WHEN I ENTER the kitchen, Wing Ding's gone, Hester's scrapin' dishes, and Gentry and Rose are sittin' at the small table where she and I take our meals. Rose appears to be feelin' much better. I've noticed over time that Gentry has that affect on nearly everyone. It dawns on me that the two prettiest women I've ever seen in my life are in the same room with me, and both have special, though different, feelin's about me.
"What did the strange men want?" Gentry says.
"To make us get rid of Rudy."
"What?"
"Simmer down. I fixed it where they can't bother him."
"How?"
I pull the piece of cloth from my pocket.
Gentry's face lights up. "You're the Sheriff? Oh, Emmett, I'm so proud of you!"
"Proud?"
"Uh huh."
"Why's that?"
"You can kill people without getting arrested."
"Well, that's a plus."
Rose looks at the cloth badge and says, "Bose Rennick will be here soon."
"You know when, exactly?"
"No. But soon."
"And Sam Hartman?"
Rose shrugs. "No idea."
"Have you met Rudy?"
"I have."
"Did you speak to him?"
"Of course."
"Well?"
"Well, what?"
"What do you think about him?"
Rose smiles. "He's noble."
"Noble?"
"Yes."
"What's that mean, in relation to a bear?"
"Means he has an outstanding moral character, and carries himself with quiet dignity."
"He's really bright, ain't he!"
She don't say anythin' and looks a little uncomfortable.
"Well, ain't he bright?"
"No."
"What?"
"I'm sorry, Emmett, but he's dumber than baked beans. Dumbest animal I've ever met."
"What?"
"But he's noble."
"He seems so bright."
"To you, maybe."
I look at Gentry. "You gonna say anythin'?"
She shrugs. "I thought he was smart too, but I don't speak bear."
To Rose I say, "Are you mad at me for some reason?"
"Mad? No. Why do you ask?"
"It ain't polite to insult Rudy's intelligence. He's been through a lot. And you may be a good friend, but I don't approve of you disparagin' what I know to be a helluva smart bear. Maybe you don't speak black bear as good as you think you do. You probably spoke grizzly to him by mistake. Of course he wouldn't respond to grizzly."
Rose and Gentry look at each other and bust out laughin'.
"What's so funny?"
Gentry says, "I put her up to it."
"Which part?"
"I told her to say Rudy was dumb."
"Why would you do a thing like that?"
"I wanted to see if you'd defend your son."
"He ain't my son. He's a dang bear."
"Well, you defended him like a son."
Rose winks at me, mouths the words, "Sorry Emmett."
"You ought to be ashamed of yourself," I say, though she knows I don't mean it.
Gentry walks over and kisses my cheek. "You know what I think?"
"No," I say, pretendin' to pout.
She kisses me again. On the lips, this time. Then says, "I think you're noble, too."