" Well, I have to return now. I'll tell Mr. Perlmutter you two will be back in the evening."

A moment later, the two cattlehands entered the bar.

Allen tipped his hat, standing.

" I'll follow. We'll meet back in the office," he said quietly, leaving.

True to type, Christel simply huffed at him, not waving goodbye.

It was hot out, and Allen did not have a horse. They had accumulated enough evidence that it wouldn't be too serious a cost to buy a single-use hologram- 500 standard. He was about to do so when the sheriff stepped round the corner of the building.

" Y'know," he said. " I been thinkin'."

Whatever this was, it seemed like a bad situation, but it hadn't caused a warning or a rollback yet.

" Thinking about what?" Allen asked him, cautious.

" Every other time we petitioned for a township, they just sent out a fella from the county courthouse," the sheriff said, pacing a half-circle around him. " Now it's not even state... it's federal business?"

" I can't disclose what business I'm here on," Allen said.

" Mr. Allen Hughes, if that is your name... I got a telegraph from Milwaukee we need to discuss, down at my office," he said.

Allen's eyes flicked over to the entomologist's distant silhouette. Could he evade the sheriff if he triggered a rollback? No, he'd be penalized, and he'd have to give Christel time to prepare for it anyway. Not a viable strategy.

He just hoped that Christel would manage to be more productive with their extra hour than he was.

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