1889: Journey To The Moon (The Far Journey Chronicles) (12 page)

Ross nodded, took a swallow and passed the bottle to Billy, who took a sip and passed it back. Billy said, “Did you ever think you would see something like this in your life?”

“No. I am glad you suggested it. Do you know this land? Where we are at the moment?”

Billy studied the vast, straw-colored plains below them. “It looks different from up here, but I’m pretty sure that green tree line weaving like a snake’s track is the Arkansas River.”

A shadow fell across them and both men looked up to see Dr. Conklin standing too close behind them. Billy felt the hairs on his neck prickle, and he had the distinct feeling that Conklin had been considering pushing them out into the ether.

Conklin smiled and said, “It is a beautiful sight, is it not?”

Ross took a swallow from the bottle and offered it to the Doctor, “This will make the evening better as well.”

Conklin said, “Strong spirits before a meal leave my internals somewhat shaky.”

Billy could feel the Doctor’s toes against his buttocks, pushing toward the opening. “You need to back it up a bit, Doc. I’m through with sightseeing.” He leaned back and forced Conklin to take a step backward. In a flash, Billy stood and smiled at the Doctor. “You should step closer to the view, it’ll take your breath away.”

“I think I shall stay here. I have a small fear of heights, you see.”

“Uh-huh.” Conklin edged sideways so he was behind Ross, very close behind. Billy continued, “Hey Ross, let’s get back and check on the engine. I think I saw some funny sparks on the hull.”

“Certainly. Would you help me up? I seem to have a slight imbalance problem at the moment.” Billy edged between Conklin and Ross and pulled the engineer from his sitting position.

As Billy led Ross away, Conklin said, “Later, gentlemen.” He stood and looked at the earth and sky. A slight scraping sound came from underneath the ship, and Conklin narrowed his eyes. He stepped to the very edge of the door and grasped the side of the opening with one hand, leaning far out so that only his feet and one hand were inside the craft. He looked under the
Arcadia
and saw it. A hand, pulling on the rope that was snagged beside the cargo hold. Conklin felt the urge rising fast in him, for it had been too long.

The pirate worked himself up the rope, unaware that anyone knew of his presence. He, Will Quinlan, had ridden on the outside of the airship all the way from Colorado Springs! At twenty-one, he had done the impossible. He would be a legend after this. Will raised his eyes above the edge of the hold and saw no one. In a matter of seconds, he was standing in the
Arcadia
, ready to infiltrate and decimate these people and commandeer the greatest ship extant.

He took a cautious step further into the hold and heard a small whistle, then a hand clamped a cloth over his mouth and nose and held it there with a ferocious strength. Will fought and twisted to no avail. His arms and legs went numb and his mind fuzzed by the third breath. With the forth, he was unconscious.

Conklin lifted him like a child and floated like a shadow into the ship, ready to get to work on this wonderful specimen, this young, wonderful boy. He could barely contain his glee.

[ 27 ]

As the morning sun broke the horizon, Billy and Ekka stood with Merkam and Tesla on the bridge. Merkam said, “We are making excellent time, and the controls are starting to come more naturally.”

Billy said, “I’m glad you can fly it, because I don’t think I could do it if I had a hundred years to practice.” Jude banked the ship and put it in a slow descent. Billy looked through the portal and stood straighter. “Can you put this down there?”

“Land?”

“No, no, but closer, maybe a hundred feet off the ground?”

“Why would I do that?” Asked Jude.

“Because Charlie Goodnight’s buffalo herd is down there by the caprock. They’re the last wild buffalo left in this country.” Billy’s eyes had a sad look in them. “Sixty million buffalo slaughtered, and only Goodnight’s little herd stands between them and an extinction as final as that of the dinosaurs.”

Jude nodded and eased the ship down. Billy held Ekka’s hand and took her to the cargo hold. He opened it and they saw the brown shaggy creatures before them, some one hundred animals that Goodnight and his wife rescued and kept the hunters off them for all these years.

As the ship lowered closer to the earth and shortened the distance to the herd, the animals began moving in mass. Billy didn’t know it but he was grinning. Seeing them in their shaggy magnificence, free on the plains, when he never expected to see a sight like that again, Billy felt as if a part of him he thought was lost had been restored.

Ekka placed her hand on his shoulder and said, “They are beautiful. For some reason, seeing them like this makes my heart happy.”

“Mine, too.”

“What are you two looking at?” Abigail said as she squirmed between them. Ekka stiffened, but Abby didn’t act as if she noticed. She put her arm in Billy’s and said, “So, what are you watching?”

Billy held his composure. He pointed, “The buffalo.”

“Those stinky old things? I think cattle are nicer looking.”

Ekka said, “That statement gives a good image of you, Abigail.”

“Why, whatever do you mean?” Her eyes were cool as she looked at Ekka.

“A person’s likes and dislikes say much about them.”

“Well, I like Billy, so what does that say about me?” Abigail smiled sweetly, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

Billy unhooked her arm from his and stepped away from the two women, “I’m going to check on Two Hats and see if he needs any help.”

When Billy was gone and they were alone, Abigail said, “And what do you like Ekka, besides buffalo?”

“Many things. Faithfulness is one.”

Abigail reacted as though slapped. “How dare you! You’re jealous because Billy wants me!”

“Billy Gostman is a man, and he may choose those he will.”

“And when he chooses me?”

Ekka playfully tweaked Abigail’s nose and said, “Dreams are nice things to have, Abby, but they are simply that, dreams.” Abigail’s cheeks went bone white and pink spots blossomed in them.

“I have to assist Nikola on an experiment. I bid you good day, Abby.”

Abigail stood stiffly, clenched fists at her side as Ekka walked away. She had
never
been addressed in such a manner! As if she were…inconsequential! She whispered, “We will see how haughty she is when I have Billy in my bed.” The thought of Ekka’s face when that day came made Abby smile. She hummed as she walked away, making plans for the seduction.

Jude decided to open up the
Arcadia
a bit and see how it handled at a faster pace. He eased into it, and climbed to a higher altitude where the currents were smoother. The earth passed underneath the craft at a quick but steady pace. Nikola and Ekka joined him on the bridge. Jude said, “I’ve increased the air speed.”

Nikola said, “Will we reach our destination this day?”

“Yes, and before sundown.”

“Most excellent.”

Ekka said, “We are not landing in the town, correct?”

“We will put down in a area outside of San Antonio, a place named Government Canyon, where we can’t be easily seen.”

“I will go into town tonight and arrange things,” Ekka said.

“Take Billy with you.” Jude replied and Ekka smiled.

They landed an hour before true sundown. Merkam said to Ekka and Billy, “Our contacts will be at the Vaudeville Theater on the Main Plaza.”

Billy said, “I know the place. Ben Thompson and King Fisher were ambushed and killed there.”

Jude said, “The famous Texas shootists murdered just a few years ago, yes. I recall reading about it. Your contacts will be upstairs in the first booth to the right.”

Ekka said, “We will return when it is accomplished.”

As they left Jude, Ekka took a small key from around her neck and gave it to Billy.  “I think this would be a good time for you to use that.”

Billy looked at it, “What does it open?”

“The green locker in the storage room.  It is my present to you.”

“When did you get me a present?”

“Before the trouble in Colorado.”  They descended to the storage room and Billy slipped in the key.  He opened the door and there, in a polished oak shadow box were two matched short-barreled Colt Peacemakers resting on black velvet.  They were the most beautiful weapons Billy had ever seen.  Exquisite silver and gold engraving covered the barrels and cylinders, while the frame was an incredible deep blue-black.  The handles were black gutta percha, with gold tracings of running buffalo on both sides of the weapons.  Beside the shadow box was a tooled gunbelt with two holsters. Billy was speechless.

Ekka said, “I know you fancy the Colt’s revolvers, and when I saw these, I thought of you.”

“These are too expensive, Ekka.”

“You wish to hurt my feelings by refusing them?”

“No.” Billy pulled her to him and kissed her softly.  “You are an amazing woman.”

She said, “Will you wear them today?”

Billy slung the gunbelt around his hips, “I may never take them off.”  

[ 28 ]

When Billy and Ekka entered the Vaudeville, they failed to see the table of men sitting in the dark corner at the end of the bar, but the men saw them. George Armstrong Custer said, “Our emissaries of espionage were right, gentlemen. We will still claim the
Arcadia
.”

One of the captains said, “It’s a good thing you ordered the military train to take us
poste haste
or we would not have beaten them to San Antonio.”

“Beating them here by an hour was cutting it thin. But we did it. Custer’s luck again that they have had delays and have been busy making repairs.”

“Do we take them now?”

“No, we bide our time and follow them to the ship. They are expecting a shipment of arms and we will take them before the weapons arrive, then we will take the weapons as well. For glory, gentlemen, for glory.”

Ekka and Billy concluded their meeting in half an hour. They shook hands and told the men they would take delivery at the
Arcadia
first thing in the morning. “Do not be late,” Ekka said.

“We won’t ma’am.”

They left the Vaudeville and made their way to the San Antonio River where they ordered food at a small restaurant. The tall cypress trees and the clear, flowing stream made the outdoor seating a nice atmosphere. Billy said, “We should do this often, after we return from our adventure.”

“I would like that, Billy. My life has been too much the opposite of this.”

“Mine too. All that adventure and action reads well in the penny dreadfuls or in Sir Walter Scott’s
Ivanhoe
or James Fenimore Cooper’s
Leatherstocking Tales
, but it ain’t so grand to go through in real life.”

“You enjoy reading. I like that about you,” Ekka said.

“That is something else we will do when we get back— build a room so we can fill it with books.”

Ekka smiled and touched Billy’s hand on the table. “Are you saying we will be sharing a home, with a room full of books?”

“It may just be you and me and a room full of books, but we will be there together.”

Ekka laughed, and it was music to Billy’s ears. Billy said, “I love you, Ekka.”

Ekka grew serious. “Do not say these things lightly, Billy Gostman, for I take your words deep into my heart.”

He took her hand, “I never meant anything more in my life.” He had never been looked at with so much love.

“I love you, too, Billy. For as long as I live, I will love only you.”

[ 29 ]

Billy Gostman and Ekka Gagarin mounted their horses and moved away from the sad, darkened wall of stone that was the Alamo. Both horses had been loaned them by Jay-Patten, who made provision for them before arriving in Colorado Springs. Billy’s horse, a black Arabian stallion, was nearly a head taller than Ekka’s roan. They seemed well suited for the long ride back to Government Canyon where the
Arcadia
was safely nestled away from prying eyes in the deep defile twenty miles west of downtown San Antonio. But first they would swing past Merkam’s and Jay-Patten’s small armaments factory, nose about and make certain everything looked secure.

During the ride, Billy pondered the depths of what he and Ekka had committed to one another.

There was something she did to him, and he couldn’t peg it down to anything specific. There were too many of those damned things. What the hell was it? When he thought of her standing there in her small room with her breasts bared, his throat went dry. When he smelled her delicate fragrance, his head spun. When she smiled at him and looked into his eyes, his heart did a little flip-flop in his chest. Ekka was so damned much smarter it was frightening. Then how was it she could tell him she loved him, and it be true? Maybe, just maybe, she was a little bit crazy. And maybe they both were. But then again, wasn’t that what love was all about?