Gnome on the Range by Tammy Salyer

Author:Tammy Salyer [Salyer, Tammy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781954113091
Publisher: Tammy Salyer

17

Three things happened rapidly. I leaped to my feet. Toxicore wavered into a mist, then into his human guise, but not, I was sure, fast enough to hide his true identity.

Lastly, Hattie Dumas stepped from the shadow outside into the glow of the cabin’s lantern, not only carrying a rifle in one hand but also pointing a revolver big enough to be used as a club in the general direction of the two of us.

No one said a word as she appraised the room, only her eyes sliding from one side to the other.

“When Mr. Downs said you might be in some trouble out here, Cullen,” she finally said, “I never for the life of me expected to find… all this. Care to explain the naked man, and whatever you’re supposed to be, Darling?”

My voice returned to me. “Ms. Dumas—Hattie—what are you doing here?” I began.

“Told you already. Downs said you needed some help.”

“You came all the way out here to help me?”

“Like I said before, Darling ain’t what he seems, but I guess you already figured that.”

I glanced at Toxicore. He was eyeing Hattie with a wicked scowl, which she returned. It occurred to me that her reaction to seeing the gnome was much more subdued than mine had been. Was it shock, or did living on the frontier expose people to so many shocking things that their effects began to wear off after a time?

“I don’t know what to say,” was all I could think to say. “I am deeply grateful. But I think we, that is Mr. Darling and I, have things under control here.” I couldn’t help but glance at the naked man at my feet. Under control? My God, what she must be thinking?

Hattie wasn’t listening to me. She was still watching Toxicore. He held parts of our bedrolls in either hand and began to say something. Hattie flicked the end of the revolver at him.

“You better keep that yap of yours closed and don’t let go of those blankets, Darling. I’m not puttin’ up with any bosh from you.”

“Now, I don’t know what you t’ink you saw—” he began.

“Ah!” Her arm stiffened, her aim directly on him. “I told you hush. I’ve known what you are, or what you ain’t rather—meaning, not entirely human—since the first day I laid my eyes on you and you tried that sweet-talkin’ mumbo jumbo on me. I never thought you were dangerous, but now I’m not so sure. The thing that I still don’t quite get”—her dark-eyed gaze fell back on me—“is what you are.”

Helplessly, I faced Toxicore, hoping he would jump in this time as he was so good at doing. But he was quiet, his head cocked to the side as if he were trying to figure out a problem.

I looked back at Hattie. “I’m not sure you would believe me if I told you. What you see here is not at all what it must look like.”

“Not to be blunt, Cullen, but you don’t know me, and you don’t know what I’d believe.

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