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Description
4. I can give you every information

It was over 3 a.m. in the morning when Bill and the others slowed their riding pace.
Chorizo raised his head. "Are we there?"
Bill flicked his tongue. "We are."
"Indeed," Stump grumbled. "I can smell the smell of baked cactuses. Iieegh!"
"You don’t have to come with us," Bill snorted.
Stump made a dismissive hand movement. "I will survive that."
"Nice."
They crossed a cactus field with high desert cactuses and some more varieties like big threes of prickly pears. The city, which they searched, was surrounded from a big cactus wood and gave the city its name. Before they reached the first houses, they read a sign with colourful letters:
“Welcome in Cactus Hills”
Under the sign stood another hint sign:
“Wear shoes!”
Behind the signs stood a wooden canopied kiosk, lighted by an oil lamp. On a table lay all sorts of shoes. The seller behind the table, a spiny lizard with Mexican robe, looked at them curiously and picked up a pair of shoes. "Buy shoes and you will not hurt your feet."
Kinski and Stump, who used to go without shoes, raised their hands.
When they came the last time here, they never wanted to set a foot on that city ground again.
After they bought their shoes, they continued their riding.
"A stick in my bottom is enough," Stump muttered. "I don’t need more."
Bill grinned.
The city had houses with a street, which looked similar like Dirt. Just the houses were different. They passed shops with names like “Prickly cactus cantine” “General store” “Cactus flower”, “Golden Cactus”. The shopkeeper were also all kinds of spiny lizard.
Here you could buy everything, which had something to do with “catctus”: Cactus juice, cactus water, cactus face cream, cactus fruits, cactus dressing…
Bill looked around to find the saloon of that cactus city. It was in the night, but there were still animals, which didn’t sleep. Some Mexicans sat on the terraces and stared at the newcomers. The most of them also spiny lizards and other animals, which took up abode in this city. At last they reached the saloon, where still loud screams and singing voices came out, accompanied by wild Mexican instruments music.
"Oh my god…," Stump whimpered and rubbed his stomach.
Kinski left the roadrunner and tried to walk in his shoes. "Damn. These shoes are very uncomfortable."
"Zip your lips," Bill interrupted. He pushed the swing doors aside and walked in. The others followed him.
Thicker smoke and alcohol met their noses. Tables and chairs stood distributed in the room, which was filled with all sorts of animals in cowboy or Mexican clothes. In a corner played musicians their music. In front of them danced a female red squirrel in red black dress, a cactus flower in her hair and castanets in her hands.
Chorizo stopped a moment.
"What’s going on with you?" Stump asked.
"This lady, she was also here when we came the last time, do you remember?"
Stump wrinkled his nose. "She isn’t my type. They have a too hot temper."
Suddenly the dancing girl jumped on a table not far away of them and tripped like crazy with her feet her wild dance.
Chorizo didn’t look away and smiled roguishly. The woman moved her shoulders in an erotic way and gave Chorizo a mysterious smile with her red lips.
"I think, she…"
"Don’t waste time!" Kinski hissed and pulled him away. Chorizo waved to her. The woman rattled her castanets and jumped back on the dance floor where she showed the public her wild dance. Some of the animals bawled and whistled of admiration.
Bill had reached the bar. From the kitchen came clouds of steam from beaked cactuses on the stove.
Bill knocked on the wooden table. The barkeeper, a fat horn lizard, came. "Wha’ would ya like to order?"
Bill made it short. "Where is “The spider”?"
"Who? Speak louder!" the barkeeper asked with louder voice.
Bill bent wider. "I asked, where is the spider."
The barkeeper made an understood gesture and moved his eyes to a side door. Bill seemed to understand and walked through the door. Kinski looked around. He raised his eyebrows when he saw Chorizo again a little bit closer on the music band.
"Come on!" He whispered and pulled him into the side corridor.
There were many doors with stairs at the end. But Bill headed for a specific door. It wasn’t a real door, it was a red curtain. He pushed it aside and they entered dark a room. The chamber was small. Just a table with an oil lamp stood inside. But nobody else was there.
"Maybe he is not here," Stump said. "Better we forget…"
"Are you looking for me?"
They freeze but there was still no one visible.
Bill sighed and looked up. The others did the same. There was a movement on the ceiling.
A little figure, a half size of Stump, walked with hands and feet along the wooden wall. It wore a brown shirt and a strawhat. Suddenly the little figure ran quickly over the ceiling along the house wall like Spiderman. It jumped on a chair behind the small table. First, the strawhat was visible only.
"Bill. No long time since you came."
The little person lifted his face and a little head and big eyes met the small group. His lizard skin was tan and his eyes dirty white and without eyelids like many geckos, which looked a little spooky.
"Don’t play Mister Big, I just want information."
The little gecko inclined his head and looked at him curiously.
Some people, who hear his name the first time, had to know, that the gecko got his name since the most people knew the movie “Spiderman”. When all people told that he would look like Spiderman, since that, he kept the name “The Spider”. But he didn’t seem to be disappointed about that peculiarly name. He never called his real name and did never try to take another pseudonym.
The little gecko cleaned his throat. "What brings you here? Don't talk. I know, you want to know something, wantn't you? I can give you every information, you know."
"Yes, I know," Bill said impatiently.
The wall-climbing lizard chuckled. "Nervous people have less time. What do you want to know?"
The game was simple. You ask a question, and he said, yes or no. Yes, he knew the answer and no, which was very seldom, he didn’t know, or he didn’t want to say.
When he said, yes, he called the price.
"Do you know where Jake is?" Bill asked without wasting time.
The mini gecko raised an eyebrow.
"Again?"
"Yes, again."
The gecko flicked his tongue and cleaned one of his eyes with it.
Stump screwed up his face because of that gesture of face cleaning.
"Do you know it?" Bill asked once more.
"Yes."
"How much?"
The little gecko lay his shoeless feet on the table and spreaded his toes so that the little gecko lamellas became visible. He wore seldom shoes, just if he had to leave the house.
"5 gold nuggets or 10 galloon fresh water. I accept also money."
Bill sighed and reached into his pocket. He put it on the table and the gecko grabbed it quickly. He controlled the gold before he continued. He dispersed the nuggets into his pockets and leaned his elbows on the table.
"He has a lot of quarters, but after what I heard, he is gone in one of them. I also heard that he should not be alone."
"I know," Bill said bored. "And where is that place?"
The little gecko bent more ahead and whispered: "Near Mountains, Rainbow Wells, there are a lot of caves. You just have to find the highest hill, with name “Black shadow”. Ask others. You can’t miss it. But there is no guarantee that he is still there. I’ve got the information few days ago. The most time he is on his way through the cities. But maybe he changed his quarter again."
"He must be still there," Bill muttered.
The gecko looked at him speechless and shrugged his shoulders.
"Who knows. Some people say he has a special place in devil’s hell."
Bill snorted. "Nonsense! He is just a snake with a black hat. He has just to narrow his eyes and all animals think whatever their tales. A snake from hell. What a nonsense."
The little gecko stood up from the chair and looked at Bill with lidless eyes mysteriously.
"Who knows, who knows. It’s a miracle for me that you survived his last meeting. Very seldom."
"If you have the money, you lay down the rules."
The gecko smiled. "Of course. Is there something more, which you want to know?"
"No…"
He stopped his speaking, when the gecko ran like lightning and disappeared around the corner into the corridor.
Kinski rubbed his head. Stump side-lined the curtain and peeked into the hallway but the gecko was already gone.
"Alright," Bill said and squeezed his hands. "Let’s go."
The others grumbled loudly.
"Bill, a rest, please!" Stump said and rubbed his back with his wound.
"Indeed," Chorizo said. "Just a little rest!"
"Yes, a little break."
Bill rolled his eyes. But maybe it would not be a mistake. They needed light to find the way. "Alright. But when sun appears we continue riding."

Description
4. I can give you every information

It was over 3 a.m. in the morning when Bill and the others slowed their riding pace.
Chorizo raised his head. "Are we there?"
Bill flicked his tongue. "We are."
"Indeed," Stump grumbled. "I can smell the smell of baked cactuses. Iieegh!"
"You don’t have to come with us," Bill snorted.
Stump made a dismissive hand movement. "I will survive that."
"Nice."
They crossed a cactus field with high desert cactuses and some more varieties like big threes of prickly pears. The city, which they searched, was surrounded from a big cactus wood and gave the city its name. Before they reached the first houses, they read a sign with colourful letters:
“Welcome in Cactus Hills”
Under the sign stood another hint sign:
“Wear shoes!”
Behind the signs stood a wooden canopied kiosk, lighted by an oil lamp. On a table lay all sorts of shoes. The seller behind the table, a spiny lizard with Mexican robe, looked at them curiously and picked up a pair of shoes. "Buy shoes and you will not hurt your feet."
Kinski and Stump, who used to go without shoes, raised their hands.
When they came the last time here, they never wanted to set a foot on that city ground again.
After they bought their shoes, they continued their riding.
"A stick in my bottom is enough," Stump muttered. "I don’t need more."
Bill grinned.
The city had houses with a street, which looked similar like Dirt. Just the houses were different. They passed shops with names like “Prickly cactus cantine” “General store” “Cactus flower”, “Golden Cactus”. The shopkeeper were also all kinds of spiny lizard.
Here you could buy everything, which had something to do with “catctus”: Cactus juice, cactus water, cactus face cream, cactus fruits, cactus dressing…
Bill looked around to find the saloon of that cactus city. It was in the night, but there were still animals, which didn’t sleep. Some Mexicans sat on the terraces and stared at the newcomers. The most of them also spiny lizards and other animals, which took up abode in this city. At last they reached the saloon, where still loud screams and singing voices came out, accompanied by wild Mexican instruments music.
"Oh my god…," Stump whimpered and rubbed his stomach.
Kinski left the roadrunner and tried to walk in his shoes. "Damn. These shoes are very uncomfortable."
"Zip your lips," Bill interrupted. He pushed the swing doors aside and walked in. The others followed him.
Thicker smoke and alcohol met their noses. Tables and chairs stood distributed in the room, which was filled with all sorts of animals in cowboy or Mexican clothes. In a corner played musicians their music. In front of them danced a female red squirrel in red black dress, a cactus flower in her hair and castanets in her hands.
Chorizo stopped a moment.
"What’s going on with you?" Stump asked.
"This lady, she was also here when we came the last time, do you remember?"
Stump wrinkled his nose. "She isn’t my type. They have a too hot temper."
Suddenly the dancing girl jumped on a table not far away of them and tripped like crazy with her feet her wild dance.
Chorizo didn’t look away and smiled roguishly. The woman moved her shoulders in an erotic way and gave Chorizo a mysterious smile with her red lips.
"I think, she…"
"Don’t waste time!" Kinski hissed and pulled him away. Chorizo waved to her. The woman rattled her castanets and jumped back on the dance floor where she showed the public her wild dance. Some of the animals bawled and whistled of admiration.
Bill had reached the bar. From the kitchen came clouds of steam from beaked cactuses on the stove.
Bill knocked on the wooden table. The barkeeper, a fat horn lizard, came. "Wha’ would ya like to order?"
Bill made it short. "Where is “The spider”?"
"Who? Speak louder!" the barkeeper asked with louder voice.
Bill bent wider. "I asked, where is the spider."
The barkeeper made an understood gesture and moved his eyes to a side door. Bill seemed to understand and walked through the door. Kinski looked around. He raised his eyebrows when he saw Chorizo again a little bit closer on the music band.
"Come on!" He whispered and pulled him into the side corridor.
There were many doors with stairs at the end. But Bill headed for a specific door. It wasn’t a real door, it was a red curtain. He pushed it aside and they entered dark a room. The chamber was small. Just a table with an oil lamp stood inside. But nobody else was there.
"Maybe he is not here," Stump said. "Better we forget…"
"Are you looking for me?"
They freeze but there was still no one visible.
Bill sighed and looked up. The others did the same. There was a movement on the ceiling.
A little figure, a half size of Stump, walked with hands and feet along the wooden wall. It wore a brown shirt and a strawhat. Suddenly the little figure ran quickly over the ceiling along the house wall like Spiderman. It jumped on a chair behind the small table. First, the strawhat was visible only.
"Bill. No long time since you came."
The little person lifted his face and a little head and big eyes met the small group. His lizard skin was tan and his eyes dirty white and without eyelids like many geckos, which looked a little spooky.
"Don’t play Mister Big, I just want information."
The little gecko inclined his head and looked at him curiously.
Some people, who hear his name the first time, had to know, that the gecko got his name since the most people knew the movie “Spiderman”. When all people told that he would look like Spiderman, since that, he kept the name “The Spider”. But he didn’t seem to be disappointed about that peculiarly name. He never called his real name and did never try to take another pseudonym.
The little gecko cleaned his throat. "What brings you here? Don't talk. I know, you want to know something, wantn't you? I can give you every information, you know."
"Yes, I know," Bill said impatiently.
The wall-climbing lizard chuckled. "Nervous people have less time. What do you want to know?"
The game was simple. You ask a question, and he said, yes or no. Yes, he knew the answer and no, which was very seldom, he didn’t know, or he didn’t want to say.
When he said, yes, he called the price.
"Do you know where Jake is?" Bill asked without wasting time.
The mini gecko raised an eyebrow.
"Again?"
"Yes, again."
The gecko flicked his tongue and cleaned one of his eyes with it.
Stump screwed up his face because of that gesture of face cleaning.
"Do you know it?" Bill asked once more.
"Yes."
"How much?"
The little gecko lay his shoeless feet on the table and spreaded his toes so that the little gecko lamellas became visible. He wore seldom shoes, just if he had to leave the house.
"5 gold nuggets or 10 galloon fresh water. I accept also money."
Bill sighed and reached into his pocket. He put it on the table and the gecko grabbed it quickly. He controlled the gold before he continued. He dispersed the nuggets into his pockets and leaned his elbows on the table.
"He has a lot of quarters, but after what I heard, he is gone in one of them. I also heard that he should not be alone."
"I know," Bill said bored. "And where is that place?"
The little gecko bent more ahead and whispered: "Near Mountains, Rainbow Wells, there are a lot of caves. You just have to find the highest hill, with name “Black shadow”. Ask others. You can’t miss it. But there is no guarantee that he is still there. I’ve got the information few days ago. The most time he is on his way through the cities. But maybe he changed his quarter again."
"He must be still there," Bill muttered.
The gecko looked at him speechless and shrugged his shoulders.
"Who knows. Some people say he has a special place in devil’s hell."
Bill snorted. "Nonsense! He is just a snake with a black hat. He has just to narrow his eyes and all animals think whatever their tales. A snake from hell. What a nonsense."
The little gecko stood up from the chair and looked at Bill with lidless eyes mysteriously.
"Who knows, who knows. It’s a miracle for me that you survived his last meeting. Very seldom."
"If you have the money, you lay down the rules."
The gecko smiled. "Of course. Is there something more, which you want to know?"
"No…"
He stopped his speaking, when the gecko ran like lightning and disappeared around the corner into the corridor.
Kinski rubbed his head. Stump side-lined the curtain and peeked into the hallway but the gecko was already gone.
"Alright," Bill said and squeezed his hands. "Let’s go."
The others grumbled loudly.
"Bill, a rest, please!" Stump said and rubbed his back with his wound.
"Indeed," Chorizo said. "Just a little rest!"
"Yes, a little break."
Bill rolled his eyes. But maybe it would not be a mistake. They needed light to find the way. "Alright. But when sun appears we continue riding."