volume one IN THE D U D L E Y C L A R K - Ohio Vine Tours

Pete: “Buchanan Rides Alone.”
Mel: “Thunder Over the Plains.”
Jason and Rick drift towards the kitchen.
Pete: “The Stranger Wore a Gun.”
Mel: “Ride the High Country.”
Pete: “Sam Peckinpah directed. Joel McCrea and—”
Mel: “—Mariette Hartley. What was Scott’s horse’s name?”
Pete shakes his head.
“You know that?”
“I do, indeed. Do you, mister Leo DiCapricorn Cowboy?”
Mel grins.
Pete may have met his match, but not his master...or whatever.
“He rode Stardust, a golden palomino.”
Roy: “Did he stuff it?”
Pete, choosing to ignore Roy, instead studies Mel as if for the
first time.
“I’m impressed.”
“Why? Because I’m a swish?”
“No. ’Cause I never meet nobody—man woman or swish—
knew that much shit about Randolph Scott.”
Mel waves this away as if it’s as unimportant as it actually is.
“Know ’em all, sweetie—raised watching shoot ’em ups. I’m
from Kiss-ass Tex-ass.”
A hint of awe leaks into Pete’s voice.
“You’re from Texas?”
Roy is surprised by the news, too.
“I dint know that.”
“You don’t know much, Roy—” Mel pinches Roy’s cheek
“—but you’re sweet.”
Pete frowns.
“You don’t sound Texan.”
“Thank you—I don’t act Texan, either. Although I like to
screw one every now and then. I left home—Waco—when I was
fourteen. Not a fun place for a gay caballero.”
Pete nods as if he understands.
“You like the Sons?”
“The Sons? Hell, I was raised on the Sons. Whenever
0 ROY ROGERS IN THE 21ST CENTURY