Bonny Blue Flag 1.1

26 JANUARY, 1851

WASHINGTON-ON-THE-BRAZOS, REPUBLIC OF TEXAS

The message had been a ridiculously long time in coming, but now that it was here William Walker saw no point in being hasty. He took care to be deliberate and methodical in packing his bags; it was surprising how much ephemera he had accumulated in under a year here, and little of it could accompany him. Care was necessary in selecting which items to take and which to put into the steamer trunk. After all, who but God knew how long it would be before he could recover the things going into the trunk? His own plans suggested three months, maximum, but those plans assumed that everyone involved did their jobs with the same thoroughness he’d taught himself.

It was a shame, he decided, that a man in his business had to rely on others. Even to get his trunk out of Washington he’d have to trust Mrs. Patrick, his erstwhile landlady. And beyond that, he was dependent not least on his new sponsors. Walker hadn’t been much blessed in the past with intelligent, competent sponsors.

When the saddle-bags were packed he took them downstairs and strapped them onto Destiny. The horse had been with him in Cuba, and he prayed that the big gelding survived the upcoming trip as easily as it had weathered the Spanish island. Humans might fail the test of reliability, but Destiny had never yet disappointed him.