Tin Swift by Devon Monk

Author:Devon Monk [Devon Monk]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fantasy, Fiction, General
ISBN: 9781101587065
Google: UXCU7eYxAhIC
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2012-07-02T17:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Mae Lindson walked with the captain. She thought it gallant that he offered her his arm, although it could simply be that he had noticed she’d been out of her senses the last couple days and didn’t want her wandering off.

“What sort of medicines do you hope to wrangle tonight, Mrs. Lindson?” Captain Hink asked.

“Almost anything,” Mae said truthfully. “I still have my satchel, and my black salve, but I have nothing to ease her pain except a small bottle of laudanum. She’ll be out of pain, but deep asleep. And if she’s asleep, it will be much harder for us to travel quickly if we need to.”

“I know just the thing. There’s leaves from South Africa Jack likes to bring in and bargain off. Coca. Good for pain, good for energy,” Hink said. “Will you need bandages or sutures?”

“Clean bandages would be wonderful. There’s no need of sewing anything up yet. We haven’t removed the fragment. Maybe yarrow if he has it. That should help with fever and infection.”

The stone passage took a turn and suddenly they were on a wooden floor with wooden walls. After all the natural round and unevenness of the caverns, and before that, the curved edges of the interior of the Swift, seeing square wooden corners was suddenly strange and refreshing.

Mae took her hand away from the captain’s arm and he gave her a sideways look. “Don’t know if I’ve said it to you, Mrs. Lindson, but the tunnels in these mountains can confuse a bloodhound. I think it’s in your best interest not to wander off alone, or at all, for that matter. As you saw back there, we have us company of another crew.”

“Thank you for worrying about my welfare, Captain,” she said. “But I can take care of myself.”

“If you’re on my ship, you’re mine to look after, Mrs. Lindson. That wasn’t a request. It was an order.” He gave her a smile. “Hate to have that man of yours blaming me for misplacing you.”

“Man of mine?” she asked.

“Mr. Hunt.”

“I’m sorry, Captain, but you’re mistaken. Mr. Hunt is simply our trail guide.”

“I see. Is that how you think it is?”

Mae set her shoulders. She was used to people thinking she was prone to impropriety. But she didn’t want the captain to make assumptions that were not true.

“What I think,” Mae said, “rather, what I know, is Mr. Hunt helped both Rose and myself through a rough patch a short while ago when my husband was killed. He and I have an agreement and vested interests in reaching Kansas before winter. And that is all.”

“Doesn’t look like that is all when he sets eyes on you, Mrs. Lindson.”

“You are misreading our relationship, Captain, and I’d be obliged if you let the matter rest.”

He pressed his lips together. “You’ll forgive my manners, I hope,” he said. “Living on the edge of the sky doesn’t do much to keep a man sharp on his niceties. But if I had a word left to say on the matter—”

“I most certainly hope you do not,” Mae said.

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