Rubies are Red
by Sarah O'Donoghue
The Legend Characters are copyrighted by Paramount Television and by Gekko Film Corp. This story is in no way intended as an infringement upon those rights. This story is written solely for the entertainment of others. Story copyright 1997 Sarah O'Donoghue
This story originally appeared at The Unofficial Nicodemus Legend Homepage
A warm early summer sun bathed the town of Sheridan, Colorado in the first light of a new day. It soaked up the shadows along the main street, going by Mayor Brown's shop, the Sheriff's office and finally reaching the upper floor of the Silver King Hotel, where Ernest Pratt, aka Nicodemus Legend, was fast asleep, dreaming of his recent pleasant evening in the company of a young lady from the Buffalo Head Saloon. The light level in his room gradually increased, pulling him out of sleep and back into his real world as a reluctant celebrity in this frontier town. "Oh no", he mumbled to himself, turning over and trying to get back to sleep: the day was not going to be pleasant. He fumbled for his pocket watch by the side of the bed and brought the timepiece up to his face, squinting at the numbers and trying to figure out if he could get away with staying in bed. But the watch said eight a.m., and he had no choice but to face his terrible fate: a book signing in Denver. E.C. Allen had requested politely, but very firmly, that Pratt must take full advantage of his current resurgence in popularity, and had arranged book signings in places that had recently been involved in his adventures - in fact or in fiction. Local interest in these places was high, and Allen wanted to maximize his profits, as Ernest well knew. Sheridan had certainly grown on him over the last year or so, and he was fond of the people who were loyal to Legend almost to a fault. Still, it would give him a change of scenery, and Denver wasn't the worst place on earth. Today was the first of these signings. The last would be in San Francisco. He wasn't sure where the others had been arranged, as he wasn't very popular in most of the places 'Legend' had been. He got out of bed, grumbling all the way, and forty minutes later emerged into the outside world. "Morning, Mr. Legend!", called out several passers by. Ernest forced a little smile and a half-hearted wave and then hurried down the street, hoping that no one else would recognize him. Bartok was going to give him a ride to Denver in the Legend balloon, so Pratt begged a ride in the hotel cart from Skeeter, who was down at the Sheriff's office doing chores, and they set off for the Compound. The sun was quite high by the time they got there, and a light breeze was stirring the reddish dirt on the road - another drought on the way, thought Ernest. Janos Kristoff Bartok and Huitzilopochtli Ramos were outside when the cart pulled up, their voices raised and their arms waving around wildly. To Pratt it seemed as if his two even-tempered friends were actually arguing. He jumped down from the cart and, while Skeeter looked after the horses, he walked up to the two men, who hadn't even noticed he was there. Ernest caught some snatches of what they were saying, but their voices were overlapping so much he could make out few words. "They've got no proof....exonerated!" "This buffoon can't get away with it!" "....Wasting time!" "Gentlemen!", Pratt thundered, "is there something wrong?" Bartok and Ramos turned towards him, suddenly realizing that they were not alone. Bartok opened his mouth to speak, but the usually reserved Ramos butted in. "Mr. Pratt! Can you please talk some sense into the professor! He has just received a letter from New York. He's been accused of stealing research and wants to go back there to take on the man responsible!" Bartok pursed his lips: his way of restraining himself from saying something he could regret later. Instead he glared at his associate and led the way back inside the laboratory, explaining as they walked. "What Ramos is trying to explain is this," he said, snatching up an already rumpled letter from one of the desks. He handed it to Ernest.
Professor Bartok, Mr. Michael Kneeland, an associate of Mr. Thomas Edison, is currently publishing some unfortunate claims about alleged similarities between his work and yours. I enclose some relevant newspaper clippings. I advise you to come to New York to clarify the matter. Your admirer, R. Joseph
Attorney-at-law
Pratt looked up from the letter. "But Janos, you said that this trouble with Edison was cleared up years ago. I thought your record was clear. Besides, you wouldn't steal his ideas, they're not worth it! Just look at his ideas for an electrical lightlamp." "Lightbulb, actually, Ernest, but yes, I was cleared of all accusations. However this does seem to hold up, so maybe others in the Edison camp have decided to steal my ideas. These newspaper clippings contain interviews with this Kneeland, where he claims to have invented a steam-powered 'All Land Vehicle', and an 'Electrical Ball' device. No, these are my inventions and he is trying to sully my name. I have no choice but to return to the East Coast and confront him." "But who is this 'R. Joseph'?" asked Ramos, "you don't know who he is." "I still have some friends back East", said Bartok. "This attorney is obviously interested in the sciences. In fact, it was a lawyer named Barrett Joseph who made Edison retract his allegations last time. This R. Joseph could be a relative. In any case, I am leaving on the next stage East." "Well, Ramos", mused Ernest, "it looks like you'll be the one taking me to Denver today." Bartok was away for several weeks. Ramos took care of the Compound and continued the Professor's research into invisible light rays, ("How can they be there if we can't see them?" asked Pratt). Ernest used his old reporter connections to try to find out more about what Kneeland had been up to, but could come up with very little, as it looked like the allegations had ceased. Bartok sent them a few telegrams to say that all was well, but with no details as to what he was doing. Then one day, the following telegram arrived:
Gentlemen. Success. Have proved charges of plagiarism to be false. Will return in a few days with companion. JKB
Ernest was heading into the Buffalo Head Saloon for a cup of 'tea' when the afternoon stage pulled in. "Ernest!" called a familiar voice. Pratt turned around and saw Bartok disembarking from the coach, and helping a lady down from her seat. Pratt did a double take. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, and he had seen many beauties of the fairer sex. Late twenties, he guessed. Quite tall, a slim brunette with her hair piled up in a fashionable Eastern style and a deep blue dress (Deep in cut, too,he thought appreciatively). Bartok took her by the hand and pointed to Pratt, saying something that made his companion laugh. What was going on? He strolled over to the couple. "Welcome back Professor. I trust that your little sojourn back East was successful? It would seem that you have brought back a rare treasure from the sophisticated cities." He smiled at the lady who smiled back shyly. "Very funny Ernest. My trip was a resounding success, thanks to this lady. May I present Miss Ruby Joseph, the attorney who helped me to clear my name." The lady stepped forward and Pratt took her hand, genuinely taken aback. "You are the 'R. Joseph' who sent my colleague that letter?" "Indeed I am, Mr. Pratt, or should I say Mr. Legend? I was so thrilled when Professor Bartok said that he knew you! I am such a fan of your books! I have so many questions I want to ask you about them, for instance what was your thinking behind...." "Miss Joseph," interrupted Bartok, rescuing his friend from a lengthy and, for him, boring discussion of his dime novels. "Why don't you avail yourself of the splendid hotel down the street. Mr. Pratt and I would be delighted to show you around the town a little later." Just as he was speaking, Harry, one of the boys who helped out at the hotel was passing by. "Harry!" called Bartok, "can you escort this lady to the hotel?" He threw the boy a coin. "Thanks Professor," said Harry, taking Ruby's bags and leading her across the street. "Right Janos," said Pratt, gesturing grandly towards the saloon, "come and have a drink with me and tell me what you've been up to." Bartok and Pratt seated themselves at a table and the bartender brought over their drinks. Coffee for the Professor and 'tea' for Ernest. "So..." Pratt began, "how did things go in New York, Janos?" "Oh, that fraud Kneeland had been following my research very closely," began Bartok, holding his coffee cup tightly. "Would you believe that he employs several people to read all the newspapers from these parts, and all of your novels in order to glean any tidbits he can about our work. He has even sent Legend 'fans' here to talk to the townspeople about our adventures. I can't believe how desperate this man is! I tell you, Ernest, Ramos and I are years ahead of his and Edison's research. They are only looking at the probable, whilst we are exploring the impossible! Using his 'research' Kneeland trumped up some accusations about my work and published them in the hopes that my funding would be cut off. The lovely Miss Joseph is in fact the daughter of the attorney who helped me last time, and with her help we soon made him retract his claims. It turns out she's rather a fan of yours, Ernest, and she wanted to meet you, so I escorted her back here for a little vacation." "I see," said Pratt. "So she took advantage of your gentlemanly ways to get out here to see me." "She is a charming young woman!" retaliated Bartok. "You should really be kinder towards your fans. We had time to discuss many subjects on the journey back here, and not only is she a very accomplished lawyer, but she is also greatly interested in the sciences. That is why she noticed the spurious articles relating to me. She is a follower of both our work, Ernest, and so you will please treat her with respect." "My, my, Janos, it sounds to me as if you have some interest in this lady!" said Ernest, seeing an opportunity to tease his poor friend. Bartok snorted. Ruby Joseph had no trouble getting a room at the hotel. Another week and she would have been less fortunate, as Mayor Brown's newest idea, 'Legend Week' was due to begin the next Monday. The Mayor hoped that hundreds of Legend fans would descend on the town, but in reality it would probably only draw the same few dozen old ladies who always attended these things. Ruby was just finishing unpacking her trunk when she heard a knock at the door. It was Skeeter. "Sorry to bother you, Ma'am," he gulped as he saw the beautiful stranger, "but Mr. Legend asked me to show you around our town. I'm afraid he and the Professor will be busy for a while." Skeeter paused a moment, considering how to impress the stunning lady. "I'm the official Legend tour guide!" he anounced proudly. Miss Joseph smiled. "Thank you....?" "Skeeter, Ma'am". "Skeeter. Well, then, shall we go?" "Yes Ma'am," blushed Skeeter. "If you'd like to follow me...." Ruby caught up her traveling cloak and followed Skeeter out of the hotel. They spent a pleasant afternoon going around Sheridan, and stopping at the Legend museum. Ruby constantly made witty remarks, or asked interesting questions about 'Legend', Bartok, the town in general, and about Skeeter himself. Skeeter was completely in awe of her. At the end of the afternoon, as instructed, Skeeter drove Ruby up to the Compound, where Bartok and Pratt were waiting to take them on a balloon ride. Janos thought that it would be a nice way to thank her for her help in New York. They all spent a pleasant evening making the most of the summer light to show her the breathtaking Colorado scenery. Ruby proved an excellent companion here too, reining in her earlier enthusiasm at meeting 'Legend' and restricting her questions to his recent heroic exploits that she had heard so much about. Over the next few days, Ruby could be seen talking to any number of people around Sheridan. Skeeter introduced her to all of the town's stalwarts. She spent a morning with Chamberlain Brown in his funeral parlor, discussing the ways Sheridan promoted 'Mr. Legend's' fame, and spent many afternoons with Sheridan's widows, who told her everything she could ever want to know about the gossip of the town. They noticed that she always had a special interest in the works of Professor Bartok, and especially that dreadful time last year when the preacher came to town and turned the whole of Sheridan against the poor man. "We don't know what we were thinking," Mrs. Grange admitted to Ruby. "He's such a nice man, really, but that awful preacher wove such a spell with his words that we took them as true. We really thought Professor Bartok was doing the Devil's work." The townspeople all loved Ruby as she took such interest in all that she saw and heard, making time for them all. About a week later, Skeeter was returning to the hotel to help Lucy, the cleaner, to take out he garbage. As always they chatted, trading gossip. Lucy, a sweet girl who had always had a crush on Skeeter, although he never noticed it, tried to impress him, as always with the bits of scandal she had discovered by tidying people's rooms. Skeeter being the nice kid he was, listened politely to what she said, but he didn't pay much attention as he thought what was in a person's room was private, and that was that. Suddenly today, his attention focused on the girl as she started to talk about Miss Joseph's room. "....and she had all these notes and diagrams all over the room," Lucy was saying. "Well, she's a lawyer," retorted Skeeter, "of course she writes a lot. Probably preparing for some new case for when she gets back to New York." "But I saw our names in her notes!" insisted the girl, "and sketches of Professor Bartok's complicated gizmos. I think she's a spy!" "What were you doing reading her private notes anyway?" said Skeeter angrily, "they're nobody's business but hers....what sort of spy?" "Well, I don't know," said Lucy, "maybe for robbers, or the government. Anyway, I don't think she's just a fan of Mr. Legend out here on vacation." After this, Skeeter started to keep more of an eye on Miss Joseph's actions. She seemed to be enjoying Sheridan, and soaking up the 'local color' as it was called, but he did notice her making a few unobtrusive notes on scraps of paper which she kept hiding in her pocket. Flattered by her interest in his research, Professor Bartok frequently invited her up to the laboratory to see the work he and Ramos were doing. One day Skeeter saw Ernest driving through town in one of the velocipedes. Skeeter was struggling with a heavy parcel that had just come in from San Francisco for Bartok and when Pratt saw him, he pulled over. "What you got there, Skeeter?", asked Pratt cheerily. "Parcel for the professor, Mr. Legend, " puffed Skeeter. "Well, I'm just going up to see him myself. Why don't I return all those times you've helped me out and give you a ride up there?" Skeeter gratefully got into the velocipede and they speeded out of the town. They arrived at the laboratory, but saw no signs of life. Getting out of the velocipede, Pratt went to check the house for his friends while Skeeter struggled into the laboratory with the parcel and set it down. He heard something crash onto the wooden floor, and a muffled exclamation: a woman's voice. Skeeter crept along the length of the room to where the sound had originated, and there, crouching in a corner by a pile of papers, was Ruby Joseph. Both of them froze momentarily, the spell being broken by the door slamming and Ernest walking in. He saw Skeeter and started over to him, taking in the scene immediately and realizing, as Skeeter had, that Ruby had been looking through Bartok's notes before being interrupted. "Oh dear," he said softly. Pratt offered a hand to Ruby, and she got up from the floor, refusing to meet either man's eyes. Ruby tried to let go of Pratt's hand, but he held hers quite firmly and walked her over to a chair by the main workbench. She sat down, and Skeeter and Ernest sat down in chairs opposite. "Well, Miss Joseph,", started Ernest in the same quiet voice that he had used before, "suppose you tell us what you're really doing in Sheridan." He sounds so sad, thought Skeeter. This woman has betrayed all of us! Ruby finally met their gazes. "I'm here to help my fiancee," she said simply. She snuffled, and took out a handkerchief. "I'm engaged to be married to Michael Kneeland. He has always worked in the shadow of Edison, but he's a good man, Mr. Pratt!" she looked pleadingly at Ernest, "and a very clever man, but never a man who will have big ideas. Edison and Bartok: they are the truly big thinkers of our age, and it's not fair that they get all the glory while dear Michael works so hard too. He deserves better! We decided that because he has no inspiration of his own, that we would have to use ideas from someone else. Someone who doesn't want fame anyway, but who has more than enough ideas to last him ten lifetimes: Janos Bartok. When the trouble happened between Edison and the Professor, Michael wasn't at Western Union, but after Bartok left, Michael wanted to work on Edison's staff, and was accepted. He deserves to work alone though, and not in other men's shadows, so between us, we decided to take a few ideas from Professor Bartok, who is still in disgrace in many circles, even though he was officially cleared. Michael and I cooked up some vague accusations to lure him East. I befriended him, and all of you, to find out more concrete information, and the rest you know." Ruby looked at them again, but almost defiantly this time. "I'm not proud of how I used all of you, but it was the only thing I could do for Michael." Pratt and Skeeter sat back in their chairs. Skeeter broke the silence first. "But, Miss Joseph, the people of Sheridan are good people! You've betrayed all of us, especially the Professor and Mr. Ramos. That's not right, not right at all." He stood up and simply walked out. That simple admonishment from the heart of such an honest young man was far more effective than lengthy moralizing, thought Ernest, but what can we do now? He pulled himself together and looked Ruby straight in the eye. "You know what you did was inexcusable and wrong, Miss Joseph. It's outright stealing, and there's no way around that. I'm afraid if you won't turn yourself over to the Sheriff voluntarily, Skeeter and I will have to take you in anyway. You've betrayed my best friends, Ma'am, and justice has got to be served." "Its all right, Ernest," came a voice from the shadows by the doorway. Bartok stepped forward. "I heard everything, and I confess that I suspected something was going on." He turned to Ruby, "Skeeter told me that lengthy notes and diagrams had been seen in your room, and he recognized that many of them resembled the inventions Ramos and I have been working on recently." He came over to where Pratt and Ruby were still sitting. "Miss Joseph, I ran across a continent to escape accusations that I was innocent of. Accusations that I had stolen somebody else's work. You and Mr. Kneeland are truly guilty of this crime, but I would not wish on you both the disgrace of what I suffered, and so I have a proposal for you and your fiancee. Some of what you said is true: Ramos and I have more work here than we can possibly handle, and have discovered many new principles and applications for electricity and other energies. A great number of these we will never have time to pursue, and so we are willing to give you details of some of these fledgling projects." Ramos stepped forward, as he had been party to the whole conversation as well. He continued: "In exchange for this information, Miss Joseph, we expect you and Mr. Kneeland to leave us alone and not to accuse us in the future in any way, shape, or form. However, we will keep the notes you took while you were spying on us, and if we hear anything that would harm our characters or reputations in any way, we will inform the authorities of what you have done." Pratt looked at her again, and actually smiled. "I learned a while ago, Miss Joseph, that everyone deserves a second chance. Don't waste this one."
The next day Ruby Joseph hurriedly left town. The widows missed her terribly and asked Mr. Legend what had happened to that lovely young lady. A few weeks later, a letter arrived, addressed to "Professor J. K. Bartok, Mr. E. Pratt, Mr. H. Ramos and Mr. Skeeter" . Ernest picked it up from the Post Office and took it up to the Compound. The four men gathered around the letter and read the following:
Dear Sir's, My wife and I want to deeply apologize for what we did to you and the good people of Sheridan, and humbly thank you for your generosity towards us. I have registered patents on the three inventions you gave us, as per Professor Bartok's instructions. I have already set up a modest laboratory in which I will continue your research, and you have my word that I will not make any more money from the work based on your notes than I need to modestly support my family. You will not hear from us again.
Mr and Mrs M. Kneeland
"Well, another triumph for Legend," said Bartok. "Hardly," snorted Ernest, "you and Ramos gave up a fortune's worth of scientific discovery, much, I must add, based on my ideas from my books!" "But it is still a victory, Ernest," the Professor insisted, "we have turned two people away from wrong! It's not quite the same as an action-filled adventure, but we still did some good." "I can't get a book out of it though, can I," said Pratt, "because if I write about this I'll be stealing ideas from two people who were given those ideas from you.....I think!" ---------- Fin.
This story copyright 1997 Sarah O�Donoghue. As with everything else on the
Steampunk Central Website no profit is derived from this work, and all contents
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