BC stepped over the shaft on the woman’s side. She ducked her head and threw up an arm in defence. BC said nothing. He just punched her hard in the shoulder. She tripped over the split door and fell. But she scrambled up and darted away a few steps and stood there watching him, crouched, ready to run in any direction.
BC came back to Frost and Wing. Looking away, he said “Okay, that there piece had a little rust.”
Frost said “If you touch her again I’ll throw you in the river.” He glared at BC.
Wing said “And I’ll be there to make sure you don’t come up.”
BC continued looking away. Wind went back to unloading the rest of the pieces.
Frost said “We’re building a water wheel. We can’t work with metal that’s falling apart.”
BC shrugged, said “It’s forty years old. Fifty.”
Frost said “Come up to the domicile, and I’ll give you your spuds.” He lifted from the wagon the trunk lid of a car. It had a corroded licence plate with the words Beautiful British Columbia. He laid it on the ground.
Wing also stepped forward to help, but BC said “Your wagon is done, Wing. You can come and get it any time.”
Frost came back from the cart. Wing was shaking his head and saying nothing.
BC said “Buick chassis. Toyota wheels. Hand brake. We made good thick rubber tires. It’ll haul anythin’ anywhere. Just come and get it.”
Wing sighed and said “BC, are you going to tell me you didn’t hear what happened to my farm?”
BC tried to put a little strength into his voice. “I heard. Why wouldn’t I hear? ’Course I heard. It got took over. Anyway, just bring your steers and take it home.”
“Home?”
“Well….”
Frost stood beside Wing, looking concerned. The woman had finished unloading and was standing near the wagon, listening.
Wing said “If you heard my farm got took over, why didn’t you come and ask me if I still wanted the wagon?” Now Wing was shouting. “Why the hell would I need a god damn huge wagon if I’m livin’ over here in one of Frost’s rooms?”
Frost glanced up. Half a dozen guards were standing at the bridge railing, looking down at them.
BC spat. He stood there watching the river. His weak voice was steady, not loud. “You want to cancel a job, you got to tell me. Then you got to pay me for what I already done. Now, that there wagon is finished. You didn’t say nothin’, so you got to pay up.”
Frost was watching Wing. He looked worried. Wing did not seem to know what to say.
BC said “Fair’s fair.”
Frost said to Wing “What was the deal?”
Wing turned his back and walked away a few steps. He spat, shrugged and said quietly “Six months of food.”
Frost said to BC “How many in your crew?”
“Me and Wind and three more.” Now he did look at Frost. The eyes were dead. The whites were the same colour as the river. “Fair’s fair” he repeated.
Frost looked down and scratched his beard. He nodded to himself a few times. Then he said brightly “I’ll tell you what.”
On BC’s lipless face there appeared the slightest hint of a smile.
Frost said “Could you make me a crossbow?”
BC’s smile disappeared.
Behind the narrow lenses of his glasses Frost’s eyes were eager, fresh and boy-like. He said “I’ve always wanted a crossbow.”
The woman lifted a hand to cover her mouth, then dropped it.
Now BC’s eyes were locked on Frost’s. With an obvious effort he glanced at Wing, who now had the same expression of excited anticipation. BC tried to say something, had to clear his throat, managed to croak “What’s a crossbow?”
Frost said “What’s a crossbow! You don’t know what a crossbow is? I thought you were supposed to be a mechanical genius!”
Wing said “Even I know what a crossbow is. And I’m just a farmer. Or was. You must know — a guy like you — buildin’ stuff all your life — travelin’ around with that there cart.”
Frost said “You must have seen them.”
Wing said “There’s plenty of them around.”
BC said “Crossbows.”
Wing said “Yeah. They’re used for, you know….”
He and Frost aimed two invisible weapons at BC’s face.
For the first time, Wind spoke. Her voice was clear. The words came out fast and loud. “He don’t know nothin’ about crossbows. He don’t know what a crossbow is and I don’t neither. We build wagons and we trade metal. So just give us them spuds you said. And quit tryin’ to get out of payin’ for the wagon. We got a long trail home.”
Frost took a short punch at the air in disappointment. He said to Wing “Damn! I really wanted a crossbow.”
Wing patted Frost’s shoulder. “There, there, Frost. Maybe we can find you a crossbow somewhere else.”
Frost looked hopeful. “You think so?”
“Hey, I’ve got an idea! Why don’t we talk to that there guy who took over my farm? He’s got a whole bunch of them. What the hell was his name?”
“Langtree? Lamebee? Something like that?”
Wind grasped the shafts of the cart and started pulling it toward the domicile. She said “Come on, baby. We got a long trail home.”
BC said “Oh, you mean them things that are used for, like…” He aimed his own invisible weapon at Frost, and Frost and Wing aimed theirs back at him.
Frost said, as eagerly as before “Can you make me one?”
BC managed to create a frail and momentary smile. “I never seen one up close. I doubt if I got the parts.”
“What!” said Wing. “The Parts Gang don’t got the parts?”
Frost said “No leaf springs? No metal for the arrows? I’m disappointed, I truly am. I was sure if anybody could make me a crossbow it would be you. See, I thought maybe it was you who made those crossbows for… Lameflea?”
“Lungtea?” said Wing.
BC turned and walked after Wind. He said “Long trail home.”
Frost and Wing did not move. They waited. Then Frost called “So, about payment for that wagon you built….”
BC stopped. He stood immobile for a few seconds. Frost and Wing watched him. He turned and came back, looking down at the ground. He said nothing. He seemed very weak, as if he wanted to lie down there in the drizzle.
Frost said “I will pay you for Wing’s wagon.”
BC nodded, not looking at either of them.
“But I can’t spare six months of food for five people.”
BC muttered “I’ll take a cow.”
“A cow” said Frost.
“You’ll take a cow?” said Wing. “Where you going to pasture a cow? In that muddy junkyard of yours? Is it going to eat fenders?”
BC said “I’ll take the meat.”
Frost said “That’s a lot of meat. How you going to keep it?”
BC shrugged.
Frost said “Langley’s got Wing’s cows. And I can’t spare one. I’ll give you my next calf, how’s that? I’ll raise it and slaughter it and salt the meat for you.”
BC nodded and shook hands with Frost on the deal. The three men started toward the domicile. But soon BC cleared his throat and said “I need some today.”
They stopped. “Some what?” said Frost.
“Some meat. For down payment.”
“You want meat for down payment on Wing’s wagon?”
BC nodded. “Give me twenty-five kilos.”
Frost said “We just killed a cow, but it’s not salted yet.”
BC said “I’ll take it fresh.”
“There’s no way you and your crew are going to eat twenty-five kilos of meat before it goes off. Anyway, I can’t spare twenty-five. I’ve got extra mouths to feed. I’ll give you ten for now.”