Chapter 29
Distribution, September 1, 1918
- People far and wide already know about Velma T.'s "miracle elixir" before the quarantine. Apparently, it was really curing folks.
- So the town has a ton of customers, who meet Shady and Jinx in the abandoned mine shaft in the woods to buy it.
- People just pay what they can. Wow, even when they're desperate for money, Manifest people are kind. That totally rocks.
- One day, Jinx freaks a bit, thinking he sees Finn in line, but he's not sure.
- As Shady and Jinx leave one evening, Sheriff Dean shows up, suspicious. Oh, great.
- They convince him they've just got mustard seeds for sick people, but he tells them he'll be watching them. Especially since Finn has been sighted in the area, and Sheriff Dean figures he's looking for his old partner. Oh, and he suspects Jinx.
- They tell the town and find out that Lester Burton's been calling every day, too, trying to see if anyone's well enough to work yet.
- Some people seem to blame Jinx, but Shady tells them they should just keep making the elixir till they can figure out how to distribute it again. Thanks, Shady.
- A few days later, the first death in town is reported. Ugh.
- Some men carry the heavy coffin out to the woods to bury when Lester Burton suddenly shows up.
- He demands to see the body, so they open the casket halfway. But the stink is so bad that Burton says to go ahead and bury him.
- Once he's gone, their awesome trick is revealed: it's a dead pig inside the coffin, along with a bunch of bottles of—what else?—the elixir.
- They figure they must have a mole in town, who told Burton they'd be there.
- But soon their customers are back, and they're in business again.
LETTER FROM PVT. NED GILLEN
- Ned's sergeant was just killed, and he's reminiscing about how great he was. War stinks.