The Bureau of Dreams to be Continued by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

The Bureau of Dreams to be Continued

Page 140

on fire. Champion writes a last letter to Ella before emerging from the burning cabin shooting at Canton's men but is killed by a hail of bullets. Watson warns the settlers of Canton's approach at another vast, chaotic gathering at "Heaven's Gate". The cowardly mayor of the county, Mawk Lezak, proposes to deliver the people on the list peacefully. At the same time, the young pharmacist Mr. Eggleston claims that the only way to survive is to arm themselves and fight the enemy army. The agitated settlers approve Eggleston's idea and rush to battle with Bridges and Ella leading them. With the hired invaders now surrounded, both sides suffer casualties (including a drunken, poetic Irvine) as Canton leaves to bring help. Watson and Averill return to Champion's charred and smoking cabin, and discover his corpse, along with a handwritten letter documenting his last minutes alive.

The next day, Averill reluctantly joins the immigrant settlers, with their cobbled-together siege machines and explosive charges, in an attack against Wolcott's men and their makeshift fortifications. The battle is fiercer and more desperate. Despite the heavy losses that the immigrants suffer, including Eggleston himself, they manage to inflict a vast number of casualties on the mercenaries' army. Wolcott himself, while trying to escape, is killed by Averill, who hits him with an