"On my authority as commanding officer of Fort Stanton."
"An authority that doesn't extend to civilian matters or false arrests."
Hollis drew his pistol. "Step aside, Garrett."
I moved to stand directly in front of Kuruk. "No."
The crowd had grown to maybe a hundred people now. They watched in silence, waiting to see what would happen. I could feel the weight of their attention. Their judgment.
Quinn stepped up beside me. "Captain, as former territorial marshal, I'm formally requesting an investigation into the Morrison fire before any arrests are made."
"If Chief Kuruk is lying, the evidence will show it. But if he's telling the truth, you're about to start a war over a crime you committed yourself."
Hollis's face went purple. "You're a disgraced lawman with no authority."
"But I'm a citizen with a voice. And so are they."
Quinn gestured to the crowd. "Every person here has a right to hear the truth before blood gets spilled in their name."
A woman in the crowd spoke up. "Let him talk. What's it hurt to listen?"
"Yeah," another voice called. "If he's lying, we'll know soon enough."
Hollis looked around at the crowd, and I saw him realize he was losing control of the narrative. His hand tightened on his pistol. "Last chance, Garrett. Move, or I'll move you."
Time seemed to slow. I saw Takala's hand move toward the knife at her belt. Saw the warriors shift in their saddles. Saw Hollis's finger tighten on the trigger.
Then a new voice cut through the tension. "Captain Hollis, I believe you're out of line."
A man pushed through the crowd. He was maybe 60, well-dressed with a silver beard, and the kind of bearing that spoke of authority. I didn't recognize him, but clearly others did.
People stepped aside respectfully. "Judge Thornton," Hollis said, and his voice had lost some of its certainty.
"I've been listening to this exchange with great interest," the judge said. "And it seems to me that Mr. Garrett and Mr. Quinn are requesting a reasonable investigation before any military action is taken."
"As territorial circuit judge, I'm ordering exactly that. There will be a formal inquiry into the Morrison fire. Chief Kuruk will be a witness, not a prisoner."
"And if evidence emerges that army personnel were involved in setting that fire, there will be consequences. Am I clear?"
Hollis holstered his pistol slowly. "The army doesn't answer to civilian courts."