Allison comes to see Paladin at the Carleton and the staff escorts
her to Paladin's private suite. She analyses Paladin by his furnishing,
suggesting that he's a former soldier who likes his luxury. Paladin
kisses her, assuming that she's there for romantic reasons, but she
explains that her father, Everett, sent her away from New Orleans.
However, he just sent Allison a letter informing her that he's fighting a
duel with a young beau, Graham Beckley. Everett is an old man who
hasn't held a gun in thirty years and Allison wants to hire Paladin to
return with her to New Orleans and defend her father. She figures that
Graham will back down once he's confronted by a gunfighter and
everything will be resolved. Paladin accepts, takes his fee, and gives
her one last kiss before ushering her out.
In New Orleans,
Allison brings Paladin home to meet her father. Paladin claims that he's
courting Allison and Everett explains that he took offense when Graham
was too forward to his daughter. He then sent Allison away to San
Francisco and accepted Graham's challenge to a duel. Undeterred by
Paladin's contempt for the entire process of dueling, Everett invites
Paladin to attend the duel, saying it's a casual affair with only fifty
people there to watch. Paladin suggests that Everett call it off but the
old man believes that Graham will withdraw his challenge rather than
risk killing an old man and dishonoring himself. Paladin knows better
when young men are concerned, but Everett doesn't believe him and walks
out. Allison warns Paladin that her father is wrong and Graham won't
back down, and kisses Paladin to convince him to continue.
Convinced despite himself, Paladin goes to the Albatross Club and
demands to meet with Graham, who is playing chess with his friend Harry.
Paladin dismisses the whole thing as stupid and says that he's put a
stop to it, but Graham takes offense at the gunslinger's attitude toward
the fine old tradition of dueling. He tells Paladin, loudly enough so
that the club members can hear, that he'll accept an apology from
Everett, but Paladin tells him that the old man won't apologize. Graham
says that the duel will proceed as planned and Paladin informs him that
he'll fight in Everett's place. The young nobleman is shocked that
Paladin is violating the dueling code but the gunslinger tells him that
it's up to Graham to make the next move and walks out.
When
Paladin returns to the Windrom home, Everett has already received word
of the change in plans. He insists that he had everything under control
and that Paladin had no right to interfere, but the gunslinger brusquely
informs Everett that he would either have been dishonored or dead.
Given his charge's attitude, Paladin is ready to withdraw and let him
suffer one of those two fates. However, Everett tells him that Graham
has hired a gunfighter, Bill Sledge, to take on Paladin. Paladin doesn't
see how it concerns him and is ready to leave, but Everett insists on
fighting Sledge no matter what. Allison appeals to Paladin, while
Everett insists that it's a matter of honor and only blood can settle
it.
Paladin reluctantly stays on the case and goes to see
Sledge at his hotel room. Sledge admits that he's just as puzzled about
the whole idea of gunfights with rules as Paladin is. Neither one of
them understand why they're fighting over a matter of intangible honor
rather than goods or lands or money. Paladin points out that the choice
of weapons is up to them and they agree to fight with their fists rather
than guns.
Everett goes back to the Albatross Club and finds
Harry taking bets on the outcome of the duel. Graham sees the old man
and comes over, and they both admit that they agree on one thing: they'd
rather see Paladin dead because of his contempt for dueling. The
younger man apologizes for giving offense and Everett accepts, noting
that he has more manners than Paladin. The two men reconcile their
difference, but are surprised when Harry comes over and tells them that
their chosen representatives will be fighting with fists, not guns.
Graham and Everett promise each other that their man will show up with a
gun.
That night, Paladin is in the Windrom garden when Allison
comes out and flirts with him. She offers to keep her promise in San
Francisco to make love, but Paladin figures that she's pretending, just
as her father is pretending at being a man of violence. Disgusted,
Paladin tells Allison that he doesn't pretend and shoves her away.
The next morning, Paladin and Sledge arrive for their duel. Allison is
watching from her carriage, eager to see two men fight over her. Everett
warns Paladin that Sledge will be carrying a gun and offers the
gunslinger a weapon. Paladin looks over and sees Graham giving Sledge a
revolver. The referee protests, complaining that neither man is using a
proper dueling gun, but Everett insists on continuing. The two hired
duelists receive their instructions to walk away from each other and, on
the count of ten, turn and fire. Paladin warns Sledge that they're both
being played and the rival gunslinger says that they should just keep
walking and leave.
On the referee's signal, Paladin and Sledge
walk their ten paces... and keep going. Surprised, Allison steps out to
protest. The click of the carriage catch sounds like a cocked trigger,
and Sledge instinctively turns and fires. Paladin does so as well, and
he's just a bit faster than the younger gunslinger. Sledge goes down and
Paladin stares at the corpse in shock and disgust. He then goes to the
buffet table set up for the occasion, takes a drink, and angrily tells
the onlookers that they should celebrate because they've had their blood
and a man is dead because of them. Angry at them and at himself,
Paladin throws the drink on the grass and walks away.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 21, 2018