“Did things go well in Leavenworth?”Holliday spoke to Lane. Max dipped his chin in place of a greeting.“So-so.”With a hard face, Lane looked at Holliday and continued.“Isaac Cody agreed to supply us lumber. It’ll arrive soon.”“Oh! That’s a relief!”“We’ll finally have houses!”People shouted in excitement.Even setting the land issue aside, they were ecstatic about lumber that would get them out of tents.“We’ll need a meeting on this, so see me in an hour.”“Understood.”With a supplier set, they would trade information on price, quantity, and delivery dates and hold a meeting.The participants were the councilmen who led the town.Holliday was one of them.But as Lane led his group past, he suddenly stopped. He looked at Max and spoke.“You come too. You’re a new face—ought to at least say hello.”“……?”Why’s that man acting like that?Holliday’s head slowly turned toward Max. He couldn’t understand why Lane was being friendly with Max.“Then I’ll see you there.”After Lane’s party disappeared, Holliday shoved his face at Max.“What happened? You two aren’t just passersby who bumped into each other, are you?”“Strictly speaking, we haven’t met yet while passing by.”“……I like the way you put things.”Holliday stuck out his lips, then smirked.“So that’s why you bet on the sheriff’s badge.”“He didn’t seem like he’d oppose.”“You say that because you don’t know him yet. And he’s not the only one who’ll oppose you. Anyway, the higher the expectation, the bigger the disappointment.”“I’m not going to be disappointed if I don’t make sheriff. I’ll just keep doing the job I was doing.”“Right. That’s how you need to think.”As if to comfort him in advance, Holliday patted Max’s shoulder. The town’s meeting hall was a big tent.Holliday spoke with a bitter expression.“It doesn’t look like much, but this got torn down a few times putting it up. People came swarming in from the slave states to sabotage it.”“I see.”“It took days just to set one post.”The chairs inside the tent were whittled from slim logs.Because wood like that was hard to find on the prairie, they’d brought it from across the Kansas River.About ten minutes after they sat down, the core figures of the town council appeared.At the head was a man in his mid-thirties—Chairman Charles Robinson. He had studied medicine in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and had a record of representing California’s 12th assembly district.Behind him was James Henry Lane, who still held no formal post. The vice-chairman, the secretary, and…“The man in the very back is Levi Gates, the custodian of valuables.”“There’s a post like that?”“Of course. Who knows what’ll happen if you keep valuables in a tent?”There could even be incidents of deliberate frame-ups. So, in the early days of settlement, they decided to store valuables in one place, and not hold anyone responsible for losses beyond that.“All right, if everyone’s here, let’s begin.”Vice-Chairman Ferdinand Pugh took the chair.The first agenda item was, of course, the land issue.“They’ve raised the amount again. Now they want three thousand dollars. At this rate the negotiations can only drag on.”“Damn them. Hiking a ridiculous price up front while roughing us up in back.”“What about the NEEAC? Or we could resolve it with the funds we’ve collected.”“The company has no spare cash. And the $5,040 we’ve gathered is exactly what it says—settlement money. It’s tight even for buying houses and food.”“Then how long are we supposed to sit like this?”Voices rose in frustration.Chairman Charles Robinson finally raised his hand to calm the room.“The paper we first purchased from Stearns for five hundred dollars is without defect. The current claimants don’t even have grounds. This matter will soon be settled with Governor Andrew Reeder.”What papers are you arguing with a bunch of hardliners?Max glanced sidelong at James Henry Lane.Judging by the twitch at Lane’s lips, he had plenty he wanted to say too.But as a sitting Indiana House representative, he held his tongue on the big items—for now.He was acting out of concern it would look like a rivalry with Charles Robinson. That’s how Max read it.“Cautious Charles, audacious Lane.”They were a pair bound to clash sooner or later.“Let’s move to the next item. Representative Lane brings good news. A sawmill in Leavenworth has agreed to supply lumber.”“Oh, that’s grand!”Lane laid out the contract terms and delivery dates.Listening, Charles Robinson asked with a curious face:“It’s cheaper than elsewhere. Any special reason?”“The sawmill’s owner, Isaac Cody, is quite active about abolishing slavery. He says he’ll take a loss for the town’s settlement.”“That’s a boon. But can a single sawmill handle that volume?”Lane nodded as if it were nothing.“He’s sourcing lumber from the Kickapoo Indians. He’s supplied Fort Leavenworth before, so there’s no need to worry.”“Then we’ll proceed as such. Representative Lane, you’ve removed a worry for us. Thank you.”“Think nothing of it.”In a warm mood they moved on. They spoke of headcount and finances and the surrounding situation.And the final item was one no frontier town could do without: a school.The lot was set, but they hadn’t even started construction, so no school existed yet.Ironically, a teacher had already been chosen.Emilie Pound Fitch.She was the brown-haired woman in her twenties who had been staring intently at Max since before the meeting began.Don’t tell me I’m going to break the lifelong single streak here…?Her eyes sparkled so much it was enough to make Max mistake it for something else.Fitch, after going through various points, mentioned the day’s incident.“Everyone knows Mulduin came by and caused trouble. If Representative Lane hadn’t arrived, we could have had a disaster.”“Their threats aren’t new. Think of it like dogs barking.”“What if they bite? They rage about setting fires—who knows if they won’t actually do it.”“They won’t go that far.”“And how exactly are you sure of that?”Tap, tap.Vice-Chairman Pugh rapped the table and spoke.“Miss Fitch, what is it you’re proposing?”“In an insecure environment, how are we supposed to teach children? At minimum we need a sheriff responsible for safety.”“Hm. We’ve been looking around here and there too, but no suitable candidate has come up.”Everyone knew Fitch was right.But if no one volunteered, what could they do?Time to raise my hand?Max had steeled himself to slap on a poker face and put his hand up. He was wiggling his fingers like he was drawing a gun when Fitch suddenly pointed at him.“The Oriental Mr. Holliday hired. I heard he took down a famous gang. Wouldn’t that level of skill be enough?”So that’s why you were staring at me like that.A twinge of disappointment, but fine.For Max, it was an opportunity rolling to his feet.The room’s attention converged on Max.It was the run he wanted, but all those eyes were a lot of pressure.The vice-chairman looked to Charles Robinson for an answer. Robinson scanned Max and said:“We certainly need a sheriff. But when Holliday proposed him, there was plenty of controversy, wasn’t there.”“That’s right. He’s young. Doesn’t fit our town at all!”“Honestly, what would an Oriental know? It’s not a post you win by being handy with a gun!”“Is he even handy with a gun?”Opposition popped up from all over.Holliday poked Max in the ribs.— You promised you wouldn’t be disappointed, right?This guy’s smiling?Max took his eyes off Holliday’s face.And he turned to James Henry Lane.Fixing Lane with a hard look, he blinked a Morse signal.··· ——— ···The SOS signal.Would he even get it? Unexpectedly, Lane’s eyes lit up.Oh? So you want to be sheriff, do you?Why pull a stunt like that now?A return for saving his men.Lane recalled what he’d promised and let out a brief laugh.Then he shot his hand up.“Oh—Representative Lane, please.”The vice-chairman yielded the floor to Lane.Because he’d been the strongest opponent, everyone was inwardly looking forward to how he’d flatten the Oriental.But—“I’m in favor, for now.”“Ghk.”Holliday let out a short yelp.The same reaction popped up around the tent.“Ahem. You were so opposed before, and suddenly… why?”“As Miss Fitch said, the lack of a sheriff is no small matter. With that fellow’s skill, there’s no harm in it.”“Catching a gang could have been chance. Rumors tend to be exaggerated.”The vice-chairman clearly didn’t like Max either.He was fishing for reasons it wouldn’t work.“It wasn’t chance. He pulled Isaac Cody—our lumber supplier—out of danger. And my men, surrounded by Border Ruffians, got out safe thanks to that fellow.”“Wait, is that true?”Someone asked in disbelief.Lane glared at the man as if to say, You dare doubt me?Hic.The man edged back, thumping his chest to stop the hiccup.A Mexican War officer with distinguished service.A sitting Indiana House representative.And ten men who followed him.Lane’s charisma pushed the hall into silence. Then he continued.“Still, we don’t know the man well yet, so let’s ask him. What is a sheriff? And why does he want the post?”Feels like a job interview.Max rose slowly and looked around the tent.Eyes of every kind showed their own thoughts. Some seemed curious whether an Oriental could even speak properly.Max spoke evenly.“Mr. Holliday asked me to protect him and the townspeople beside him. I don’t see how that differs from a sheriff’s work.”“That’s all your reason?”This time Chairman Charles Robinson asked.A hint of disappointment in his eyes.Max didn’t mind and went on.“To act, you need authority that matches. The justice in a gun isn’t carried by an Oriental—it’s carried on the town’s back. If someone threatens us like today, a gun I fire means nothing without that.”He looked around the tent.“My skill has already been vouched for by Representative Lane. My age won’t be an obstacle to a sheriff’s work. That leaves my skin color…”He paused, then put more force into his voice.“You didn’t come to win freedom and emancipation for Black people only to split hairs over skin color, did you.”“……”“And one more advantage: from the outside, it becomes a gauge of this town’s sincerity. A town where free-status Blacks live and an Oriental serves as sheriff—Lawrence will become a symbolic city of freedom.”It wasn’t bluster—because in the future, that’s what it would be.Feels like I’ve got them halfway over.To drive the nail, Max swept the tent with his eyes and raised his voice.“As an equal human with no racial discrimination, I pledge to be a sheriff for the town, by the town, and belonging to the town! That’s all.”Becoming sheriff is a hell of a slog.A frontier town of 232 souls.This isn’t a presidential address—what am I doing?A little pathetic, maybe. But the aftershock of those last words must have been big—their eyes were hazy.“Not bad. Talks better than he looks.”“Representative Lane’s in favor, so letting him take it wouldn’t be the worst.”The opposition quieted; positive words went around. Charles Robinson nodded to the vice-chairman.“We’ve heard from the candidate—let’s vote.”The sheriff was elected—if he took a majority of those present here.“Then the Oriental… well now, what’s your name?”“Max Jo.”“All who want Max Jo to be sheriff, raise your hands.”Max stayed composed, but the woman named Fitch who’d recommended him looked quite tense.Maybe that’s why she raised her hand first, and—— I feel like I just got played!Holliday puckered his lips, then laughed and raised his hand too.The result: unanimous, no opposition.“I’ll count on you.”“Fine young man you are.”Amid the encouragement, Lane came up and clapped Max on the shoulder.“Your words match your gun-hand. Let’s get along.”“Thank you.”Fitch passed by Max without a word.The day after the meeting.They put up a tent at the town entrance and brushed letters on with paint.SHERIFF Office.A U.S. territory that hadn’t yet become a state.An unregistered frontier town.Max Jo, the reluctant acting sheriff no one had asked for.On his first day, the sheriff’s office in Lawrence had a constant stream of feet.“Fix my tent, Sheriff.”“A horse ran off—find it, Sheriff!”“You got a card?”This isn’t it.In a single day, ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ the dark circles sank under his eyes.Holliday, seeing Max’s face, clicked his tongue.“Hurry up and get the paperwork drafted.”“I said I would. And by the way, maybe it’s because you don’t have a sheriff’s badge—something feels off.”“Is that what matters?”Just then, a girl about seven stepped into the tent.“I, uh, made this…”What she held out shyly was a paper sheriff’s star.Looked like her mother had written the letters.Max took it carefully and gazed at the brown-haired girl.“What’s your name?”“Susan Richfield.”“I see.”Pinning the paper badge to his chest, Max said,“Now I’m a real sheriff. Thank you.”“Please take good care of the town, Mr. Sheriff!”…….He’d taken the post out of necessity, but suddenly his shoulders felt heavy.The harsh land of the West.Conflict over slavery.Thinking of townspeople living day by day in fear, something burned hot in his chest.The girl bowed her head and darted out of the tent. Smiling, Holliday set a hand on Max’s shoulder.“She’s Lewis Richfield’s third daughter. A shy one who mustered big courage.”“Good kid.”Not every child was like Susan, of course.“Did you come across the sea, Mr. Oriental?”“Are you good with a gun? Show us, mister!”“It’s not ‘mister,’ it’s ‘sheriff’…”“What’s that?”“Is it like a blacksmith?”“So you know what a blacksmith is?”A kid wouldn’t know. Sure.Right then, Holliday, who’d stepped outside, hurried back into the tent.“There are suspicious men coming.”“!”Finally time to earn my keep.Shouldering a rifle, Max looked at the children.“Watch closely. So you know what a sheriff does.”

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