Thane walked down the hallway where the offices were. First came her office, then Tarmid’s, after which was Gnora’s. The entrance was marked with a small wooden sign labelled “Gnora” and, in smaller, scratched out letters underneath: “Sheriff.” She knocked lightly on the door, and for a moment she heard a light, fearful gasp coming from the other side.
“It’s me Gnora,” she said, “Thane.”
The door was opened quickly after this statement. Thane was now met with her host: the tired-looking Gnora. She, Gnora, smiled sweetly at her guest, though Thane could see that she was quite uneasy.
“Miss Thane, good to see ya’,” Gnora said, pulling Thane inside and slamming the door shut behind the two of them, “The rum-barrel is beside the desk; make yourself comfortable. Ya’ can just set that hammer up against the wall.”
Thane did as she was asked, and Gnora soon joined her at the table to pour the drinks. The desk was kept fairly tidy with all the stacks of paper properly arranged and organized, though Thane noticed that most of the papers were old, stained with ink, and out-of-date, likely dating back to Gnora’s days as sheriff. Behind the desk was a large silver statue, a possession that Gnora was particularly proud of.
“Pleasant walk down here Miss Thane?” inquired Gnora as she sipped her rum.
“It was short, fairly uneventful too,” Thane responded, “Just ‘Thane’ is fine, by the way.”
“Of course,” Gnora murmured; her voice seemed distant and unfocused. The two of them waited drinking in silence for a moment, hoping that the other would pick up the conversation. Eventually Thane, hoping to assuage her own anxieties, broke the silence.
“So Gnora, what was it that you were planning to talk about here?”
Gnora tentatively took another sip of her drink, setting the mug down gently.
“I’m afraid Thane,” she whispered softly, “I think that the Padre is watching me.”
“Cornelius!”
“Yes, I think that he has it out for me. He wants to start that sunberry farm, and he did tell me that I was just another farmer; I’m easily replaceable to him. Now, I think that he’s watching me, tryin’ to get me in a position where he can get rid of me. I don’t favor steppin’ out of my own office when I don’t have to now; I’m that frightened by this. What do think, Thane?”