Pistons and Pistols (9 page)

Rose shook her head as best she could from between his hands. She whispered, “You’re wrong. I was scared of him. God, I was so terrified of him.”

“But you never let it show. You were always so strong. So proud. You stood up to him when a crew of grown men couldn’t. Wouldn’t.”

Rose closed her eyes as Jeb skirted around their terrible shared secret. “I did what I had to.”

“You set us free, Rose. You did what we all wanted to do.” His voice filled with disgust as he recalled those dark times. “What I should have done the first time you came out of his cabin beat all to hell.”

Tears rolled across Jeb’s fingers as Rose wept for her sin. She didn’t come here to beg for money or cry over distant times. Yet here she was, trembling and weeping and remembering, and oh but didn’t it feel good?

“Every time you showed up with a black eye or your arm in a sling, I promised that would be the last time he laid a hand on you.”

“Don’t,” she whispered.

“But I didn’t do anything about it,” he said over her, still holding her between his now-shaking hands. “None of us did. We just ignored it and let you drag yourself back in there to take it again and again.”

“Jeb, please.” She looked up at him, drowning in the sorrow between them. It was amazing how a man so long dead still controlled their lives. “Don’t. Just let it go.”

“No. I need to do this for me as much as for you. Take the money, Rose. Don’t make an old friend beg.”

Rose smiled, then nodded.

The next thing she knew, Jeb’s mouth was against hers in a quick, hot kiss. The action was a long time coming, but still it took her by surprise. It was something they had never dared when Bill was alive, and after his death things never seemed to work out between them in that kind of way. Even as he kissed her now, she knew it was neither sexual nor romantic. Just a kiss to seal the deal. A kiss between old friends. And that was quite all right with her.

Jeb pulled away with a loud smack as his goofy grin spread wide. “That’s my girl.” He patted her cheeks once before he turned her loose. “Now take that and head due north of here. About fifty miles or so, there’s a small town named Ironstation built around an even smaller coal mine. You might be able to negotiate a decent price since you’re buying straight from the source.”

Rose wiped at her tears, hoping she didn’t look as terrible as she felt. The last thing she needed was for her girls to worry. “Is it maintained by the Mechanics? Because I’d rather go on sails then deal with them.”

The big man shook his head. “Nope, it’s independently owned.”

Such a mine was unheard of these days. “Really? By who?”

“You ain’t gonna believe this, but some crazy professor runs the mine. Otto Von Maxwell is what they call him. Rumor says he uses the coal to fuel his scientific experiments. Weird science that is.”

Rose had to laugh at that. After sheltering Jayne for the last year or so, then welcoming Atom onboard, she felt like science couldn’t get any weirder for her.

“Laugh all you want,” Jeb said. “But he’s got what you need. He might not part with it willingly, but there should be enough there to make him at least think about it.”

She patted the envelope. The thickness of it made her sicker than the thought of taking it with her. How much was inside? She dreaded counting it. “Are you sure you can part with it?”

“Sure. I’ll just say you broke in and robbed me.” He let go a bark of laughter. “Maybe I’ll rough myself up a bit, unless you want to.” Jeb held his arms out as he added, “What do ya say? Want to take a shot for old time’s sake?”

“You shut your mouth.” But she was laughing with him, and it felt good.

Jeb’s gentle chuckle wound down to a sigh. “I reckon I’ll think of something to tell the little woman. She’ll be steamed as beans, but we have plenty put up, so no worry there.”

His words made no sense to Rose. “What little woman?”

“I’m surprised you didn’t notice sooner.” Jebediah held his left hand between them, palm to his face, knuckles to her. A thick band of gold hugged his ring finger.

Rose’s eyes went wide as she squealed in excitement. “Jebediah Wilkes!” She threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. “You old dog. When did you get married?”

“About two years ago. It’s a long story. I’d love to share it with you, but…”

“Yeah…but…” Rose looked around the store. “So where is she?”

Scratching his beard, Jeb said, “Martha’s gone to visit her parents. You’re lucky I had to stay behind. I sure as heck didn’t want to. After all, it’s not every day you get to introduce the old folks to their grandson.” His face lit up with the words, his eyes almost as bright as his grin.

Rose swallowed the dry lump in her throat as the reality of his new life hit her hard. “A son? Jeb, wow. You have a child?”

“Yes. And another on the way.”

“Times are a-changing.” Rose laughed to herself at the idea of the former sailor surrounded by kids.

“They sure are.” Jebediah walked her to the door, flipping the sign again as Rose walked out. “Don’t worry about the dock hands. They don’t pay a damned bit of attention to what comes off the wire. Half of them can’t even read, and the other half don’t care what they think of things back east.”

“Thanks again, Jeb. I can’t tell you how much your help means to me.”

“Don’t mention it. Especially if you do come see us, don’t mention it to Martha.”

They laughed for a moment.

“Seriously though,” Jeb said. “You guys come see us after whatever this is settles down. I want you to meet Martha and Joey. And the new little one too. We think this one’s a girl.” As he pulled her into his arms he whispered in her ear, “My own little Rose.”

Rose squeezed him tight, honored by his dedication.

“You be careful at Ironstation,” Jeb said as he released her. “The miners there are as gruff as any group comes. And I’m afraid you’ll have a hard time getting what you need from the owner. The professor is pretty well-known around these parts for harboring a peculiar hang-up.”

“What’s that?” Rose asked. “He hates airships?”

“No,” Jeb said, grin returning. “He hates women.”

Chapter 7

Northward Bound

In which we seek higher ground from our flood of worries

It was late afternoon before they reached the town. Rose demanded they keep cover, so the ship had to weave back and forth, hopping from cloud to cloud and traveling in a roundabout way. With their fuel stores so low, Jayne pushed the engines in spurts, riding the ensuing burst for as far as they could before stoking the fires again. The trip took much longer than it should have, but because they were able to remain in the precious cloud cover all the while, it was worth it.

During Rose’s debriefing, she offered to let any crew member out of her contract, dropping those who opted out anywhere they liked along the route. The entire crew turned down her offer in one unanimous ‘thanks, but no thanks.’ Their solidarity was a far cry from the morning’s angst. It never ceased to amaze her how her crew, while at each other’s throats in the off hours, always pulled together in times of danger. It was as though they were spurred by the very idea of the trouble Atom had brought upon them. In truth she knew each of them preferred to court danger, which was why they were part of her crew to begin with and not back home living normal lives.

When they landed, about half a mile from the town, Rose announced that only Jax and Dot were to accompany her this time. She hoped Dot would induce a familial sympathy from the professor, while Jax was along for protection. Just in case.

Jebediah was right about one thing; Ironstation was indeed very small. The whole place was comprised of nothing more than a handful of buildings surrounding a single, makeshift road. There was a building that appeared to be a meeting hall one on side of the dusty thoroughfare, and two large buildings on the opposite side, which Rose suspected were lodgings. Next to the meeting hall was a well-worn saloon that bore a handmade sign identifying it as
Jack’s Place
. A stable housing a few nervous ponies, joined by a good-sized barn, sat at one end of the road, while a large, beautiful house sat several hundred yards away from the town proper, atop a plateau. The entrance to the mine rested at the base of the plateau, with a pair of metal tracks that ran from the gates of the mine to the center of the tiny town.

What Jebediah failed to mention was how disgusting the town was, though Rose should have guessed as much. Garbage and manure lined the only street, and the air carried the faint scent of cooked cabbage. The place was in dire need of a woman’s touch. While the mess didn’t bother Rose, who had spent half her life on a ship filled with slovenly males, it did upset the matron in Dot. She picked her way through the trash-strewn street, her face scrunched in a tight look of repugnance.

“Phew,” Dot said, waving her hand in front of her nose. “This is a town full of men all right. I bet they haven’t seen a woman through here in many a moon.”

“Speaking of men, where are these so-called miners?” Jax asked.

As if on cue, a small fellow burst from the saloon’s swinging doors. Music poured from the opening as the man stumbled backward, falling on his rump into the dirt. He squirmed in the street for a moment, wheezing as if unable to catch his breath. When he sat up, Rose could see a line of red trailing down his face from nostrils to chin.

A second guy, much larger than the first, stormed through the doors with a mighty roar. “Clemet! You cheatin’ bastard. I’ll have your gizzard out before I’m through with you.”

“Now Jack,” the first one said, scrambling across the road as quick as his position would allow. “I wasthn’t cheating. I didn’t know I had that card sthuck in my belt. Honesth!”

The big man bore down on the small chap, gritting his teeth and growling like a dog about to attack. The little fellow held up his hands, begging his attacker to spare him, but the larger guy would grant no reprieve. He snatched up the little one by the collar, lifting him from the ground as if he weighed nothing. The small man’s boot heels dug narrow furrows in the dirt as he kicked about, trying to wiggle free.

“I’m gonna beat the lie right outa your hide,” the bigger guy snarled.

Rose, while never one to horn in on someone else’s argument, didn’t have time to wait for them to settle their score. “Excuse me!”

Both males stopped, turning to her in comical unison. Two sets of eyes went wide.

“I hate to interrupt your instruction in honesty,” she continued, “but can you tell me if this is Ironstation?”

The pair stared at the women in gaping-mouthed silence.

“Gentlemen?” Rose asked. “We assume this is the correct place, but your small town seems to lack any indication of identity.”

“Clem?” the big man peeped, in a voice that seemed much too small for such a bear of a man.

“Yeah, Jack,” the little one squeaked. “I sthee them too.”

“You reckon they’re one of them optional illusions?”

“I sthure hope they aren’t.”

“I assure you,” Rose said, “we are not illusions. We are very real, very tired and growing very impatient.”

“Women,” the one named Jack whispered. “Real flesh and blood women.”

He dropped the other man in the dirt, then proceeded to run one big hand through his thinning hair as he straightened his filthy apron with the other. The one named Clemet scrambled to his feet as he brushed down his clothes. Their argument seemed forgotten in the face of the fairer sex. It took everything Rose had not to laugh.

“Ladies,” Jack said. “You looking for Ironstation? Well, may I be the first to say you found her.”

“Welcome to our humble town,” Clemet added.

“My name is Jack Fortner, and this…” He paused to indicate the tavern from which he had just emerged. “…is my place.”

“Besth sthaloon thisth sthide of the Misthsthisthip’.” The little man daubed at his bloody nose before he said, “That isth if you like getting your nosthe broken.”

“Can I offer you ladies something to drink?” Jack asked.

“Oh yes, please,” Dot said.

Rose eyed the woman into silence before she turned her attention back to the two men. “Won’t cost us a bloody nose, will it?”

The bar owner narrowed his eyes, as if unsure if the question were a serious one. “No. Of course not. Please come inside.”