by R S Penney
“I did offer to teach you this very morning, did I not?” Desa offered. “One would think you might infer from my offer that men can be Field Binders.”
“Yes...I suppose you did.”
“Tommy...” Sebastian muttered in a dangerous voice.
Desa ignored him, checking the water instead. It was beginning to bubble. A minute or two at a good boil should be enough to deal with any pathogens. “Of course, men can be Field Binders,” she said. “The man who taught me was one of our best.”
“So, men live in Aladar.”
Tilting her head back with a grin, Desa rolled her eyes. “Yes, Tommy,” she replied. “One hundred and seven women founded the colony, but they had been on their own less than five years before the Wrath Wars came to Eradia.”
“And that brought men?”
“Men bring war, and war brings men,” Desa muttered. “A vicious cycle if ever there was one.”
Tommy looked crestfallen, standing with his shoulders slumped, his eyes fixed on the muck beneath his feet. Like a sad little puppy dog. Normally, she would leave him to sulk, but Desa actually felt pity for the lad. True, she had saved him, but she was also the one responsible for dragging him out of his home. “Don't mind me, Tommy,” she said. “My eyes have seen too much in thirty short years.”
He seemed to accept that.
Tossing the lad a coin, she watched as Tommy stumbled backward to catch it. “Run your finger along the edge clockwise,” she said. “The coin will emit heat. You can use it to stay warm tonight.”
“And if I want it to stop emitting heat?”
“Run your finger along the edge anticlockwise.” She gave another coin to Sebastian and suffered his sigh of disapproval. When she Infused an object with a connection to the Ether, she could decide how that connection was accessed.
A Simple Infusion would tie the coins to Desa herself, allowing her to “trigger” and “kill” each one with a thought. However, if she wanted a Heat-Source that anybody could use, tweaking the shape of the lattice would provide a physical mechanism to activate and deactivate the coins. “Sebastian,” she said. “You'll find some bread, salted meat and a tin of tea leaves among the supplies. Please fetch them for me. My cups as well. I only have two. You boys will have to share. We should eat something and then get some sleep.”
Chapter 3
After two days of riding and three nights of sleeping rough, they came to a village of tile-roofed houses. The clouds had parted, and though strips of gray still crossed the blue sky, the sun was bright and strong.
A dirt road with houses on one side and lush green grass on the other was filled with people going about their daily tasks: boys painting whitewash on a fence, women carrying laundry baskets. A carriage came rumbling toward Desa and her companions, and when it passed, the driver tipped his cap.
Desa walked with Midnight's reins in hand, smiling as she took in the sight. “You know, I don't think I've ever been through this town before,” she said softly. “It's nice.”
Tommy was at her side, shuffling along with his hands in his pockets and offering a wan smile whenever she glanced in his direction. “It is,” he mumbled. “Kind of reminds me of Sorla.”
“Was that the name of your little town?” Desa asked.
“Aye, ma'am.”
Behind them, Sebastian had the reins of the brown gelding that Tommy had taken from his father's stable. Desa made it a point to keep an eye on that one. When someone looked at you with malice in their eyes, it was generally a good idea to avoid letting them out of your sight. But more than that, she didn't trust Sebastian to avoid doing anything that might earn them unwanted attention. “And you?” she asked the lad. “Have you ever been this far south?”
Sebastian's mouth was a thin line as he nodded slowly. “This is Glad Meadows,” he answered. “My father took me here once when I was ten.”
“Did you like it?”
The lad just snorted.
Glancing up toward the open sky, Desa rolled her eyes. “Remember,” she told them both. “We're just passing through. We'll be leaving early tomorrow morning; so, we keep to ourselves and try to avoid notice.”
No sooner had she said that than three men stepped into the road to bar their path. Each one wore a silver star that marked him as a deputy in the sheriff's office, but it was the one in the middle who got her attention.
He was tall and well-muscled, tanned with a scraggly beard, and he nodded when Desa got close. “That's far enough,” he said, stepping forward. “You will forgive our lack of hospitality, but this town has no love for strangers at the moment.”
Releasing Midnight's reins – the stallion would remain where she left him without having to be minded – Desa strode forward at a measured pace and looked up to gaze into the man's eyes. “You've had problems with strangers?”
“Some.”
Her face was split by an impish grin, and she laughed softly as she nodded. “Let me guess,” Desa began. “A big man with a mustache came through here a few days ago, and he caused all sorts of trouble.”
Her suspicions were confirmed when the deputy stepped back with a hand on his holstered pistol. His face was haggard. “Madame, the fact that you know that doesn't fill me with confidence.”
“You needn't worry, sir,” Desa assured him. “I'm no friend of Morley's.”
“Be that as it may, best you just pass through.”
“I will,” Desa agreed, “as soon as I've had a chance to purchase some supplies and learn as much as I can about where Morley might have gone.”
The lead deputy stepped back, glanced to the man on his left and then the man on his right. They all looked uneasy, and Desa was worried that she might be stepping into a precarious situation.
Finally, the lead man closed his eyes, bowed his head and scrubbed a hand across his brow. “The Silver Fox Tavern,” he mumbled. “If there's anything worth knowing, you'll learn it there. Don't plan on staying the night.”
“I won't.”
She had to lead the others off the main road, down a smaller street lined with even smaller houses. With the midday sun in the sky, the town was abuzz with activity, and it was slow-going as they waded through the crowds.
“Begging your pardon, ma'am,” Tommy said as he fell in at her side. “But I thought we were trying to avoid attracting notice. Why go ahead and tell those deputies that we're chasing this Morley?”
Desa shut her eyes, breathing deeply and then letting it out again. “They'll find out what I'm up to as soon as I start asking questions,” she said. “May as well ask somebody who might have a useful answer.”
“Aye.”
The inn was a large, white-bricked building black tiles on its slanted roof and large rectangular windows in the front wall. It was a quaint little place, and despite her promise to the deputy, Desa found herself tempted by the prospect of one good night's sleep in an actual bed. Her muscles ached.
A young man who was even skinnier than Tommy came scrambling up in a wide-brimmed hat. Huffing and puffing as he took those final steps, he stopped in front of Desa and said, “Do your horses need stabling, ma'am?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“It's twenty-five cents a night per horse.”
She retrieved a small purse from her saddlebags and paid the lad with coins that she hadn't Infused with a connection to the Ether. Desa could tell which were which. A Field Binder could sense any object that she herself Infused even if someone carried that object to the other side of the world.
Inside, she found a saloon that was not at all dissimilar from McGregor's: sawdust on the floor and round wooden tables. Paraffin lamps up on the walls – none were lit at this time of day – and few decorative fixtures.
Someone had stuffed and mounted the head of a moose over the bar where it could gaze down imperiously on any guest who approached the barkeep. The scent of beef stew filled the air.
Tommy stepped up beside her, frowning as he took in the sight. He seemed to
be feeling uneasy, as well he should. They were only a few days south of his town. Though it was unlikely that word of his escape had reached Glad Meadows, you could never be too careful.
“Get something to drink,” Desa murmured with just enough volume for Tommy to hear. “Keep to yourselves and don't make too much noise.”
He nodded.
Removing her hat, Desa paced across the room to the bar. The man who stood behind it – a fair-haired fellow with a neat goatee – was caught off guard by her arrival.
He looked up when he sensed her approach, sized her up in half a second and then nodded. “Looking for a bite to eat?” he asked. “Or is it a room you want?”
With a friendly grin, Desa shook her head. “'Fraid I won't be able to stay the night,” she said. “Just passin' through. Need to make good time, you understand.”
“Where you headed?”
“South, toward Ofalla.”
That brought a grimace to the bartender's face, and he looked away as if he felt put off by her destination. Curious. “It's five cents for a bowl of stew,” he said. “If you won't be staying, then we'd best get you on your way.”
Desa let her eyebrows climb as she studied the man. “You look tense,” she said. “Is there something wrong with going south?”
“Not a thing, ma'am.”
She set a coin down on the counter and slid it toward the barkeep. He looked at it, frowned and then met her eyes with a quizzical expression. “For the stew,” Desa said. “I could use a hot meal.”
Steam rose to fill Tommy's nose with a delicious scent as he stared forlornly into a bowl of stew. With his pewter spoon, he stirred up chunks of meat, some chopped celery and carrots. It looked delicious. It tasted delicious.
He just wasn't hungry.
“So that's the plan, then?”
When he looked up, Sebastian was leaning over the table and squinting at him. “We just follow her until she decides she's done with us?” The other man glanced toward Desa as if he were afraid that she might overhear. The Almighty smile down on him, she very well might. Tommy didn't know the limits of Field Binding.
Lifting a spoonful of meat out of the bowl, Tommy blew on it and then shoved it into his mouth. He chewed thoroughly, swallowed and then fixed his love with a steely gaze. “We've been over this.”
“But I'm not done talking 'bout it.”
Tommy felt his brow furrow, then shook his head in exasperation. “You really are that dumb, ain't ya?” he spat. “We leave Mrs. Kincaid, and I give it two days until we die from exposure.”
“We could stay here.”
“Until one of Sheriff Cromwell's men comes to visit Glad Meadows and discovers us? Nah...I'll take my chances with Desa Kincaid.”
Sebastian had the sullen look of a child who knew he was wrong but who refused to apologize. Well, let him sulk. After two days of this, Tommy was bloody well fed up, and he had no inclination to argue further. The question of what precisely he should do with himself had been on his mind of late.
In Sorla, his father had been the tanner, and Tommy had always thought he would do the same. In truth, Tommy had never really found any vocation particularly appealing. He would just do what he had to do to get by. Sooner or later, they would stop in a town where he could settle down. Perhaps Tommy could be a tanner there.
“Well, my word!”
The newcomer's intrusion made Tommy jump.
He looked up from his stew to find a girl about his own age standing over the table. Tall and willowy in a pair of dungarees and a short brown coat, she greeted them with a warm smile. “What are a pair of handsome fellows like you doing in a town like this?”
Her face was lovely, with high cheekbones, dark skin and black hair that she wore tied back. “Here I thought nothing interesting ever happened in Glad Meadows.” Without an invitation, she took a seat, spit in her palm and extended her hand. “The name's Miri. Miri Fontane.”
Tommy took her hand, shuddering at the slimy texture of her saliva. “Tommy,” he said. “That's Sebastian.”
“Ooh, a sophisticated name!”
Sebastian glowered at her.
If Miri noticed, she offered no reaction. She just sat back with a great big smile on her face and studied Tommy for a very long moment. “So, I've been in town 'bout a week. My horse broke his leg, you see. Been working for Mrs. Miller to raise enough to buy me a new one.”
Slouching until it seemed like she might fall out of her chair, Miri put a toothpick in her mouth – of all things – and then waggled it around. “Now, the missus, she's getting on in years. Still has a family to feed! And her husband, bless his heart. He caught himself a nasty case of the influenza on a trip up to High Falls. Ain't never been the same since.”
“That's awful.”
“Now, what you need to understand,” Miri went on, “is that folks 'round here ain't got much to spare. Which means they pay less, but also everything costs less, you know? It has a kind of equalizing effect.” Abruptly, she leaned in close and swatted his leg. “You listenin' to all this, Lommy?”
Tommy's mouth worked silently for a few seconds. He blinked and gave his head a shake. “It...It's Tommy,” he stammered. “My name is-”
“Uh uh,” Miri insisted. “Met a Tommy once. Broke my heart. Swore to myself I ain't never gonna be friends with no Tommy no more. So, you gon' be Lommy, and I'm gonna be Miri, and we're gonna be the best of friends.”
“I don't think-”
“And you...” Miri twisted around to face Sebastian with a finger pointed in his face. Her jaw dropped. “My word, I ain't never seen anybody look so miserable when the sun is shining bright. What's got you so unhappy, precious?”
Sebastian flinched away from her finger as if he thought her touch might burn him. “I'm fine,” he said. “We were just enjoying a quiet meal together, that's all. And we'd like to get back to it.”
“Almighty be praised, I ain't stoppin' you,” Miri said. “Eat your stew.”
Tommy was almost relieved when he saw Desa striding toward them. She paused a few feet away, took in the sight of Miri and raised an eyebrow. “I see you've made a new friend, Tommy. Care to introduce me?”
Tommy went red, then shut his eyes and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Her name is Miri,” he explained with some roughness in his voice. “She came by and thought she would join us for-”
With two fingers, Miri removed the toothpick from her mouth and blinked as if she didn't quite believe her eyes. “Oh stars above,” she whispered. “Pray tell me, which one of y'all is married to this fine specimen of femininity?”
A cool stare was Desa's only response to that compliment, but just when the silence became tense, she favoured Miri with a smile. “Neither one of these good gentlemen can claim that honour,” she said. “My husband died five years ago.”
“Did he now?”
Desa sat across from Miri, plunked her elbow down on the table and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. “He did,” she said. “So, I must ask you, Miri, what brings you to our table...other than an appreciation for a 'fine specimen of femininity?'”
“Actually, I prefer the menfolk,” Miri said. “But a girl can admire her competition, don't you think? And as I was telling Lommy here, I've been in town for about a week.”
“For what purpose?”
“Why, I need a new horse, of course.” Miri's face lit up with a grin. “Goodness me, that rhymed, didn't it?”
Desa leaned back with her arms crossed, nodding slowly as she assessed the other woman. “I see,” she said at last. “Well, if you've been in town for about a week, perhaps you could tell me about some travelers that passed through a few days ago. One of them had a very distinctive mustache.”
Tommy had been stuck in his cell when this Morley fellow passed through Sorla, but he remembered the way Sheriff Cromwell's deputies kept whispering to each other. Whoever this stranger was, he was dangerous.
To his surprise, Miri propped her booted feet up on the t
able and folded her hands behind her head. “Well now,” she murmured. “Just what would a lady like you be wantin' with a villain like him?”
“That's not your concern.”
“Oh, you don't wanna be runnin' afoul of that one, darlin',” Miri said. “He ain't no ordinary street tough.”
Sebastian had been spooning stew into his mouth all this time, but he paused just long enough to look up and sneer at Miri. “Sounds like you're afraid of him...Darlin,'” he said. “What's so terrifying about this Morley?”
Miri got out of her chair.
Then she crouched next to Sebastian with a hand on his shoulder and smiled as she gazed into his eyes. “You ever seen pure evil?” she asked. “If you have a mind to, all you have to do is spend five minutes alone with Morley.”
Desa stood up with a sigh and nodded to the other woman. “Thank you kindly for your advice,” she said. “But my friends and I must plan our trip. If you would excuse us please, Miri.”
When she was gone, Desa sat down again and scraped her chair across the floor as she moved closer to the table. “What little I've learned from the bartender isn't good,” she began in hushed tones. “Morley killed a young woman when he came through here two days ago.”
Sebastian closed his eyes, his nostrils flaring as he exhaled. “And you want to go after him,” he mumbled. “What's this man done to make capturing him so important that you'll risk our lives to do it?”
“Sebastian!” Tommy snapped.
“Have you heard nothing of what Miri said?” Desa hissed.
“I try not to listen to what Miri says.”
It might have been Tommy's imagination, but the room seemed to be a tad darker when Desa turned her glare upon Sebastian. “Then perhaps you will listen to what I tell you,” she whispered. “Morley is a killer who serves a Field Binder of Aladar.”
“Yes, but-”
“As dangerous as he is,” Desa went on, “his master is far worse. And Bendarian is the one I want.”
