“My strength and what?” Cedar asked, hisvoice distant to her ensconced ears.
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.”