When she tried to speak, she ended upcoughing again.
“Ah,” Cedar said. “I’m to guess at the rest.I see. You appreciate my strength and…masculinity?”
The confines of the smokestack made movementawkward. Kali had to wriggle and twist to loosen a shoulder enoughto extend her arm to touch the obstruction. It was hard, lumpy, andfaintly sticky. It did not tick or whir or do anything to suggestmoving parts or a timer set to spark an explosion. More likely itwas there to stuff up the smokestack, which could cause anexplosion of its own volition if built-up exhaust could notescape.
“Strength and virility?” Cedar asked.
Kali felt around the edges of theobstruction, hoping she could remove it, but the solidified massstuck to the inside of the stack with the tenacity of a badger. Shescraped a sliver off and held it to her nose. Though the sootysmokestack made it hard to put her olfactory organs to satisfactoryuse, the gunk had a pungent identifiable scent. She groaned.
“No? Strength and good looks?”
“Pull me out,” Kali said.
“Not until you finish that sentence.”
“What?” She had barely been paying attentionto him.
“You appreciate my strength and what else?”Even though the smokestack dulled the nuances of his tone, she hadno trouble imagining the amused smirk on his lips. Better than thesarcasm, she supposed.
“Strength and willingness to grab myhindquarters and hold me aloft,” Kali said. “Now get me down.”
“Hm, I doubt that’s a trait unique tomyself.” Cedar lifted her free of the smokestack and lowered her tothe ground. The smirk she had anticipated rode his lips, and ittransformed into a full-fledged grin when he saw her face. “Youlook like one of the black gang on a steamship.”
“What?” Kali wiped her face. Her alreadysooty sleeve grew sootier. “Ugh. I’m losing my love for this woman.She’s starting to vex me.”
“Did you get the…whatever it is yousought?” Cedar asked.
Kali scowled. “No. It’s just pitch glue, butit’s wedged in there good. We can’t use the bicycle until I can getback to my workshop and find some turpentine or something suitablefor breaking the bond.” Kali jammed her hands against her hips. “Weshot this woman, Cedar. How could she possibly be spry enough toperform all these pursuit-delaying feats with blood gushing downher arm?”
“Human beings are resourceful and dangerous,doubly so when they’re desperate. Which is why tracking them isalways perilous and takes experience and expertise.” Cedar foldedhis arms over his chest. He must be employing great restraint notto add, “I told you so.”
“All right, I apologize for belittlingtracking,” Kali said. “I know your work is dangerous and hard, andI know a dog couldn’t do it. I was just…irked about the money,even though I knew you were right and I hadn’t done anything tocontribute, much as I haven’t done anything today.” She curled alip at herself. “I’m not…good at patience. I had hopes of gettingmy airship together this summer and escaping this place before Iwas stuck here for another dark endless winter of being haunted bymemories that are impossible to forget when you face constantreminders.”
Cedar lifted an arm and stepped forward, asif to hug her. Her eyes widened. She was just letting loose somesteam; she didn’t need a hug. What kind of female meltdown did hethink she was having?
He must have read her expression, for hedropped his arm before touching her. He clasped his hands behindhis back, and she wanted to kick herself. No wonder he had nointerest in going to the dancing hall with her. She was as warm andinviting as a glacier.
“We better go if we want any chance ofreaching Sebastian’s claim before it’s completely dark out here,”Kali mumbled. “Especially since we’re walking.”
“Do you want me to go after the woman? I candeal with her and meet you at the claim.”
“No, it looks like she’s heading back toDawson. Her annoying booby-trap skills aside, she’s still human, Iassume, and she’ll need time to heal and recover. I bet we can findher there when we’re done up here.” Besides, as good as Cedar was,Kali worried this woman might have tricks up her blood-saturatedsleeve that could thwart him. “And,” she added, “if I show up alonewith my bedroll forgotten, Sebastian might think I want to reunitewith him.”
“I assume you would be quick to disavow himof that notion,” Cedar said, but he was already heading up thetrail.
She caught up and walked beside him. “With myWinchester if necessary.”
“Good.”
PART III
Though long days graced the Yukon in May,Kali and Cedar still did not make it to Sebastian’s camp beforenightfall. The faintest hint of twilight lightened the horizon, butfull darkness blanketed the forest. Fortunately, a well-used trailran along the Sixty Mile. The sound of rushing water guided themfurther, though they had to step carefully when they reached theclaims. Sluice boxes, pans, and mining tools littered the rockybank, and in places water flowed over the trail. With the snowmelting, the river ran wide and high. One might stand on one sideand shoot a critter on the other, but swimming would be a trickyendeavor. Since Wilder’s claim lay on the far side, she assumedCedar would have to borrow a boat to investigate.
“Are we getting close?” Kali asked softly,aware of men nearby.
The claims were long and narrow, each with asmall piece of waterfront, so numerous camps were visible along theshoreline. Cedar and Kali had already passed through severalwithout the prospectors noticing.
“Yes,” Cedar said.
Campfires burned at intermittent spots, mostnear the water. Men’s voices rose and fell in conversations andsometimes song. Drink gave some of the voices a boisterous slur.Kali doubted there were many women out here, if any, and she wasglad to have Cedar at her side.
She tapped a pocket where she carried twosmoke nuts. Her Winchester, fastened to her packsack, was withineasy reach as well. She trusted Cedar still had her two vials offlash gold flakes; they were not weapons but, given time, theycould be made into useful tools.
Kali picked out a familiar voice, fortunatelynot singing.
“That’s him,” she murmured to Cedar, whowalked quietly, even with no light to brighten the trail. Shereached out to brush his arm now and then to make sure he was stillthere.
Sebastian sat with five other men around afire pit. All had the bearded, grizzled appearance of veterans, andmore than one sported a scar on his face. A fellow with a greasybeard dangling halfway down his chest scratched beneath an eyepatch with the stumpy nub of a half-missing finger. Rifles andshotguns leaned against logs or rocks, no more than an arm’s lengthfrom their owners.
Rectangular shadows behind the men delineatedtents. The claim farther up the bank from Sebastian’s lay dark, itsprospectors either gone to sleep or perhaps into town, but a fireburned at the one diagonally across the river, the one thatsupposedly belonged to Cudgel’s crony. Nobody sat around it, thougha tent and the beginnings of a log cabin rose near the flames.
“Doesn’t look very active,” Kali said.
“Your old beau?” Cedar asked. “Well, he has aflask of whiskey in his hand. That slows a man down.”
“I meant the camp we’re here to spy on.”
“Ah. I’ll sneak over tonight if I can find away across the river. Let’s get settled in here first. Those menlook rougher than I expected based on my initial encounter withyour Sebastian.”
“I’d appreciate it if you’d stop calling himmy this-or-that,” Kali said. “And just because he’s a dandydoesn’t mean he’s not a fine flannel-mouth. I’m sure he talkedthese fellows into helping with promises of riches, and theybelieved him. As for their roughness, Sebastian probably pickedthem for that. It’s dangerous up here, and you’re like to have yourclaim jumped if anything shiny comes out of it.”
“Understood.”
When they were within a dozen meters of thefire, Kali called out, not wanting to surprise anyone with twitchyreflexes. “Sebastian?”
Sebastian bolted to his feet, e
yes largerthan Francis Barton’s prize nuggets. “Kali?”
“Yes.”
Despite Sebastian’s acknowledgement, the manbeside him grabbed his shotgun. He raised it to his shoulder andKali tensed, ready to throw herself to the ground. A riflethundered a foot away from her ear. The shotgun flew from itsowner’s hands. Cursing, the man flung himself behind a log even asthe rest of Sebastian’s cronies lunged for their weapons.
Cedar fired two more times.
“Sebastian!” Kali ducked and scrambled behinda stump. She found her own rifle, but she did not want to fire, notif this was a misunderstanding. “What’re you-”
“Stop!” Sebastian called. “Everyone stopgrabbing for your firearms.”
None of his men had managed to fire a shot,not with Cedar preempting them, but they had all found cover, andirritated snarls came from behind the rocks and logs.
“I invited her up here,” Sebastianwent on. “She’s the one I told you about. Albeit, I wasn’texpecting her so soon.”
A twinge of irritation ran through Kali. Whyhad he expected her at all? Did he truly think his offer thatirresistible? If not for Cedar, she would not have taken a singlestep in Sebastian’s direction.
A shadow moved at her elbow, Cedar joiningher behind the stump.
“Have I mentioned how much I’m enjoying theenhanced chambering speed your modifications have granted myWinchester?” he asked while Sebastian calmed down his men.
“Not since Thursday. Do you think that onewas going to shoot me?” Kali asked, already unimpressed withSebastian’s comrades.
“If I thought that, I would have shot hischest, not his firearm.”
“Ah, so that was merely a warning for anambiguous action.”
“Precisely.”
“Kali?” Sebastian called. “Who’s withyou?”
“Cedar,” she said. “The, uh, fellow you metat my workshop.”
“He wasn’t invited,” Sebastian said.
“He’s willing to work too. Why turn down anextra hand? He’ll take a cut of my share. No need to pay him.”
“That so?” Cedar murmured.
She elbowed him.
“He willing to take a cut of your rationstoo?” Sebastian asked. “Because we don’t have enough to feedsomeone that big.”
“We brought our own food,” Kali said.
“You didn’t even bring a blanket,” Cedarwhispered.
“Sshh.” She could see nothing of his featuresin the dark, but sensed his humor was tickled by the situation. Ormaybe gun-slinging put him in a good mood.
“Come in,” Sebastian said. “We’ll work outthe details in the morning. It’s late. Long past when respectablefolk ride up on a camp.”
“Yes…we were delayed.”
Kali stood and walked toward the fire, armsspread to show she had no weapons in hand. She supposed thecourteous thing to do would be to mention that a dangerous womanmight be about and that Kali’s presence could bring danger to theentire camp.
“Getting sexed up, probably,” Sebastianmuttered to the man at his side who snorted and nodded.
Kali narrowed her eyes and reconsidered thelevel of courtesy she would show the man. Such as, maybe shewould warn him if she saw a grenade plummeting toward his head.
Cedar did not stray from her side as sheapproached, and she admitted a smug satisfaction at having himlooming there. She knew Sebastian would not be jealous-that wouldhave required him to have had an actual interest in her-but atleast Cedar’s presence proved she was not so undesirable as hebelieved. Except, she reminded herself, Cedar was not her beau andshe had lied to Sebastian. Her smugness faded.
“You arrived sooner than I expected,”Sebastian told Kali. “The steam equipment isn’t here yet. We’ll bebringing it up on a raft from Dawson soon.”
“That’s fine. We can help with the sluice boxor whatever you have set up so far.” Kali glanced around. Thoughshe and Cedar had passed numerous claims with such equipment, shehad not noticed any on Sebastian’s land. Maybe she had missed it inthe darkness.
“Good. We have lots to set up,” Sebastiansaid. “We’ve barely got the tents pitched.”
“Is there room for us in one?” she asked.
“Sorry,” he said in a tone that assured hewas not. “They’re already claimed. You can bed down over there.” Hesmiled and pointed to rocky ground near the fire.
“Thanks,” Kali said, glad the air did notsmell of rain.
The men watched Cedar as he moved fartheraway from the fire than Sebastian had indicated. He ignored them.Well, Kali doubted that, but he acted as if he was ignoringthem. The way nobody introduced themselves struck her as odd, butthe gunfire greeting had probably set the men on edge. Thus far,the night did not hint of future friendships, so she hoped Cedarcould complete his business with John Wilder within a day ortwo.
She laid down her gear and, under the guiseof performing her nightly ablutions, checked the two smoke nutsnestled in her pocket. She decided to sleep with them and the knifeon her belt as well. While she doubted anyone would bother her withCedar around, she did not like the camp atmosphere.
When she returned from washing at the riverand saw Cedar’s all-in-one bed-blanket-pillow stretched over therocks, she remembered she would be expected to spend the nighttucked into it. With him.
Though the rest of the men had disappearedinto the tents, Sebastian sat on a log by the fire. He probablywanted to see if another man would actually share a bed with her.She glowered at Sebastian and stalked over to join Cedar.
He crouched beside his blanket, waiting forher. He lifted a hand, perhaps asking if she wanted to get infirst. She waved for him to go. Sebastian glanced their way, andshe dropped her hand. Presumably people who shared beds workedthese details out early in their relationships, though she supposedshe could claim this was their first night on the trail together ifanyone voiced suspicions.
Cedar removed his boots, though thankfullynone of his other clothing. A part of her would not mind seeing himsans garments some day, but not with an audience nearby. He slidbetween the blankets and laid his rifle close by.
“Not sleeping with it tonight?” Kali sat downto remove her own boots.
“I didn’t want you to get jealous.”
She snorted.
“Will you be all right here if I leave laterto scout Wilder’s claim?” Cedar whispered.
“I think so,” Kali said. Thus far Sebastian’sstory had panned out, though admittedly coming in at night meantshe had seen little of his claim and his operation. “But on thechance he’s planning something squirrelly, when would you beback?”
“Morning. Early.”
“I suspect I can keep myself out of troubleuntil then.”
“Hm.”
Kali poked around for a way into thecocoon-like bedding. Cedar lay on his side to provide more room forher. Her options were facing him or not. The former seemed far toointimate, so she laid on her side with her back to him. Hard, lumpystones pressed into her ribs, and cold seeped through the blanket.Spring might have come to the Yukon, but all that meant was sheprobably wouldn’t wake with ice crystals freezing her eyelashesshut.
“Can you slip me one of my vials?” shemurmured. “Just in case I can’t keep myself out of troublewhile you’re gone?”
The blanket rustled. The small container hepressed into her hand was warm, and she wondered where he had beenkeeping it. Kali wriggled about, finding space to draw her knee up,and she slipped the vial into her sock. She pillowed her head withher arms and closed her eyes.
“Does this mean we’re not putting on ademonstrative display to convince him of the veracity of ourrelationship?” Cedar asked, his words tickled with amusement.
“You’re my beau,” she whispered, “not myhusband. For all he knows, we’ve just begun our courtship andhaven’t had, er, you know, yet.”
“Ah. No kissing either?”
“Are you just teasing me because it’s fun andyou can right now without risking a punch in the belly, or are youi
mplying that you’d actually like to do…stuff?”
Long seconds passed without a response, andshe winced. Had she implied she wanted him to say he wanted to do‘stuff’? Because if he did not want to do ‘stuff,’ she certainlydidn’t want him to think she wanted him to do ‘stuff.’ She closedher eyes and groaned inwardly. When had she become sucha…female?
“I only mention the latter thing, because itwould puzzle me,” Kali said, “seeing as how you turned down mysuggestion we might go to the dancing hall last month and I’venever caught you leering suggestively at me when I’m bent over asteam engine.”
That drew a chuckle from him, but thenanother silence. She pulled the blanket higher over her shoulders.Maybe they should just go to sleep. Sebastian had left,disappearing into one of the tents.
“When I was a boy,” Cedar said, “there wasthis hound that showed up in town. He was all mange and ribs, butyou could tell he’d be a handsome boy if you fixed him up. He was asmart feller too. He knew how to open Old Lady Harrison’s screendoor and filch her meal preparations off the kitchen counter. Thedog didn’t have a collar, so I figured I could claim him and he’dbe the perfect hunting companion for a boy. Trouble was, he wasscared of people. He’d flinch away if you lifted a hand to pet him,and if you cornered him he’d growl and snarl like a rabid wolf. Mygrandpa said folks had beat him, and it’d take a passel of patiencefor someone to get past that fear and turn him into a friend. I,being ten or so, reckoned I was just the person.”
Kali was quite positive Cedar had neverstrung so many words together in a row. She was not sure she likedthe implied comparison, but she listened without interrupting,curious where he would take the story.
“I used some meat to trick him into a pen,”Cedar went on, “and I trapped him there. I brought him food andwater every day and I spent hours talking to him and trying to gethim used to me. It seemed to be working. He didn’t growl so much,and he wagged his tail when I showed up. Well, I wanted to pet himpowerful bad, so I slipped into his pen one day, gave him his food,and tried to get close to him. He got real still and wary, but hedidn’t flinch away, so I thought everything was working like I’dplanned.”
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