A Town Called No Hope (A Steampunk Western)

by Izzy Hunter

  In the end, she didn’t have a chance to decide as Matthew began spluttering and quivering. Woods stopped the chest-pressing immediately. All three adults helped the boy to a sitting position.

  ‘What’s happening?’ Matthew asked, his voice hoarse.

  Woods glanced at Mona and Sam before answering. ‘There’s been a… fire in the theatre.’

  At the mention of the word ‘fire’, Matthew jerked around and stared slack-jawed at the scene before him. Thankfully, the flames were beginning to abate and some bits were just charred, smoking chunks now. He looked back at Woods. ‘Where’s Lola? She was helping me get changed when this happened.’

  ‘She probably got out,’ Sam said, trying to ease the boy’s obvious worry. ‘It’s kinda hard to see clearly in this.’ He waved a hand to encompass the scene around them.

  Woods got to his feet and told Mona and Sam to stay with Matthew. Before he could be asked where he was going, he headed over to one of the groups standing watching the flickering flames. After speaking to them briefly, he made a bee-line straight for the glowing building.

  ‘Where’s he think he’s going?’ Mona asked, not the only one to be watching as he disappeared into what was left of the theatre.

  ‘I guess he’s decided to play the hero,’ Sam replied, not unkindly.

  They looked on as someone came around offering blankets to any survivors. Mona thanked the woman and placed a woollen grey blanket around a thankful Matthew, and she, the boy and Sam sat waiting for Woods to return.

  Mona thought back to her first encounter with Mr Woods, and saw such a stark difference in the man. The selfish, uncaring drunkard had been replaced by a selfless, kind man who would risk his life to try and save others. She knew he deserved another chance and would help him find his dreams without the Fixer’s help.

  Just the thought of Oscar Tudor filled Mona with anger. It must have shown on her face; Sam asked if she was alright.

  ‘Well, apart from being almost caught in a burning building, I’m alright,’ she replied briskly. ‘I’m just thinking.’

  A cheer went up around them. All three looked to where the applause was being directed. Woods had returned from the theatre, two women clinging onto him; their faces charred. Several people went to take the girls to safety as Woods ran back inside.

  ‘Lola!’ Matthew cried, getting unsteadily to his feet and moving to where one of the women was being tended to. Mona and Sam moved forward to make sure the boy was okay.

  One of the women - a well-dressed lady in a peacock-feathered hat - broke off from the group and stood next to Mona and Sam. ‘Who is that gentleman? The one who’s gone into the building. I saw him with you earlier.’ Mona told her and the woman repeated the name as if to remember it. ‘Well, I think he’s to be commended for such bravery. I shall speak to my husband once he’s finished helping put out the flames.’ She nodded towards one of the bucket lines. A large white-haired man was mopping his brow with a handkerchief and gave the woman a fond but brief smile.

  ‘Your husband is?’ Sam asked politely.

  ‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ said the woman. ‘I’m just used to everyone knowing who he is. My husband is the mayor of New Moray.’ She looked away for a second. ‘Please excuse me, I’d best go and check those girls are alright.’ With a sad smile, the woman returned to where the girls were being wrapped in blankets.

  The next five minutes or so were an excruciating wait for everyone. The flames had almost all been put out, and people stood around, unable to take in what had happened. Woods’ name had spread around the townsfolk. The man himself made a further two appearances, both times bringing people out. On the second occasion, he offloaded a young man onto the group who had become the medical team, and then fell to the ground, tired and upset. He looked at the faces staring back at him and shook his head, tearfully. Confirmation that no one left in the theatre was alive.

  As some people continued tending to the injured, with wagons being brought to take them to safety, others came up to Woods and thanked him for all he had done, either patting him on the back or shaking his hand.

  As the night wore on, smoke rose from the ruined building and people began to slowly leave the area. Mona and Sam took Woods and Matthew back to the Grey Baker Hotel where they were surprised to find Northam and some of her crew. They had been on the grounded airship a mile away when they saw the blast. Northam ordered some of her crew to go with her and see if they could help, where they saw Wood’s bravery for themselves. Northam ended by planting a kiss on Woods’ cheek which made the man blush.

  Since the hotel was now busier than before, Northam’s crew went two to a room. Woods and Sam shared a room, Matthew got a bed to himself, and Northam bunked up with Mona. There was barely any chatter coming from the rooms once everyone had retired to their beds. Everyone was too tired to talk.

  No one was awake early the next morning. When Mona and Northam descended the stairs and entered the dining room at just after ten am, though, the room was almost full with the others starting their breakfasts. Two chairs had been left vacant at the table Woods and Matthew occupied, so Mona and Northam joined them.

  ‘How are you both?’ Mona asked as soon as she’d sat down. Matthew’s face looked freshly scrubbed and his hair was damp, but he still had a haunted look on his face. Woods had a cut above his left eye and a bruise was forming on his left cheek. His hands were shaking as he ate his bowl of milky porridge. Both man and boy muttered that they were fine.

  Then Matthew cleared his throat and looked at Woods. ‘Uh, I don’t think I thanked you, sir, for rescuing me last night.’

  Woods paused his breakfasting and regarded the boy, smiling a tired smile. ‘Well, I don’t think I could ever forgive myself if I hadn’t even tried. And I’m no longer your teacher, Matthew. Mr Woods is just fine.’

  Matthew smiled, and carried on eating. The hotel owner came up to their table and placed bowls of porridge and rounds of buttered bread before the two women. ‘It’s on the house,’ the woman said before leaving again.

  Sam was sitting at one of the crew’s tables, and leant across in his chair, half-eaten toast in hand. ‘Hey, did you hear? They reckon the explosion started in the manager’s office.’

  ‘Was he a smoker?’ Northam asked, cutting through a fried egg on her plate, the yellow yolk oozing out. ‘Maybe a cigar started it.’

  Mona stayed quiet as everyone began speculating on the cause of the fire. She knew full well who was to blame. But the Fixer/Oscar Tudor - or XiMi Wan, to give him his real name - wasn’t the kind of person who took kindly to being ratted on. Still, she fancied visiting the man before she left. He had caused the death of three people and injured dozens more, including Mona’s friends. There was no way he was going to get away with it that easily. After her breakfast, she made her excuses and left the hotel, but not before returning to her room and retrieving her gun.

  She took a walk by the theatre ruins on the way to the scrap merchant’s. The building was a blackened mess and there were still rivulets of smoke rising opaquely into the crisp blue morning sky. There, she saw the mayor’s wife who was talking to a couple of people nearby. The woman spotted Mona and asked if Mr Woods was still in town. Mona confirmed it and told her that he was currently breakfasting in the Grey Baker Hotel if she wished to speak to him.

  Rounding the fence enclosing the scrap merchant’s, Mona fingered the gun in her holster. She wasn’t sure if she would use it, wasn’t sure what she was going to do, if truth be told. She couldn’t even guarantee the Fixer was still in his spider’s web. For his own safety, he should have left town.

  Mona arrived at the closed gate and was about to kick it down when she thought better of it, and checked to see if it was locked. She’d feel embarrassed if she kicked open an unlocked door. Unable to push it open, she took a step back and smashed her boot against it. The gate made a satisfying thwack as it flew open at a ninety degree angle. Mona stepped through.

  The place was quiet and lo
oked identical to how it was on Mona’s previous visit. She made a bee-line for the small store, not even worried about finding her way around the underground warren. The first person she encountered would lead her to The Fixer, by gunpoint.

  She entered the store and immediately knew something was up. The mat usually covering the trapdoor was lying in a heap in the corner of the room, and the trapdoor itself was open. As Mona peered into the opening, she saw it had been filled with all manner of things; mainly earth and bits of scrap. She frowned, wondering if the Fixer had done this, and escaped via another secret exit.

  ‘He’s gone,’ called out a gruff voice from behind her. She turned to find Hubert standing in the doorway. He had a resigned look on his face. ‘Yes, he left early this morning,’ he went on, leaning against the door frame. ‘And don’t bother trying to get down there,’ he said, nodding at the trap door. ‘I set small explosives in each room down there. The whole place is collapsed in.’

  ‘And he didn’t take you with him?’ Mona asked. ‘So much for loyalty, huh?’

  Hubert laughed bitterly. ‘Yeah. Two years doesn’t mean squat in the end. He remembered to take those pretty boys of his with him, though.’

  ‘That’s what he does,’ Mona told him, leaning against the counter and facing the small man. ‘He uses people all the time. You’re no different to anyone else he’s been around.’

  ‘I was grateful to him,’ Hubert said. ‘I was part of a freak show, travelling the country, and he rescued me. Said I could work for him, so what else was I gonna say?’

  ‘Sorry, but we all have shitty pasts so if you’re looking for sympathy, you won’t find it here. You were complicit in the theatre blast -’

  ‘I don’t want your sympathy, woman.’ His gaze had hardened.

  ‘Yeah, well, I’d watch your back from now on. The Fixer may have done a runner but someone is going to pay for the explosion.’

  Hubert stepped aside as Mona stalked out of the store.

  Woods ambushed Mona as soon as she returned to her hotel room. She had barely opened the door when he appeared next to her, causing her to start in surprise. He apologised at once for alarming her.

  ‘It’s alright,’ Mona assured him, entering her room. Northam was nowhere to be seen. Woods stepped into the room behind Mona and stood in the doorway.

  ‘I’m not coming back with you,’ he told her.

  Mona turned to face him. ‘Well, that was originally the plan, wasn’t it?’ She knew she sounded brisk but Mona just wanted to go home. She’d had her fill of New Moray.

  ‘That’s true,’ Woods agreed. ‘But I have been asked to stay by Mayor Turnstein and his good lady wife. I’m afraid to say you’ve just missed them.’

  ‘The Mayor?’ Mona smiled and sat on the edge of the bed. ‘Very impressive.’

  Woods glanced at the floor, a humble smile on his face. ‘They came round to thank me again for helping at the theatre, and we got talking.’

  ‘And I may have mentioned the fact he was looking for a career change.’ Sam had been listening at the door, with Matthew. Woods moved aside to let them into the room.

  ‘They’ve offered you a job?’ Mona asked Woods. ‘Well done.’

  ‘Not exactly,’ said Woods. ‘They’re going to help me train to become a vet. They’re going to sponsor me during my training.’ His voice had taken on an air of pride. Mona didn’t blame him. After his heroism the night before, Woods deserved another chance at a good life for himself.

  ‘They’ve even supplied him with accommodation,’ Sam said.

  ‘I’m happy for you,’ Mona told Woods.

  ‘I will, of course, see you off when you leave,’ Woods said.

  The mention of them leaving reminded Mona that she needed to speak to Northam regarding Sam, but it appeared the captain of The Red Jenny had returned to the airship with her crew for preparation for take-off. She would have to speak to her as soon as they reached the airship.

  ‘I want to stay, too,’ Matthew said in a quiet voice. ‘There’s nothing for me back home.’

  ‘Hell, was it something I said?’ Sam joked. ‘All you folks deciding to stay makes me think I’m missing out here.’

  ‘Why don’t you stay and find out?’ Mona said tightly before addressing Matthew. ‘And what have you got to stay here for, huh? You have no home, and unless you want to work for your uncle at the undertaker’s, you have no job, either.’

  ‘I can find work. I can find some place to live,’ said Matthew, defiantly.

  ‘Sure you can, kid,’ Mona said. ‘But I think it’s best you see your father first.’

  ‘Why?’ the boy barked. ‘He don’t give a crap about me. He’s probably glad to see the back of me.’

  ‘And,’ continued Mona. ‘There’s that little matter of returning all that money you stole from the bank. Remember?’

  The boy cast his eyes to the floor in shame. ‘I spent a little of it,’ he confessed in a quiet voice. ‘Not much. Just enough to pay for some food and lodgings. Well, one of the changing rooms in the theatre.’

  ‘So where’s the rest of it?’ asked Sam firmly.

  ‘The small fella.’

  Woods, Mona and Sam exchanged looks. There was only one small fella he could be referring to.

  ‘You mean Hubert?’ Mona asked. Matthew nodded. ‘Why would you give him money?’

  ‘He said he could find me more permanent lodgings and work, if I gave him some money.’ Even as Matthew spoke, he looked as if he’d come to a realisation. ‘Goddamn, he conned me, didn’t he?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Sam said.

  ‘Maybe,’ Mona added. ‘Or he would have made you one of Oscar Tudor’s minions.’

  Matthew looked at her. ‘What’s a minion?’

  Mona waved the question away. ‘Doesn’t matter. But you are coming back to No Hope. Then it’ll be decided if you can return to New Moray.’

  Matthew made a face but didn’t argue any further.

  The small group packed their belongings and, saying their goodbyes to the hotel proprietor, made their way to where The Red Jenny was grounded. Mr Woods had left the party, moving his small case of worldly possessions to his new abode. He’d promised to wave them away before they left.

  Passengers weren’t being allowed to board the airship until the crew were ready for them. But Mona needed to speak to Northam now. She told Sam and Matthew to stay where they were and went across to the side of the ship where the captain was reading a scroll of paper.

  ‘How goes it, captain?’ Mona called out, with a jovial smile.

  Northam looked across, the frown on her face disappearing when she saw who it was. ‘Don’t ask,’ Northam replied. ‘We should be ready for boarding soon.’

  ‘Fine. Can I speak to you? In private?’ Mona called back.

  Northam nodded and furled the scroll, handing it to a passing crew man. ‘Come on up,’ she told Mona.

  Mona carefully climbed the ancient stepladders that leant against the side of the ship. Northam helped her when she reached the last few rungs.

  ‘So what do you want to speak to me about?’ asked Northam, as Mona wiped her trousers of the dirt of the ladder.

  ‘Sam. I don’t want him travelling on the airship,’ Mona said.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘You know why.’

  ‘Just… stay out of his way, then.’

  ‘It would be easier if I didn’t have to do that.’

  Northam looked away for a second and then back at her friend. ‘I may as well tell you, now. Sam came to me when I was about to leave the hotel. He gave me a very handsome sum of money to let him on my ship. In any other normal circumstances, I’d happily boot him off the ship but it costs a lot to run this thing and that money will definitely come in handy.’

  ‘So that’s a no, then.’ Northam laid a hand on Mona’s shoulder. ‘But if it’s any help, I’ll keep him busy with a couple of the whores on the journey.’

  CHAPTER NINE

  Within the hour, The R
ed Jenny was making its ascension into the clear blue sky. Mona, Matthew and Sam were in Mona’s room, waving to a shrinking Woods out of the circular window.

  ‘Do you think he’ll be alright?’ Sam asked out loud, standing straight and stretching his arms outwards.

  ‘He’ll be fine,’ Mona reassured him. ‘You know, I was ready to mark him as just another waste-of-space when I first met him but he’s certainly changed my mind.’

  ‘What’s his secret?’ Sam asked pointedly.

  ‘Saving lives, wanting to better himself,’ said Mona, sitting back in her chair next to the window. Matthew was sitting across from her on the other chair, busy staring out at the sky with excitement. It was, after all, his first time on the airship.

  ‘I would have saved some lives,’ Sam replied. ‘Woods just got there before me. And as for bettering myself. It’s an ongoing battle.’ He looked so solemn when he said this that Mona almost gave in to a smile.

  ‘Anyway, gentlemen,’ she said instead, rising to her feet. ‘If you don’t mind, I’m going to take a nap for an hour or so. Sam, could you take Matthew to the captain. She’ll tell you where he’ll be staying.’