The Story Of Red Dead Redemption

Chapter 59: Chelonia

It wasn't that Arthur didn't want to find Jamie first, but the person who knew the location of the cult had arranged to meet him in the afternoon.

He needed to know the place before he could bring Jamie back.

Arthur hurriedly left Mr. Presley's room and told Blake at the front desk that the issue was resolved.

Just as Arthur was about to leave, Blake, seeing Arthur's urgency, said, "Arthur, did I mention that I need more maids? The hotel is getting busier."

"Talk to Kieran about that. He can find people for you," Arthur replied.

Seeing Arthur's dusty appearance, Blake added, "Did you just come from the livestock auction? Mr. Morgan, if you're in a hurry to meet a lady, you should freshen up and shave. I'm a regular at the Smithfield's Saloon, and it's no problem for me. But if you go to Quentin, be careful. He's always drowsy, and you should be cautious about your neck if he shaves you."

Arthur couldn't help but notice that people around him were always chatty.

Though Blake was a bit verbose, Arthur took his advice and looked at himself in the nearby mirror. Indeed, his beard was long and needed trimming, and his clothes and pants had mud stains.

Arthur decided to heed Blake's advice on grooming, even if he wasn't sure why Blake brought it up. Did he have 'meeting a woman' written on his face?

Speaking of grooming, Arthur thought he should wait until after he finished his tasks, take a shower, change into clean clothes, shave, and then meet Mary.

"Alright, thanks for the advice. I have things to do, Blake. Remember, for small matters like staffing or supplies, just talk to Kieran. I'm off now," Arthur said, waving goodbye and leaving the inn.

Turning left outside, Arthur headed to the butcher's stall next to the inn. Butcher Bob immediately started his sales pitch as soon as he saw someone approaching.

"Fresh venison, sir? How much would you like?"

Arthur, amused, replied, "Fresh venison? Jacob from the general store told me that buying meat from you might get me some carefully prepared rotten meat."

"Damn that Jacob Worth! That scoundrel not only sucks at cards but also talks trash about our business! Sir, don't believe him..." Bob said, kicking a large piece of meat aside.

"I was just joking. Someone told me to come here at this time to get a note?" Arthur said, revealing his real purpose.

Bob finally realized that Arthur wasn't there to buy meat. He skillfully pulled out a small note from under the stall and handed it to Arthur, saying, "Here you go, sir. Next time, buy meat from me. Jacob's not reliable. He sucks at cards and always accuses us of cheating. Don't believe him. If you have any pelts, I'll buy them too."

Arthur nodded and opened the grease-stained note. It read: 'Chelonia Cult, East of Cumberland Forest, Fort Hill Summit.'

Satisfied, Arthur put the note away. Though he didn't know what in the hell Chelonia was, he now knew their location. He returned to the hotel, untied his horse, mounted it, and headed towards the location.

Actually, Arthur had forgotten that he should have known about the Chelonian Cult. It had been mentioned in the newspapers. Arthur had only glanced at it before and wasn't interested, so it was no wonder he didn't remember.

***

By the time Arthur reached his destination, it was still early. After asking several passersby, he found the dirt road leading to the summit.

The climb was manageable, but since it was uphill, Arthur didn't want to tire his horse.

On the way up, he encountered a woman who seemed like the first animal rights activist in America. She kept pointing at Arthur on his horse as if it were a heinous crime. Arthur ignored her.

Continuing up the hill, Arthur soon saw a camp at the top and a group of people dressed in white sacks. They were all gathered around, listening to a thin old man preaching something.

"What is Chelonianism? It is a theology no less significant than those recently rediscovered..."

"Gentlemen!" Arthur shouted, interrupting the sermon, and slowly walked towards them.

Seeing Arthur, the group's reaction was interesting. They murmured something about a 'shell of safety and fearfully huddled towards the cliff edge, as if Arthur were a dangerous person.

To be honest, when Arthur got closer, he finally saw that the white sacks they wore had a drawing of something like a turtle.It must be said, their huddled posture did resemble a turtle's essence.

Among them, Arthur immediately spotted Jamie hiding in the crowd.

Arthur politely explained, "Gentlemen, I don't mean to disturb you. I just want to talk to that boy over there."

"Arthur?" Jamie said incredulously, carefully examining the man before realizing it was indeed Arthur, the man who almost became his brother-in-law. No, that wasn't right. He was absolutely not going to be his brother-in-law.

"Hi, kid. I know you probably won't come with me, but your sister is really worried about you. She's waiting for you to come home."

Of course, a rebellious child wouldn't just obediently return to his sister's arms. And, as Arthur expected, someone would likely try to stop him. Sure enough, the thin old man who had been preaching earlier chose that moment to step forward and block Arthur.

"This child has chosen a path, sir."

"The path of truth."

"He will not go back with you."

Arthur, observing the old man's meticulously combed white hair, decided to be polite first. He said, "Listen, I just want to take him to talk to his sister."

Jamie, at an imitative age, mimicked the old man and said seriously, "Arthur, I have chosen a path."

"Yes, this child has chosen a path, the path of safety..." the old man said, crossing his hands dramatically over his chest. The other cult members followed suit, chanting 'safety.'

"And you, sir, what path have you chosen?"

Seeing the old man ready for a deep theological discussion, Arthur sighed inwardly. After some thought, he decided to hold back a bit more. He said, "It's none of your business, sir. I've made it clear that I just want to take this child away."

"Tsk, sir, are you always so negative and evasive?" the old man said, blocking Arthur with the cult members, completely shielding Jamie.

This was just asking for trouble. Arthur was fed up.

Arthur, true to his word, only held back a little. He grabbed the old man with one hand, lifted him up, and slowly carried him to the cliff edge.

"Sir! I am faithful to my god! And I am a happy man! I bless you!" the old man shouted, struggling in Arthur's grip.

The cult members were terrified and moved further away. Seeing this, Jamie, now isolated, shouted at Arthur, "Arthur! Put him down! I'm not going with you! I know the truth, I've chosen my path!"

As Jamie tried to escape, Arthur didn't throw the old man off the cliff. Instead, he put him down and immediately turned to chase Jamie.

Arthur really disliked bratty kids. In the camp, there was a big brat, and now Arthur had to deal with a smaller one.

Jamie was about to climb onto a horse to escape, but Arthur wasn't going to let him. He grabbed Jamie, pulled him down, and quickly tied him up with a rope.

"Don't bother me! Arthur, I didn't ask for your help!" Jamie said, lying on the ground with his head raised.

"God, Jamie, you've really grown into a bratty kid," Arthur said, patting Jamie's head, then hoisting him onto the front of his saddle. Arthur sat behind him. If Jamie weren't Mary's brother, he wouldn't get such treatment from Arthur.

Finally, Arthur looked around. None of the cult members dared to stop him. They just helped the old man to his feet and watched as Arthur left with Jamie. Arthur had caught Jamie and didn't bother with them anymore. He rode away.

***

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