The bowl of batter had somehow been propelled into the flames. As it burned, it sizzled and sent up small puffs of dirty smoke.
Only one of the coolers of fish had been overturned, blazing a scaled trail of dead catfish that spread from the cooler and out about six feet. Based upon what I saw, I thought that the snake must have come from the cooler, although that didn’t make a lot of sense. I couldn’t understand how it got in there in the first place. Sure, it had probably resided by or in the river where the fish had been caught, but I didn’t think it was capable of slithering its way into a cooler, nor would it want to. I didn’t understand the behavioral motivations for cottonmouths, but I knew they were mostly afraid of humans, their fear causing them to react violently when they were bothered by any.
I also couldn’t imagine that someone would actually find a cottonmouth and touch it long enough to put it anywhere, including in a cooler. They are fierce and deadly in the most lethal ways possible. They like their own space, and I believe Teddy once told me that if a cottonmouth is disturbed, it will “chase you down just to make sure you never come back again.” Everyone knows that they aren’t to be toyed with. No one in their right mind would do anything short of run away from a cottonmouth.
This snake was probably four feet long when stretched straight. From my vantage point, it looked huge, but I didn’t know if it truly was big for its breed. Orly was probably a very capable snake killer, but I wished for a law officer with some ace gun skills.
“Okay, fella, or little lady, who knows, I’m not going to hurt you,” Orly said.
I didn’t think snakes could hear, but I didn’t like what Orly said. Not going to hurt it? Was he really not going to kill it? Gram was still close enough to the action that if something went wrong, she could be bitten. I stepped forward next to her. I’d yank her back hard if need be.
“What can I do, Orly?” I said as I put my hand on Gram’s arm.
“Nothing, Betts, just give us room. I’m going to get him out of here.” Orly took the shovel and, with one quick swipe, uprighted the cooler that had previously held the fish. It was a pretty skillful move.
“Just shoot it!” someone from the crowd exclaimed.
I was now leaning that way myself, but I didn’t join in.
“Nah, he’s got a right to live just as much as anyone else,” Orly said.
I wanted to beg to differ, but I still kept quiet, because he was the one holding the shovel and shotgun.
In movements that were almost too fast to follow, Orly used his shotgun and the shovel for scoop and carry maneuvers, kind of like awkwardly shaped, giant chopsticks. Seconds later, the snake was somehow placed in the cooler and the lid was down. Gram was just as quick as Orly had been when she leapt to the closed cooler and sat on it.
She peered up at Orly and said, “Got a rope?”
“I believe I do, little lady,” Orly said.
I’d seen plenty of gentlemen become smitten with my grandmother. She was amazing and still had whatever it took that seemed to draw men right to her. I didn’t mind the flirtation, but understanding what had been going on between Orly and Vivienne moved up a notch on my priority list. Gram could take care of herself, but she didn’t need to be just another notch in Orly’s convention cowboy belt. Unless she wanted to be, I suppose.
Relief spread through the crowd in the form of some nervous laugher, a little conversation, and a smattering of applause. I took a deep breath and released it.
“Look over there.” Esther had appeared by my side. She was nodding across the crowd.
Vivienne was the subject of the nod. Her arms were crossed in front of herself. She was glaring directly at Gram.