{"id":74,"date":"2008-06-29T00:01:44","date_gmt":"2008-06-29T04:01:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/?p=74"},"modified":"2022-12-14T14:02:08","modified_gmt":"2022-12-14T19:02:08","slug":"a-real-red-and-white","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/articles\/a-real-red-and-white\/","title":{"rendered":"A Real Red and White"},"content":{"rendered":"

R<\/strong><\/span>eentry was never this bad. Sure, there were times when the ship was rattling,but never before was reentry violent to the point of being nauseous.<\/p>\n

Of course, it was an escape pod.<\/p>\n

It had to been built as an afterthought, by a designer who never dreamed his ship was going to get shot at. Now, with the ground hurtling at him, the traveler wished he could take a shot at the designer. Assuming the ground was going to let him walk.<\/p>\n

The first thing he knew of the impact was looking back on the pod, crumpled like a can, the only tree for several miles standing over it, burning. He felt nothing but a buzz in the back of his head, and his eyes dancing in the front. He crawled between two rocks and fell asleep.<\/p>\n

It must have been the next day when he woke, for the sun was high in the sky. Taking a moment to curse it for being so damn bright, he stumbled off towards the horizon. Sagebrush and jagged outcrops were all he could see, and all he could hear were his boots and labored breathing. He tripped and fell. For a moment he just lay there, and as the sun continued to beat down, he thought death wasn\u2019t so bad. His eyelids started to close, until there was only a thin strip of light left. And there, focused by the thin band, was something he hadn\u2019t seen before: a hoof print. He paused, then raised his head. There were several of them, all leading off towards the horizon.<\/p>\n

A trail. Civilization. Hope. Whiskey.<\/p>\n

He followed it until he found himself looking over a settlement. Maybe thirty buildings total, none built from the nanofiber found on most worlds, but wood. A number of people were walking around, wearing dusters and tall boots. It was hard to distinguish the women from the men, but here and there some wore more feminine clothing. Grunting, he wove his way down the rock face and went into town.<\/p>\n

Some people frowned at him as he walked past, but none made a move to stop him. There was a deputy with a shotgun, on horseback, who gave him a long look, but he didn\u2019t make any moves either. As he kept walking, an old couple looked at him for a moment, decided he was no uglier, nor no prettier, than the average, and then crossed the street. He watched them walk between a pair of red pillars, holding up a curved red bar. He recognized it immediately. A torii: the symbolic gateway to a Shinto shrine.<\/p>\n

He had to stop and stare at it for a long minute. A shrine? This far out on the Arm? He walked over to it, almost put his hand on the red wood, then stopped. He shook his head and moved on. Those memories hurt.<\/p>\n

He found the saloon easily enough, it\u2019s sign decorated with strokes of a different age. The people inside gave him brief glances, before turning back to their drinks and chess games. He walked up to the bar and planted his hands on the bartop. The bartender, who looked like a walking rum jug, frowned.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s the hypercomm unit?\u201d the traveler asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever had one that worked,\u201d the bartender answered.<\/p>\n

The traveler nodded. \u201cGot any good drinks?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDepends. You pay in…\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDataries.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bartender shrugged. \u201cSure. Whiskey?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course.\u201d He took a stool and knocked back two shots before another man walked in, looking a tree ripped from the ground. He approached the bar and spoke rapidly, getting a green bottle of…something. Looked unpleasant. As the traveler knocked his third shot back, a second man walked in, bulkier than the first, with a scowl. He too approached the bar, and for the moment, the air went still.<\/p>\n

The look between their eyes was unmistakable. Bad blood, all right. The first one was standing between the traveler and the second man. The traveler looked over, saw the second reach for his belt. No doubt a blazergun was going to come from there. And if he shot, his target would be nothing more than tissue paper. He\u2019d get two kills for the price of one. When the first man reached for his belt, the traveler acted-<\/p>\n

With a slight lean, he and his stool fell over backwards. From the floor he watched as the two men stared each other down. He blinked. There was no blast, no smell of stinking meat. Then he looked at their hands. They weren\u2019t on the butts of guns, but rather on the hilts of swords. And from the gleam of the steel, they were katanas. The two men gave each other a curt nod, then turned and marched out of the bar, paying him absolutely no heed.<\/p>\n

Everyone else, on the other hand, was looking at him with intent curiosity.<\/p>\n

He struggled back to his feet. \u201cHad enough to drink?\u201d the bartender asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cMeant to do that,\u201d he muttered. He picked up the now empty shot glass and stared. \u201cWhat\u2019s in this stuff?\u201d<\/p>\n

The bartender raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n

H<\/strong><\/span>e left the bar and walked around town for some time. Once again, he was ignored. He found a shed on the outskirts of town where the hypercomm unit used to be, but it was far too damaged to be useful. The kids must\u2019ve used it for soccer. Cursing his luck, he continued his tour. The only thing this town seemed to be missing was a hotel, so he stayed on his feet until nightfall. There wasn\u2019t even a crack between rocks for him to crawl into.<\/p>\n

He leaned up against a house and rubbed his temple. Something scuffled in the dirt behind him. He turned to see a young boy sitting on the porch, looking at him. In his hand was a bokken, which he was banging against the ground. With each blow the traveler winced.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey mister,\u201d he said. \u201cYou need a place to sleep?\u201d<\/p>\n

The traveler snorted. \u201cYou could say that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy stood up and gestured towards his house. \u201cYou can stay here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The traveler smiled. How sweet. \u201cWell, I wouldn\u2019t want to impose…\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d the boy said. \u201cMy mom\u2019s pretty lonely.\u201d The traveler blushed.<\/p>\n

It barely took a minute for the boy to drag him inside, where his mother gave him a concerned look. She wasn\u2019t bad looking, but then again, it wasn\u2019t like he could compare her. But his eye certainly didn\u2019t sting. The boy told her he found a new friend, and then he explained his mother was the town teacher. Both remarks made the traveler blush even more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI apologize,\u201d he said, but the woman stopped him.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no,\u201d she said, \u201cThis is Chun\u2019s fault.\u201d She whacked the boy on the head with a spoon, not enough to hurt but enough to make a noise. \u201cPlease sit. We rarely have guests.\u201d She then disappeared into the kitchen.<\/p>\n

He sat down, embarrassed. She returned with a bowl of soup and bread, while Chun came with what looked like spiced tea. They sat down, and immediately they began eating. It took the traveler a few moments to follow, but the food was good, the tea was excellent, and the chair was not as uncomfortable as his bottom was making it out to be.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what brings you to our settlement?\u201d Chun\u2019s mother asked. The traveler looked at her; there was no suspicion in her eyes, only interest.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrouble,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n

The traveler paused. \u201cThe kind of trouble people really don\u2019t like.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not afraid of trouble,\u201d Chun said. At the looks he got, he added, \u201cI\u2019m going to become a great sword master.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh really?\u201d The traveler emptied his cup of tea and set it down. \u201cAnd you\u2019re sure that\u2019s what you want?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYup.\u201d Chun scratched his chin. \u201cJust need a teacher. I want a red and white one. From the school.\u201d<\/p>\n

The traveler nodded. \u201cShame.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chun\u2019s mother frowned. \u201cWhat is?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat the School was bombed from orbit. No one survived.\u201d He poured himself another cup of tea and drank while they stared at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would anyone do that?\u201d Chun finally asked. It took the traveler a moment to respond. \u201cPeople found them scary.\u201d<\/p>\n

It took another minute for Chun to regain his senses. \u201cYou gotta be lying,\u201d he said. \u201cNobody could do that. Swordmasters don\u2019t die.\u201d<\/p>\n

The traveler sighed.<\/p>\n

Chun\u2019s mother took him upstairs to bed before his mind could be further polluted. When she returned, his eyes glared at him. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy apologies,\u201d he answered, finally emptying his bowl of soup. \u201cMight not have been my place, but it\u2019s better his hopes are dashed now, rather than his head later.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think you\u2019re being charitable?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCharity\u2019d be keeping that boy from the fate that befell the others.\u201d He chomped down on a slice of bread. \u201cI might joke about my gambling record, but I can\u2019t joke with twenty thousand newscasts saying every swordsman got gunned down.\u201d<\/p>\n

She snorted as she sat down. \u201cWe don\u2019t get the newscasts out here.\u201d She shook her head. \u201cThe only thing we do get are meteor showers. That\u2019s what I thought it was last night. I have to assume now it was your ship?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEscape pod,\u201d he corrected.<\/p>\n

\u201cSounded terrible. You\u2019re lucky to be alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked out the window. \u201cI have my doubts about that.\u201d<\/p>\n

A minute passed by in silence before she spoke again. \u201cDo you have a family that misses you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot unless a pet ferret counts as family, no,\u201d he said. He looked at the serving bowl. \u201cThat was really good. May I-?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d she said, filling his bowl. As he ate, she continued. \u201cSo, do you know much about the School?\u201d<\/p>\n

He stopped. \u201cA little,\u201d he said, around his soup.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt got bombed.\u201d<\/p>\n

She shook her head. \u201cAnything more than that?\u201d<\/p>\n

He set the bowl down and made a face. \u201cWell, there were a bunch of people going around, saying the samurai were social deviants, traitors, killed innocent people, bunch of other ugly rumors. Never believed it myself, but I guess some did. Enough to blow it up.\u201d<\/p>\n

If she was worried, she didn\u2019t show it. \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t happen to be the ones who shot you down, were they?\u201d<\/p>\n

The traveler blinked. \u201cNo,\u201d he said, maybe too quickly. \u201cI mean, I doubt it. Looked like brigands to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess lots of people prefer that life, where you come from.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere I come from most people prefer to make money, not bullet holes,\u201d he replied. \u201cThough I done have to admit, the galaxy out there is full of assholes nowadays. And it\u2019s getting more crowded by the minute.\u201d<\/p>\n

He stopped when he noticed her watching him, one eyebrow upturned. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI usually smack boys with an oar for using that language,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

He froze, dumbstruck. Finally it hit him. \u201cMy sincerest apologies,\u201d he said, bowing. \u201cIt has been a long time since I\u2019ve been in civilized company.\u201d<\/p>\n

She smiled. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI should get going,\u201d he said, rising, but she grabbed his wrist. He looked down at it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can stay here tonight,\u201d she said. \u201cI have an extra room.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy…thank you,\u201d he said. \u201cI have no wish to impose, Madame.\u201d She snorted. \u201cMadame? People around here call me Missus Perkins.\u201d She let go of his wrist and rose. \u201cCome to think of it,\u201d she added, \u201cI never got your name.\u201d \u201cWell,\u201d he said, \u201cI don\u2019t quite lend it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

T<\/strong><\/span>he next morning he left before the others woke. Outside, it was still cool, but his duster was more than enough. The sun was low in the north, but not low enough to keep the townspeople in bed. Once again, he took to looking, on the off chance someone else did have a working hypercomm.<\/p>\n

Instead of finding a hypercomm, though, he found what looked like a government hall: squat, rectangular, yet still imposing by virtue of it\u2019s outer wall. He gave the banner above the front entrance a look, then walked in. Between the building and the wall the ground looked measurably more fertile, actually having grasses to tread on. He walked around the outside of the inner building before he found a door on the side. It opened silently. Inside he found one large room, with a shiny wooden floor. At the closest end to him, the statue of a bearded man stared, demanding fealty. Above it was another large banner, where he read the lineage of the building and the man who sat underneath it. He wanted to sit and just read.<\/p>\n

He was interrupted by the swinging of a door from behind. Five men walked in, in typical settler getup. One was carrying a shotgun, with a scowl that could crack rocks. The leader was a smooth faced man, probably in his mid-twenties. He put his hand on his belt, showing off the gun that was there.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think you\u2019re doing?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdmiring the sculpture,\u201d the traveler answered, turning back to the banner.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have no right to be here,\u201d the leader said taking a step forward. \u201cAnd certainly no right to come through the master\u2019s door.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you the master here?\u201d the traveler said, still reading the banner.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat don\u2019t matter\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMatters a lot,\u201d the traveler answered, staring into his eyes. \u201cOnly the master can decide that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The leader bristled, and his hand crept towards his gun. \u201cAnd what would an outsider know of the ways of the dojo?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlenty,\u201d the traveler said, then added, \u201cI mean, a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two of the men split off to the sides, hoping to box him in. The leader took another step forward. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of suspicion about you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally? I\u2019ll make sure to keep an eye out for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWord has it you stayed at Missus Perkins\u2019 place last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe invited me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWillingly?\u201d<\/p>\n

The traveler rolled his eyes. \u201cWell if it wasn\u2019t willingly then it couldn\u2019t be called an invitation, now could it?\u201d<\/p>\n

The leader didn\u2019t back down. \u201cI don\u2019t like people coming out of the desert and just showing up in my town,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t trust you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs if I care.\u201d<\/p>\n

The leader took a few more steps forward, until he was nearly nose to nose with the traveler.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou might want to start being a bit more friendly.\u201d<\/p>\n

The traveler snorted. \u201cCare to be a role model?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou like to joke.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are one.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a ka-chang as the shotgun was pumped and leveled at the traveler\u2019s head. He looked down the barrel to see if it was the deputy from yesterday, but it wasn\u2019t. Good.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou aiming to start a fight in a dojo with guns?\u201d he said. \u201cConsidering the school, that\u2019s deplorable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat would a person like you know of that, outsider?\u201d The leader paused. \u201cWhat are you? Criminal? Bounty hunter?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCowhand.\u201d<\/p>\n

The men in the gang stopped and looked at each other, trading raised eyebrows and shrugs.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou won\u2019t believe how big space cows get,\u201d the traveler added.<\/p>\n

The leader gave him a look that said \u201cNot buying.\u201d \u201cAnd just what would a cowhand be doing in our settlement?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re lucky, you\u2019ll never find out.\u201d<\/p>\n

For thirty seconds, the dojo was deathly still. Then, it started to rumble gently, and soon a whine entered their ears. They slowly increased in loudness and pitch until a giant lion and a monstrous fly were over their heads. The men looked around, fear painted on their faces. Even the leader had stepped back, and none had their guns aimed at the traveler.<\/p>\n

\u201cChi-chou! Takuya! Get out here!\u201d Through the doorway the traveler could see a sheriff\u2019s deputy beckoning them, the same one from yesterday. \u201cThere\u2019s a ship landing, might be trouble.\u201d He paused. \u201cHey, Jin! That better not be my shotgun!\u201d<\/p>\n

Without giving him a second look, they all took off, leaving the traveler alone. He sighed, then followed. So much for luck.<\/p>\n

Outside the people had gathered in the main street, as a giant troop carrier had landed about half a kilometer away. Already he could see men with submachine guns marching towards the town, most in light armor. At the front of the town gathering were four men, each wearing the star of a lawman on their chest, each with a sword at their side. The traveler stepped up next to the oldest one, the sheriff, and watched as more men came.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo,\u201d the sheriff said, turning to him, \u201cThese are the men looking for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

The traveler grimaced. Small town. \u201cNot specifically,\u201d he answered. \u201cThey want anyone who wields a sword.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

The traveler gave him an incredulous look. \u201cWhy do you think I know?\u201d He turned back to the men. \u201cPrejudice and clear thinkin\u2019 don\u2019t exactly go together.\u201d<\/p>\n

The column of men reached the border of the village and stopped. Their leader, a man in a brown jacket and an eyepatch over his right eye, brandishing a carbine, grinned. \u201cWell boys, look like we found a whole damn village of da deviants!\u201d That was followed by a large, raucous cheer from the men.<\/p>\n

The sheriff stepped forward. \u201cSomething I can help you with, gentlemen?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHelp?\u201d Eyepatch spat. \u201cYou just listen to what we say, don\u2019t give me any reason to shoot y\u2019all, that\u2019d be helpful. Otherwise,\u201d he continued, raising his voice, \u201cThere might be a whole lotta killing around here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it that you want?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just hand over any samurai in this village\u2014as well as those swords\u2014and we\u2019ll be thinking of leaving you alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

The settlers bristled. \u201cWe can\u2019t do that,\u201d the sheriff answered.<\/p>\n

Eyepatch walked up to him. \u201cIs that what you think?\u201d The sheriff opened his mouth, but the only thing anyone heard was a gunshot.<\/p>\n

There was a flash of silver. Eyepatch screamed. Blood streaked down the traveler\u2019s katana.<\/p>\n

Eyepatch\u2019s hand hit the ground just as the sheriff did. The soldiers aimed, but then one was thrown to the ground. The traveler looked over and saw Jin with the shotgun, crouching behind a barrel.<\/p>\n

The soldiers turned and started pouring bullets into Jin\u2019s cover. Dashing forward, the traveler kicked Eyepatch out of the way and barreled into the formation. He swung the sword ever so gently towards the nearest soldier, who found that missing three fingers made holding a gun difficult. That one fell back, and he moved on to the next one. There an arm, half of a gun, a few fingers, a slash across the cheek. The soldiers weren\u2019t helping their case; half the time they tried to shoot him, he would duck and they would hit a comrade instead.<\/p>\n

One of the men impressed him by constantly dodging every strike. The traveler would sweep through, and the soldier would dance back. Finally, there was an opening, as the soldier\u2019s arms went wide\u2014just in time for another blade to skewer him in the chest. The traveler turned his head to see the gang leader from the dojo there, an apology on his face. The traveler just rolled his eyes and looked for the next enemy, but there wasn\u2019t anyone near him.<\/p>\n

He looked around. It was a rout. Clustered on rooftops and behind any sort of cover, the townsfolk were firing back, many with guns that would only fire on the third try. Yet there were plenty of bodies on the ground, soldier and townsfolk alike. Some of the townsfolk were being brought down by a sniper, perched behind a wagon parked next to the school. He shot one in the knee, lined up, shot another in the chest. The traveler took a step to advance on him\u2014but then the window above the soldier opened, and a woman stabbed a knife into his neck. There was a flash of blood, a gurgled yell, and it was over. The woman looked up, and the traveler blinked. It was Miss Perkins, now with a stripe of scarlet across her blouse. Next to her white face, it was almost beautiful. A gust of wind picked up, and his duster, now tattered and ragged, flew off.<\/p>\n

Gradually, the gunfire stopped, and the few surviving soldiers started to fall back to their ship, clutching at body parts and squeezing gashes. There was a roar from the townsfolk, and they charged forward, but the traveler held up his sword. \u201cWait,\u201d he said, and they fell silent.<\/p>\n

After a minute of watching the soldiers scurrying to their ship, one of them said, \u201cThey\u2019re gonna get away!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen let them,\u201d he answered. \u201cYou\u2019ve made your point. There\u2019s been enough killing.\u201d<\/p>\n

They looked at each other, some with confused looks, other depressed, some still hopping mad. Eventually they started to murmur assent, and walked back. He followed.<\/p>\n

Eyepatch was on his knees, still clutching his wrist, with Jin watching him. The traveler stopped in front of him, put the blade in front of his face. Eyepatch focused on it, then slowly looked up until he met the traveler\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cBest be getting before your men take off without you,\u201d he suggested.<\/p>\n

Eyepatch spat on the sword. \u201cYou\u2019ll pay for this,\u201d he said, his voice raspy.<\/p>\n

For a moment, no one said anything, the crowd looking between the executioner and the criminal. Finally, the traveler said, \u201cHow clich\u00c3\u00a9.\u201d Then he grabbed Eyepatch by the collar, hauled him to his feet, and gave him a swift kick in the ass towards his ship. He didn\u2019t bother to watch him run off.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow!\u201d a voice said. The traveler turned to see Chun looking out the front door of the school.<\/p>\n

\u201cChun!\u201d his mother said, grabbing him. \u201cGet back in here!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Momma, Momma!\u201d Chun said, pointing, \u201cHe\u2019s a swordmaster! He\u2019s the guy I was tellin` you about! He\u2019s a real red and white! A real one, Momma!\u201d<\/p>\n

The traveler looked down at his clothes. The red and white kimono of his rank was showing. The red had made a few inroads onto the white in round, splotchy bits, but the pattern was still clear. Too late to hide anything now.<\/p>\n

He nodded. \u201cThe boy is right. I am what he says I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few of the townsfolk gave him amazed looks, but most were already cleaning up the mess. The gang leader chuckled. \u201cCowhand, huh?”<\/p>\n

The traveler smiled. \u201cI moonlighted.\u201d<\/p>\n

He watched as Miss Perkins walked out of the school and plucked the star off the sheriff. Chun followed, as she pinned it to his kimono. He winced\u2014protocol was clear on these matters\u2014then loosened up, decided protocol was the last thing that should be on his mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cOld Tetsuo would have wanted you to have that,\u201d she said, tears trickling down. He sighed.<\/p>\n

Chun looked at him with gleaming eyes. To think that he would eventually grow up and become a man. The image of Chun wrecking a sword came to mind. He looked to Miss Perkins. \u201cMa\u2019am,\u201d he said, \u201cI think I should take your son on as my apprentice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chun started hopping up and down. \u201cPlease Momma! Please!\u201d<\/p>\n

She hesitated, then nodded. The traveler smiled. \u201cAre you ready to become a Swordmaster, Chun?\u201d<\/p>\n

He grinned. \u201cI\u2019m ready for anything!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEven shoveling poop?\u201d<\/p>\n

Chun\u2019s jaw dropped, and his mother had to cover her mouth to keep herself from giggling. The traveler smiled. \u201cDon\u2019t worry about that yet. First…first…\u201d He sheathed his sword and started walking. The people formed up behind him, and he led a march into the town square. He could see the torii, standing tall. The memories didn\u2019t hurt as much now. He chuckled.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need a drink.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s not unheard of for a tired stranger to save a town. Jeremy Kolassa brings us just such a tale. — ed, N.E. Lilly<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":549,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,5],"tags":[117],"media":[299],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1153,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74\/revisions\/1153"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74"},{"taxonomy":"media","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacewesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?post=74"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}