel right, didn't feel good having it any nearer to us than need be. I sense a kinda wrongness and dirtiness stralling out of it - but at the same time, we couldn't bring ourselves to destroy it."

"Sit with us a while, break your fast with us, let us talk, let us chit-chat and palaver, and then I think we'll be ready to bring that dark-marked dark-wrapped thing out for you."

As the ka-tet make their way inside the house - as each of them offers their heart-felt respects, as they each honour their hosts with their words and actions, the travellers notice a change. At first sight, their now-hosts were cautious and wary - ready to protect themselves. With recognition that the party is a travelling ka-tet, this shifted to dutiful welcome and acceptance. But now, as their guests attitudes have changed, so too has that of your hosts. They now appear to be genuinely pleased to welcome you into their home.

Mattie's continued attitude of challenge, hostility, and distrust stands out starkly in contrast to that of her companions.

But their hosts - perhaps to the surprise of some of the ka-tet - do not respond to Mattie's aggression with more aggression.

Instead, they take their seats around the worn large wooden table that fills half the kitchen in their uncomfortable light wooden chairs. And beckon their visitors to join them. Podge heads over to a pile of blankets in the corner and lolls his head down to look up at them, his tentacles gently waving, occasionally giving him a scratch on the head or under the chin - occasionally shifting his head to look at Bertie and send friendly feeps and a cocked head his way.

"Well, Mattie? I think that was your name? I hear you. I hear your words, but I also hear a whole lotta pain and hurt and trauma and sadness in your voice and your manner. You remind me a lot of myself at your age" says Beretta.

"Aye, Beretta, I think I feel a lot of heart and hurt in all'a them. Ain't no surprise there - hard to avoid all that if y'all are doomed to follow in the path of Black Francis or whoever that joker, that chaotician, that malevolent spirit may be or call himself - doomed to follow him yet still managing to keep up that weary relentless chase..." says Spline in his high-pitched barking tones.

"We're not going to sit here and try and force you to comfort or trust - when you've so clearly been hurt and betrayed already so often. With an open heart I invite you to join us here at our table, talk and eat with us. Or not. Take a turn outside if that suits you better" adds Beretta.

"One thing I could offer you... offer us all..." says Spline.

"I could work an enchantment here for us all to partake of. I can make it such that we can all tell, we all know, that the words spoken here are words of truth..."

"There is a personal cost to me for making such magic."

"But I ken the truth and rightness of your quest, and that is a cost I am prepared to accept, in service of that which you seek. Of."

He pauses a while.

"Of the Tower. That I too once sought after."

"Any of you, that would join me in this, simply let me know, and it will be made so."

With that Beretta looks up at him, a sad look on her face. But her face is also weary with acceptance, and she offers a faint nod to Spline.