Peacemaker fgc-3 Read online

  “Oh.”

  “You’re tough,” she said.“You ran through that whole dog-sled course beside me.”

  Cedar patted the boy on the shoulder. “Lookslike I’ve another reason to be jealous of you.”

  Part V

  Moosehide lay on a flat stretch of land nextto the river, with a tall, craggy ridge guarding it from behind.The fog had finally cleared, and a dozen canoes and fishing boatsfloated in front of the camp, several with nets stretched betweenthem. Square moss houses squatted alongside the shoreline, andthose people who weren’t fishing worked out in front of them,drying and cleaning the catch.

  A few ornery nervestangled in Kali’s belly as her little group approached the camp.Would anyone remember her? Would anyone care that she had returned?She sniffed. Not that she caredif they cared.

  “Are they likely to be aproblem?” Cedar pointed at a trio of men lurking in the trees tothe side of the trail. He was running alongside the SAB while Kalidrove and Tadzi hung on.

  “No,” Tadzi said, shoutingto be heard over the rumbling of the engine. “That’s my cousin andhis friends. They’re supposed to be hunting, but they’re likelyhiding from the chief and drinking again. When he finds out, he’llrustle up some punishment for them.”

  “I’d be more concernedabout that fellow watching us with a shotgun in hand.” Kali noddedtoward the trail ahead of them. It was a foregone conclusion thatnobody here had seen anything like her steam-powered bicyclebefore. She didn’t think anyone would mistake it for some attackvehicle and shoot, but one never knew.

  “He’s out in the open,”Cedar said. “Likely a guard for the camp.”

  “Guards aren’t usual forthe camps. At least they weren’t when I was a girl.” Kali twistedher head around to ask Tadzi, “Is there usually a guard out whilepeople are fishing?”

  “It’s on account of themurders.”

  Now Cedar’s head whipped about, and hepinned the boy with a stare. “Murders? Have women been killed heretoo?”

  “Not here,” Tadzi said,“but we heard about our people being killed in yourtown.”

  “It’s not our town,” Cedarsaid. “We’re just visitors.”

  Tadzi’s brow wrinkled.

  “From the Han point ofview, all the white people here are just visitors,” Kali pointedout.

  “Lots of visitors,” Tadzisaid. “I don’t mind. I like your people. And your shinycontraptions!” He patted the seat.

  As the SAB drew near, the man with theshotgun stepped onto the trail to block their way. Kali did notrecognize him, though he was young enough that they should havebeen children at the same time. Maybe he had come from anothertribe through marriage.

  He wore the same sort of wool britches asthe folks in Dawson, a derby hat, and a beaded caribou shirt.Though Kali had seen Han in town wearing a mixture of traditionalclothing with white man’s garb, it was strange seeing it here, in atrue Han setting. She remembered a few men in the tribe havingprize coats or dusters they had traded furs for, but everyone hadworn predominantly caribou or buckskin clothing when she’d been agirl. But the men, women, and children working and playingthroughout Moosehide wore a mix.

  “Who are these people,Tadzi?” the man asked in the Han tongue.

  “Friends,” Tadzi said.“They stopped the sky bandits.”

  Kali thought she might get a curious look,since she had Han hair and skin coloring and wore her tool-stuffedoveralls instead of a dress, but the SAB itself captured more ofthe man’s attention. He walked about it, studying it from allangles, his shotgun drooping.

  Cedar noted the lowered weapon and shook hishead with a soft, “Tsk, tsk” on his lips. No, not exactly amilitary-trained guard.

  Kali supposed she should introduce herselfand let the man know she understood the language, but she couldn’tdecide whether to use her Han name or the one she had chosen forherself when her father hadn’t been able to pronounce theother.

  “I’m Kali,” she said,deciding she wanted the name shehad chosen, “and this is Cedar. We’d like to talkto…is Kesuk still the medicine man?”

  The guard’s eyebrows disappeared beneath hishat. “Yes,” he finally said. “Wait here.”

  “I’ll go with him,” Tadzisaid, still speaking in English. “I’ll tell the anatkok you help people. He doesn’tcare much for…” He looked up at Cedar.

  “Understood,” Cedarsaid.

  When they were alone, he came to standbeside Kali and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you allright?”

  “Fine.”

  “You seem tense. Andgrumpy.”

  “I’m not grumpy,” Kalisaid. “This is my usual state. It’s probably caused by living herein a climate without enough sun. I really want to see that Floridaplace you mentioned.”

  “There’s plenty of sunthere, but alligators and crocodiles too.”

  “I’m still waiting for youto show me that scar,” she said.

  Cedar kneaded the back of her neck, thumbteasing out the knots in her muscles. It felt good, and she had tokeep herself from making contented sighs or displaying otherobvious signs of pleasure. She had a notion a respectable girlshouldn’t lean up against a man like a hound getting a scratch.

  He stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Iappreciate you coming along with me. I know it didn’t work out wellfor you the last time I talked you into coming on one of myadventures, and I can tell you’re not comfortable here.”

  “It’s not that bad. It’sjust…” Under his continuing massage, Kali’s chin drooped of its ownaccord, and millimeter by millimeter her shoulders relaxed. Hereally ought to spend less time in the woods, chasing criminals,and more time with her. “I never fit in. I don’t fit in in Dawsoneither, but everyone’s a stranger there, and people speak alldifferent languages and look all different ways. You feel lessodd.”

  “That’s all there was toit? Not fitting in? Or did they treat you poorly?” Cedar’s eyesnarrowed as if he wondered if he should smack someone around on herbehalf.

  “They treated my motherpoorly, because of her powers. If she’d been male, she would havebeen a medicine man, but they called her a…you would say a witch.They blamed anything bad on her. She was young, too, when she hadme, and I heard…. I don’t know if it’s true, but some people saidthey’d seen her do things out of spite. Hurt people. She never hurtme. She was kind, and I hate that I doubt her, but somehow she gota reputation that spread amongst the different tribes. My fatherheard of her and sought her out because of her power. Hewanted-well, you heard what that Amelia woman said. I think he washoping for some powerful heir to carry on his alchemy legacy, tofurther refine flash gold.”

  Cedar lowered his hand, and Kali tamped downa noise of protest. Tadzi was returning with an older man, one sherecognized. Kesuk.

  Though she had asked for him by name, shehad hoped he would be out of the camp and someone else would havecome to answer Cedar’s questions. Kesuk had always been quick tomalign her mother. As he approached, tension seeped back intoKali’s shoulders. He did not look in her direction. Twin graybraids of hair hung down his chest, and he carried a pair offishing spears over his shoulder. Annoyance flattened his lips, andKali could already tell they’d be unlikely to get much fromhim.

  When the medicine man stopped before them,Tadzi stood a couple of steps back, though he watched with curiouseyes. Kesuk faced Cedar and ignored Kali. She couldn’t tell if itwas because he remembered her or because he figured women shouldstay silently decorative while the men talked.

  “Afternoon, Shaman Kesuk,”Kali said with a smile. Either way, she would not beignored.

  He briefly curled a lip at her but remainedfacing Cedar. “What business do you have here, White Man?” he askedin Han.

  “Show him the beadthings,” Kali told Cedar.

  Cedar withdrew the pair of decorated patchesand laid them out on his open palm. He seemed content to let Kalitake charge of their half of the conversation.

  “One of these was foundnear the body of a Han woman murdered yesterday
morning in Dawson,”Kali told the shaman. “The other on a ship of…” There was no wordfor airship or pirates in the language, and such things had neverfloated the skies of the Yukon when she was a girl. What had Tadzicalled those people? “Sky bandits,” Kali finished. “Do you knowanything about them? Is it possible one of our-one of your peoplemade them? Do they have any power?”

  “You speak too much for awoman,” Kesuk said, glaring at her without seeming to notice thepatches. Kali opened her mouth, an angry retort on her lips, butKesuk added, “That’s what happens when girls don’t grow up withproper mothers. At least you’re not a witch.” He took the patchesand scrutinized them.

  Kali clenched her fists, still tempted tomake the retort, but it was better to simply finish and leave assoon as possible.

  She caught Cedar watching her, a concernedexpression on his face. She loosened her fingers and mouthed, “I’mfine.”

  “These are trash,” Kesuksaid. “They mean nothing, and if one of our people made them, itwould be an embarrassment.”

  He handed them back to Cedar, and Kalitranslated. Cedar’s face darkened, and he slid them back into hispocket. It was disappointing news, so Kali could understand afrown, but Cedar seemed more upset than the dead end warranted. Fora long moment, he said nothing, simply standing there with jawclenched, but he finally tipped his hat toward the medicine man andsaid, “Please thank him for his time.”

  Before Kali could relay the message, Kesuksaid, “Leave now. We must keep our people safe from the crime thesewhite men have brought. Take that monstrous beast with you.” Hestabbed a finger at the bicycle, though it idled quietly, notbothering anyone as it puffed soft clouds of smoke into thearea.

  Kali gritted her teeth, more indignant onthe machine’s behalf than for the sleights the medicine man haddelivered to her.

  “Tadzi, you have chores.”Kesuk turned his back on them and strode away.

  “Where are you going now?”Tadzi asked. “If you wait here, I can get you some supper from mygrandma. She won’t mind sharing.”

  Kali suspected she would-nobody wanted torisk a medicine man’s ire, and befriending her would probably dothat-but she understood Tadzi’s reluctance to let them go. Shewould have reacted in the same way if someone riding asteam-powered bicycle had come into the camp when she was agirl.

  “Thanks, Tadzi, but weneed to solve this mystery.” Kali considered Cedar. He was waitingat the bicycle, his back rigid with determination, his head down,thoughts inward. “I have a feeling that means going dangerousplaces and doing dangerous things. Again.”

  “I could come with you. Icould help!”

  “No,” Cedar said withoutlooking up.

  Tadzi’s shoulders drooped.

  “You can help us anothertime. And-” Kali checked to make sure the medicine man was out ofearshot before making her next offer, “-if you ever want to seemore of my steam-powered machines, you can come to my shop inDawson.”

  “Really?” Tadzi asked.“That would be right fine.”

  She patted him on the back and joinedCedar.

  “What’re you thinking?”Kali asked when they were alone. Mostly alone. The guard leanedagainst a tree nearby, his rifle cradled in his arms as he kept aneye on them.

  “You should take thebicycle and go back to town,” Cedar said. “Stay in your workshopwith all of your alarms and booby traps in place. Don’t let anyonein.”

  Kali propped her hands onher hips. “And where will yoube going?”

  “I intend to find out whythose pirates had one of these on their ship.” Cedar held up one ofthe beadwork patches.

  “Somehow I don’t think thecaptain is going to be amenable to answering your questions afteryou cut his pants off.”

  “Then I’ll make him.”Cedar started to walk away.

  “Wait,” Kali said. “Get onthe SAB. I’m going with you.”

  “There’s no need to riskyourself on this. I’ve already wasted your time by bringing you outhere.”

  Kali patted the seat of the SAB. “Might aswell stop arguing and mount up. You don’t really think I’d let yougo tour an airship without me, do you?” And if Cedar decided heneeded to turn in all of those pirates-or their heads-to theMounties, maybe she could claim what remained of the airship forherself. Oh, she’d want to refurbish it, to make it truly andcompletely hers, but it’d take months off her timeline if shedidn’t have to build everything from scratch. A broad smile curvedher lips as these thoughts wandered through her head.

  Cedar’s eyes closed to slits as he watchedher. “Why do I have a feeling you have something more thanquestioning pirates in mind?”

  Smile broadening, Kali patted the seatagain. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Now, are yougetting on or not?”

  Part VI

  Kali huffed up the steep stump-filledincline behind Cedar. The airship had long since disappeared fromthe sky, but he seemed to know where he was going. Thanks to thesteepness of the valley wall, they’d had to leave the SAB by theriverbank below. For the first fifty meters, Kali kept glancingover her shoulder, making sure nobody was sneaking up to bother it.Fortunately, the boat traffic had dwindled with evening’sapproach.

  After more climbing-and huffing-they reachedthe crest of the ridge. This time, when Kali looked back over hershoulder, the view gave her a start. A couple of years had passedsince she had reason to climb up there, and the difference in thelandscape was astonishing. Where verdant trees had once lined bothrugged valley walls, hillsides of stumps now stretched. Oh, a fewsturdy spruce and pines remained, those with trunks too thick toentice a miner searching for easy firewood, but the barrenness ofthe scene made Kali’s gut twist. Too many people were pouring outof the south, changing the face of the only home she had everknown.

  She shook her head and reminded herself shewanted to leave anyway. Come winter, firewood would be scarce, andthat was a good incentive to double her efforts on her airship. Orto acquire an already-built airship that only neededmodifications….

  “I smell a fire,” Cedarsaid. “We might be close.” He was not breathing hard. His longerlegs must mean he took fewer steps.

  Ahead of them, the land rose more gently,and evergreens still stood, stretching for the sky.

  “What’s the plan?” Kaliasked. “Wait until dark, sneak in, and look around theairship?”

  He eyed her over his shoulder. “I wasplanning on dragging a guard away to question, not strollingthrough their craft.”

  “There might be cluesinside.”

  Cedar raised an eyebrow.

  “What?” Kali smiledinnocently.

  Cedar pointed through the trees to a fallenlog ahead and crept toward it. He stayed low, and Kali followed,mimicking his movements. She hadn’t seen anything yet, but Cedarseemed to think they were close.

  Kali crouched beside him behind the log.“What do you think we’ll find when we reach the pirates? Were theyvictims, too, or could they be responsible for the murders?”

  “Victims?”

  “There are female pirates.Maybe one of them got a throat cut and the killer left that samefake talisman.”

  His eyebrows drew together, and Kali guessedhe had not considered that possibility. It did seem unlikely. Thosethieving bandits had tried to kidnap her, and they’d killed atleast one person and probably stolen gold from countlessothers.

  Kali shrugged. “Or maybe we’ll find they’rekeeping a bear on board for mauling people.”

  “If they are responsiblefor the murders, that’ll make things simple.” Cedar jerked a thumbover his shoulder, at the hilt of his sword.

  “You seem almost asdetermined to find this murderer as you are to deal with Cudgel,”Kali said.

  Cedar said nothing.

  “Do the girls meansomething to you?” Kali asked. “There’s not even a bounty out forthe murderer yet.”

  “I don’t like seeing womenkilled.”

  “Just in general-a notionwith which I agree, by the way-or because…? Is itpersonal?”

  Cedar gav
e her a sharp look. “What do youmean?”

  “I thought maybe there wassomething similar in these murders to that one in San Francisco.Something that’s haunting you.”

  His gaze shifted away, back toward the trailand the top of the ridge. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  Kali considered him for along moment. She wantedto pry, she admitted it, but it was for a goodreason. If she got the story out of him, she could fight for him,tell this Pinkerton fellow what really happened the next time hewandered into her shop.

  “There,” Cedarwhispered.

  With all the trees blocking the view, ittook a moment for Kali to figure out what he was pointing at. Thenshe spotted it, the wood of the airship hull among the greens andbrowns of the forest. From her vantage point, she couldn’t tell ifthey’d crashed or if they’d managed to land it somehow.

  Clangs started up, someone hammeringmetal.

  “Can they fix that fan outhere?” Cedar whispered.

  “Not unless they happen tohave a spare case and assembly. I guess that’s a possibility.They’d know there aren’t any shops that supply airship parts uphere.”

  “Are there anywhere?Airships aren’t that common, even down south.”

  “I’m ordering my partsfrom a place in San Francisco, and I’ve heard New York has anentire warehouse dedicated to aeronautic supplies.” Kali sighedlongingly, imagining what such a place might look like.

  “Is that where you want togo for your honeymoon?” Cedar asked.

  Kali twitched an eyebrow.“I haven’t planned that trip yet. Lately, I haven’t even been ableto get a man to come back for a second date, despite whatI thought was anenjoyable evening at the dance hall, even if some stepping on toeswas involved.” She thought he’d enjoyed himself too. He’d laughedand even tried to be witty, in his dry terse way. And she’d made itclear she was available for additional evenings together when hecould break away from bounty hunting. The way he’d massaged hershoulders earlier made her think he still had romantic inklings,but why the scarcity if that was the case?

  “Sometimes men get busy,”Cedar said.