THE WHISKEY BURNED going down, but not in the good way, proving my suspicion that it was a home brew, and not shipped in on the coach. But after three days’ ride, and no saloon, the flaming piss offered would have to do. I motioned to the bartender to pour another as I let my eyes wander.
The establishment was mostly empty this early in the day, with only a couple of men lounging in the corner, cards clasped in their hands. Both were clearly intoxicated. Either that, or they were really bad at bluffing.
“What brings ye here, mister?” The bartender inquired as he filled my glass.
I lifted my glass with a nod and downed it. The stuff did grow on you.
“I’m looking for someone: fella by the name of Krinskey. Know him?”
He seemed to ponder. “Name don’t sound fameelure. Then again, nobody comes here by choice. This town bein’ compared to the ‘Devil’s asshole’ tends to keep good people away. What’s this feller done?”
“He took a woman from her family.” I pointed vaguely in an easterly direction. “She disappeared back from Jefferson City. Her family hired me to find her. Folks there said they last saw her with this guy Krinskey.” I leaned closer to him. “I tracked him this far; you sure you don’t know him?”
He seemed insulted by my questioning. “If he was here, he never used his name. I don’ appresiate bein’ questioned like this.” He snapped his fingers and another man came over.
The newcomer was a good six feet tall. He came up behind me, putting a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s go, fella!” He made as if to throw me out of the place.
Swiftly, I grabbed him by the back of his neck, slamming him face first onto the bar. Another sign of how cheap this place was; the bar cracked where his head slammed into it. As he fell backwards to the floor, I pulled my pistol out and pointed at the bartender, who nearly dropped the bottle.
“Careful there,” I said, indicating his shaking hands clasping the bottle. “That stuff might be cheap, but I bet it would do wonders to your floor.” I looked around, noting that it probably wouldn’t hurt any. “I’ll ask again… Have you seen the man called Krinskey?”
He put the bottle down. “All right, take ‘er easy. I know who you seek. He was here last night enjoying the whores. We have a… special group of ladies here.”
I took a step closer, holding the pistol closer to his face. “Did he have anyone with him? A woman?”
He sputtered as he tried to pull back. “They left this morning. H-he seemed excited to show her somethin’.” He swallowed hard. “Lookee, why don’ you check out the brothel? They can tell you where he was headin’ better than I can.”
I nodded, downing one last glass of the whiskey. “Lead the way.”
* * *
Behind the saloon, I was led towards a small building, roughly the size of a trunk you would see on the coach. He motioned towards it and backed away. “Sorry, fella… The girls don’t like me hanging around…” He disappeared back inside.
I approached slowly and tapped on the side of the small building with the end of my pistol.
A door opened at my feet and a woman stepped out. She only stood about a foot tall, much to my shock. She looked up at me. “Do you mind sitting down, honey? I get a pain in my neck looking up like this all the time.”
Trying to keep the shock off my face, I sat down in the dust as she wished. “I am sorry to bother you, ma’am,” I began, tipping my hat slightly. “I am looking for someone, and I was told he was here last night.”
She smiled as she came closer, reaching a hand out to graze the area between my legs. She seemed to be implying that I was doubtful of her abilities, but the swelling down below was hardly caused by doubt.
She turned her back to me. “I know who you are looking for, honey. He was a curious one; usually the men have no time for talk. He asked a lot of questions of me last night.” She reached out and touched the bulge in my pants. “He wanted much more than a tumble…”
The three day ride without a saloon had been rough, but I didn’t realize how much I had missed not having the occasional whore to spend the time with. But a job was a job, and I couldn’t back off when I was this close. As much as I would enjoy spending some time with her, now was not the time.
“I am curious as to how you are as small as you are…”
She rolled her eyes. “You are just like him. Questioning stature and how we became this size. I will tell you the same I told him: the spring a mile west of here. It has been blocked off, but the water from that spring will make small those who drink of it. I told him to be careful not to leave it uncovered when he was done with it…”
I rose quickly to my feet, throwing dust that enveloped the small woman. She coughed slightly as she glared up at me. “Apologies ma’am, but I must be off. A woman is in danger; if I hurry I might still be able to keep her safe.”
“I wish you luck, honey,” she said, curtseying slightly. “I do hope you come back here and spend some time with me before you ride out.” She gently opened her dress, revealing an ample chest. “I may be small, but I know a few tricks.”
I got out of there before I could change my mind.
* * *
My horse made fast work of the mile ride out into what looked like open desert, but as we came over a knoll, I saw a puddle of water amongst some rocks. A man seemed to be holding a cup out to a shivering pile of material. As I rode down towards him, I heard his voice.
“Drink. You are still too big for my purposes.” He forced the cup forward to the shivering mess which quickly seemed to collapse inward.
My mount sped downward with a slight kick and as we drew close, I leapt from my steed tackling the man to the ground.
“The game is up, Krinskey! This woman is going to come with me back to her family.”
He slipped out from under me and stood quickly. “Now just a minute! She came with me willingly. I never forced her…”
I punched him in the face, causing him to tumble backwards over the rock and land face first into the puddle. He sputtered as he quickly jumped to his feet. “No. No. NOO!!” He glared daggers at me. “You bastard.”
He tackled me this time, which was impressive as he seemed to be smaller than he had been just a moment before. I think the surprise is what caught me off guard, but as he held me down, he dipped the cup back into the puddle and threw some of the water in my face. “Have a drink!”
The water, though ice cold, filled my body with a warmth unlike any campfire ever did. I could feel my clothes loosen as my hat dropped over my eyes.
A second cup was poured into my face, sending me sputtering and choking. “No one will find her, or you, before too long. I may be shorter than I was, but at least I will have some semblance of a normal life.”
Using the last of my strength, I kicked back, my oversized boot colliding with his stomach. He gasped as he stumbled off of me. He fell on his knees, gasping for breath.
Though I barely stood as tall as one of my mounts legs now, I somehow found the strength to roll his face back into the puddle as he gasped for air. When his face hit the water, I sat on his head as he struggled beneath me.
The surface I was on got smaller and smaller, and when it was barely the size of a button, I jumped off and away from the puddle.
Almost instantly, he rolled back to his feet, but he was still getting smaller as he stood there before me. “H… Help me,” he gasped as he grew ever smaller.
I picked him up and tossed him back into the puddle, which was more like a pond to me now; an ocean to him.
I watched as he splashed and struggled until I could no longer see his still shrinking form.
* * *
I turned and walked back towards the shivering pile of material, which I could now tell had been a blue dress; my oversized shirt drug on the ground beneath my feet as I made my way forward.
“Ma’am?” I inquired slightly as I stood before the dress. “I know this is awkward for both of us, but I was sent here by your husband. I’m going to take you back to him in Jefferson City.”
She poked her head out. “You are going to take me back?? I have no clothes to wear, and neither do you. And besides, how do you propose to get back on your horse?”
I looked to my mount and figured out how to make it work. I took the reins and pulled. It followed me willingly back towards the puddle where I let it drink. I pulled it back after a while, and directed it to push the rock back into the puddle. Fortunately, my steed was well-trained and could understand my diminished instructions.
The horse became smaller just as we did, luckily stopping at a size we could ride it. The reins were now much too oversized, and the saddle drug on the ground. I undid the large clasps and slid it off.
I pulled a handkerchief from my saddle bag and walked towards her. “Can you fashion something for yourself out of this?” I asked, dragging the large cloth towards her.
She sighed and pulled it over, wrapping herself in it and climbing down out of her dress. While she did that, I pulled a second handkerchief out and wrapped myself in it.
“We can get some clothes back in the town.” I gently lifted her up onto the bareback horse before climbing up behind her. “I don’t suppose you want to tell me why you left with him from Jefferson City?”
She looked at me incredulously. “Why should I tell you my business?”
I shrugged as I started us off back to the east. “Suit yourself ma’am, but it will be a long ride back. A lot longer than the ride out. I figured you might want to talk to pass the time.”
The horizon spread out before us as we rode. My concept of distance was ruined at my now smaller size, but I still had my sense of direction. We hadn’t gone far though, when her voice sweetly spoke:
“My name is Elizabeth…”