Sheriff

"Deputy?"

Ryan wanted to know what the job would actually involve. If it was easy, so much the better.

Across the table, Boyd put his hand down. His coffee had arrived, loaded with sugar just the way he liked it.

He liked it to a disturbing degree.

Most people drank by tipping a cup to their mouths and gulping down its contents.

Boyd was different. He leaned toward the cup and stuck out his red tongue. It looked long enough to reach his nose.

He licked the coffee before continuing. "A deputy's job isn't complicated. When someone in town needs help, you step in."

"And what do you do?"

"I give you an encouraging look."

"Thanks for all your hard work."

"Happy to help."

Boyd seemed to remember something and added, "As the sheriff's deputy, you'll have an important duty."

"Licking coffee here?"

"Not that. That's a personal hobby."

"You're devoted enough to call it a hobby?"

"Don't interrupt."

"Okay."

Ryan acknowledged him and turned toward the window. There were few people outside, and the street was clean.

Boyd's voice reached him across the restaurant. "At night, you need to urge people to get indoors. It's a matter of safety."

"Doesn't sound hard."

"It isn't. The hard part is that you'll always be the last one inside. Being out in town near dark is like walking a tightrope."

"Who did it before?"

"Me. Sheriff Boyd."

"Looks like you've never fallen off that tightrope."

Ryan wasn't worried about the things lurking in town. As the strongest Supe in his previous world, if he went all out...

The whole town would be vaporized.

But the panel hadn't asked him to destroy it. There would be no reward for that. All he could do was stay here for a while.

His thoughts churned