"Papers were heavy today." "Much news?" "Ah, the world is full of sad news." ""death warning to san diego business man." ""prominent citrus fruit wholesaler charles avery" ""notified police authorities last night" ""that he and his family have been threatened with death by the bandit manuel garcia." ""garcia demands that their adopted son, joseph, be handed over to him." ""there have been no requests for money."" "Mom, we're ready." "Stop!" "hyah!" "Ho!" "Whoah." "You all right?" "Yes, yes." "The boy." "Junior." "Mom." "What about him?" "He's dead." "Too bad it wasn't garcia himself." "You've heard of him?" "The robin hood of san ysidro." "He's just a dirty bandit lining his own pockets." "No, mr." "Avery, he's a legend." "A simply farmer until two drunken prospectors murdered his wife and son." "He has good reason to hate californians." "What does he want with your son?" "You don't have to know any more in order to kill him." "No, I am not contracting to kill anyone." "Just to see that your boy isn't harmed." "But if you're not prepared to tell me the whole story," "I have many things of interest waiting for me in san francisco." "Wait a second." "This bandit, manuel garcia," "He's the boy's godfather." "He was a friend of joe's father." "All right, let's have the rest of it." "There was a woman once worked for us, named nita." "She had two kids, a baby girl and a four-year-old boy, joseph." "Her husband?" "He died eight years ago." "Nita went back to the hill country below the border." "She let us adopt joe." "She must've been desperate to do a thing like that." "Ah, she was very young." "A widow, no money." "Besides, my wife was crazy about the boy." "And you?" "Well..." "He was mexican." "I'd..." "Sure, I didn't like it." "Mexican." "That's the way I size people up." "Or the way I used to, before joe." "Go ahead, say it." "No, you've obviously said it to yourself many times since then." "Yeah, I have." "I've learned." "I don't judge a man by where he came from." "Not anymore." "As for joe, I don't care if he came from mexico or the moon." "He's my son now." "Mine." "Make no mistake." "I'd die for that boy." "Well, there still is his natural mother." "But she's dead, mr." "Paladin." "She died a year after she left us." "I want to thank you for what you did this morning, mr." "Paladin." "I trust you won't be going out anymore until this thing's settled." "But, this is the day of nita's death." "Joe and I go every year to church to pray for her." "From now on, you'll just have to stay home." "What about school?" "Can't I go to school?" "I'm sure your mother can arrange for you to study here at home." "By the way, joe, do you know your godfather?" "No." "All we want, mr." "Paladin, is to be left alone." "Well, that seems like a reasonable request." "Tequila?" "Yo estoy buscando manuel garcia." "Many have looked for garcia." "All the find is sandy graves." "Well..." "Maybe there is no garcia." "Maybe he's a legend like the horned serpent of sonora." "What do you know about the horned serpent of sonora?" "As much as I know of garcia's godson." "No one finds garcia." "Garcia might find you." "Where?" "The road to san ysidro, maybe?" "You serve a good drink." "Thank you." "A man's last drink should be a good one." "Saludos." "Se llama ud." "Garcia?" "I'm garcia." "My "gringo" is better than your spanish." "Perhaps." "My name is paladin." "You are not what I expected." "Other men have come here, tried to kill me." "They stank of whiskey and had lice in their beards." "Sometimes it was hours before the red ants overcame their disgust." "You kill me and you'll never see that boy again." "¡basta!" "I will get him." "I had the boy and mrs." "Avery book passage on a ship around the horn." "If I'm not back in san diego in two days, they'll go aboard." "You hide behind the boy?" ""in snake country, wear high boots."" "You know some other proverbs?" "No, but I have a few facts to go on." "In some quarters, you're known as a hero." "A man with that kind of reputation must have some element of decency." "Show it." "To whom?" "To the averys?" "I know your family was murdered." "Don't you talk of that." "I have no choice when you start to take revenge" "On people who had nothing to do with it, like the averys." "I am only interested in the boy." "He must be with his people." "The averys are his people." "They've given him a home and a great deal of love." "If it is love you want," "It is love you'll see." "Come." "¡tío manuel!" "Luisa!" "Mama nita?" "Nita?" "Sí, the boy's mother." "She's dead." "Yes?" "Manuel." "Nita." "Juan dice que ese hombre viene de los averys." "Sí, nita." "You did not come to speak to me?" "No, he thought that you were dead." "Even to a hired gunman, the averys are ashamed to tell the truth." "The truth?" "You gave the boy to the averys willingly, didn't you?" "I thought it was better for him." "But now I know you cannot give away your flesh and blood." "Have you spoken to the averys?" "No." "Last year, I sent them a letter." "Manuel had given me this farm, I wanted my boy back." "What did the averys say?" "Nothing," "For many months." "And then mrs." "Avery sent a note" "To the mission santa maria, where I pray." ""joseph," she said, not "jose," but "joseph..." ""..." "Thought I was dead."" "She loved him and so could I please try to forget him?" "You have seen him?" "How does he look?" "Tall, good features." "Is he happy?" "Yes." "Would he be so happy if he knew his mother cried out for him?" "He will know." "How?" "Because I will bring him." "Not you, me." "I will see that your son learns the truth about you." "But you work for them." "My job is to see that the boy is no longer endangered." "If he came to live with you, that might be accomplished." "They will never let you bring him." "They might." "If I have your promise that should joseph decide" "To return to the averys, you won't try to stop him." "Oh, he would not want to go back." "Your promise?" "Yes, you have it." "Bring the boy, paladin." "If he wishes to return, I will let him." "Now, how do I find this place again?" "Leave a word at the cantina." "Then ride up the san ysidro road." "We will be there." "Can I have my gun, please?" "When you return." "My gun." "So." "You could've killed me, any time." "Any time at all." "Gracias." "Por nada." "Adios, señora." "You bring my boy back and the saints will bless you." "Joe, come on in." "What happened on your trip?" "Your mother will tell you." "Ah, joe, dear," "Joe, there's something I want you to understand." "Your father and I..." "Oh, joe, your father and I love you very, very much." "And..." "I can't do it, I just can't do it!" "may I?" "Please, do." "Joe..." "Your real mother," "What would you think if I told you she wasn't dead?" "But she is dead." "I go to church and pray for her soul." "Oh, I'm sure your prayers have helped her in this world, too." "She's alive." "Alive?" "But, where?" "She lives on a farm in the hills of baja." "Did you know?" "Oh, joe, please, please forgive us." "It was for your own good." "You also taught me that lies aren't good for anyone." "Joe, you aren't going to find this easy to understand." "Some years ago, your real mother gave you to these parents" "Because she thought you would be happier this way." "And now she wants you back." "But why does she want me now?" "I don't even know what she's like." "Mr. Paladin will bring her here, joe." "No." "If joe is to choose between two worlds," "He ought to at least see the second one." "With your parents' permission, I'll take you into the hills." "Just a minute." "You can't take joe back there." "Please, dad, I want to go." "I have to." "All right, son." "But I'm coming with you." "Garcia would shoot you on sight." "You'll have to leave this to me." "We'll go that way, joe." "But san ysidro is that way, señor." "Garcia's waiting for us up there." "I can find the farm this way." "It'll give you a chance" "To have a few moments with your mother before he gets there." "Señora." "Jose." "Cómo está grande." "Mijo." "Mi hijo." "Don't cry, please." "No, no." "Let me see you in the sunlight." "You feel strange, jose?" "Yes." "I think I understand." "It is so different here from the averys." "But you will be happy here, I promise you." "I came to see you." "I-I don't know if I can stay." "A mother and son, we must be together." "I call mrs." "Avery "mom."" "Yes, I suppose you do." "Come, let me show you the rest of the farm." "It is a good farm." "Luisa, come." "Where is manuel?" "I thought it would be better if you and joe had a few moments together" "Without his interference." "You mean you, you want to be able to take jose back?" "Only if he wants to go." "He will not." "Come, jose." "You would be happy on this farm, jose." "You see how much we have." "You want to milk her?" "I, I don't know how." "You want to learn?" "Not now." "Ordeñéla." "If I stayed here, where would I go to school?" "The mission." "But they only teach in spanish." "You would remember it quickly." "They have such good teachers." "All of the children have learned to read and write." "I already know that." "I'm going to be an engineer." "A man who builds bridges." "There are no bridges to be built here." "Only your mother and this land to care for." "Who is my mother?" "They taught me so much." "They cared for me when I was sick." "The years I was away from you, I didn't miss you." "But I miss them already." "Jose, I will not keep you here against your will." "You tell me what you want." "I have to go back." "At least now." "Jose will go back with you, mr." "Paladin." "Well, I'm sure joe will want to see you again." "Often." "I will." "I would like to ride with you." "We'll have to make time." "I'm sure garcia's headed this way already." "He won't hurt you if I'm with you." "You can't be sure." "Oh, yes." "You do not understand manuel." "To you and your people, he will lie, cheat, and kill," "And never think twice." "He has a vendetta with you since his family was murdered." "But he would cut off his hands before hurting his own people." "There's no reasoning with him?" "Not about this matter." "All right, come along." "First I must tell luisa to finish her chores" "And then wait for me at the mission." "Hold it, joe!" "Hold it." "Get behind that rock." "Nita!" "Get behind the rock!" "I'll have to settle this here with garcia." "He will not let jose go back to the averys." "It's better to know that now rather than later." "I remind you of your promise." "No matter what happens, carry out joe's decision," "Return him to the averys." "I have promised." "Keep your mother here, joe." "Garcia, I'm not here to kill you!" "Leave the boy alone." "I'll kill you..." "And bring jose back!" "The boy and his mother have decided!" "It's over!" "Not for me!" "Garcia, what good can this do?" "One of my people will not be raised by one of those who spit on me!" "Garcia!" "You'll not take the boy while I'm alive!" "Joseph!" "Joseph!" "Oh!" "I'm all right, you can see." "Yes, son." "Garcia?" "He's dead." "Then joe's ours." "No one can take him away." "Nita rode back with us." "Will you come in, please?" "I'm sorry, nita." "Do not be." "Jose wants to live here." "Manuel garcia tried to change that with guns." "He failed." "I tried to change it with words." "I failed." "Nita, wouldn't you like to come and live with us?" "No, thank you." "I have my farm and my daughter." "I would not like my son to think of me as a servant." "That's not what she meant." "I know." "But I rode here for just one purpose." "And that is to tell you, this is not the end." "I will visit jose here." "I would have him visit me in baja." "I want him to know me." "He may come to have some affection for me." "¿quién sabe?" "That is your right." "Thank you." "Hasta luego, mijo." "Adios, mama." "She's, she's going to keep trying." "The woman's not easily defeated." "But I wanted this finished." "Did you?" "There is no end to this." "No cut and dried solution." "That boy will grow up with a double heritage." "One he'll get from you," "And the other from nita." "Between the two of you, you could destroy him." "Or you could turn him into an exceptional human being." "I wonder what you'll do." "Excuse me now." "I want to see she gets back to the farm alright." "Jose." "¶ have gun, will travel, reads the card of a man ¶" "¶ a knight without armor in a savage land ¶" "¶ his fast gun-for-hire heeds the calling wind ¶" "¶ a soldier of fortune is the man called... ¶" "¶ paladin ¶" "¶ paladin, paladin, where do you roam?" "¶"