ATDTDA (13): Reef's dead, 362-364

[Paul Nightingale]

The new section commences with "Reef's dead", the casualties of class war.
He has given birth to them, so to speak, like "some houseful of little
orphan children put into his care unexpectedly": anti-Jesses, then, marked
by "the innocence of the early afterlife".

When Stray hears him talking this way (some of the "miles-apart personal
thoughts" he'd do better keeping to himself, perhaps) she refers to the law,
"a Sheriff to take care of it". Reef denies this and we cut to a scene with
Burgess, whose claim to impartiality is also denied: if killed Burgess will
be replaced by the "next dumb animal comes blinkin out of the chute" (363).
Hence, the choice between "Pinkerton and public" law (361) is no choice at
all; although "next dumb animal" undermines somewhat any sense of
(decision-making) agency involved. Cf. ". if these plutes were undeniably
evil hombres, then how much more so were those who took care of their
problems for them, in no matter what ignorance of why, not all of their
faces on the wanted bills ." (362).

There remains some fuzziness in the dialogue between Reef and Stray, the
extent to which either or both is performing a role. Stray doesn't put into
words her "promise . to stick by his side, far as the gallows" (363); and
Reef doesn't acknowledge that (he knows) she has effectively said as much.
Again the pretence that "this was all about her safety": so whereas others
should choose sides Stray should keep herself (or allow Reef to keep her)
aloof. His only way out is to take off in search of Frank, or so he says
(364).