"Perhaps, but it's not too late yet. And you're right. Kiddies or not, they worry me."
"You've no cause, I tell you. Soon enough, I'll be wealthy and you'll be downright rich. Mayor yourself, if you want. Who'd stand to stop you? Thorin? He's a joke. Coral? She'd help you string him up, I wot. Or perhaps you'd like to be a Baron, if such offices be revived?" He saw a momentary gleam in Rimer's eyes and laughed. Matthew came out of the deck, and Jonas put him up with the other Chancellors. "Yar, I see that's what you've got your heart set on. Gems is nice, and for gold that goes twice, but there's nothing like having folk bow and scrape before ye, is there?"
Rimer said, "They should have been on the cowboy side by now."
Jonas's hands stopped above the layout of cards. It was a thought that had crossed his own mind more than once, especially over the last two weeks or so.
"How long do you think it takes to count our nets and boats and chart out the fish-hauls?" Rimer asked. "They should be over on the Drop, counting cows and horses, looking through barns, studying the foal-charts. They should have been there two weeks ago, in fact. Unless they already know what they'd find."
Jonas understood what Rimer was implying, but couldn't believe it. Wouldn't believe it. Not such a depth of slyness from boys who only had to shave once a week.
"No," he said. "That's your own guilty heart talking to you. They're just so determined to do it right that they're creeping along like old folks with bad eyes. They'll be over on the Drop soon enough, and counting their little hearts out."
"And if they're not?"
A good question. Get rid of them somehow, Jonas supposed. An ambush, perhaps. Three shots from cover, no more babbies. There'd be ill feeling afterward - the boys were well liked in town - but Rimer could handle that until Fair Day, and after the Reap it wouldn't matter. Still -
"I'll have a look around out at the Bar K," Jonas said at last. "By myself - I won't have Clay and Roy tramping along behind me."
"That sounds fine."
"Perhaps you'd like to come and lend a hand."
Kimba Rimer smiled his icy smile. "I think not."
Jonas nodded, and began to deal again. Going out to the Bar K would be a bit risky, but he didn't expect any real problem - especially if he went alone. They were only boys, after all, and gone for much of each day.
"When may I expect a report, sai Jonas?"
"When I'm ready to make it. Don't crowd me."
Rimer lifted his thin hands and held them, palms out, to Jonas. "Cry your pardon, sai," he said.
Jonas nodded, slightly mollified. He flipped up another card. It was Peter, Chancellor of Keys. He put the card in the top row and then stared at it, combing his fingers through his long white hair as he did. He looked from the card to Rimer, who looked back, eyebrows raised.
"You smile," Rimer said.
"Yar!" Jonas said, and began to deal again. "I'm happy! All the Chancellors are out. 1 think I'm going to win this game."
5
For Rhea, the time of the Huntress had been a time of frustration and unsatisfied craving. Her plans had gone awry, and thanks to her cat's hideously mistimed leap, she didn't know how or why. The young cull who'd taken Susan Delgado's cherry had likely stopped her from chopping her scurf. . . but how? And who was he really? She wondered that more and more, but her curiosity was secondary to her fury. Rhea of the Coos wasn't used to being balked.
She looked across the room to where Musty crouched and watched her carefully. Ordinarily he would have relaxed in the fireplace (he seemed to like the cool drafts that swirled down the chimney), but since she had singed his fur. Musty preferred the woodpile. Given Rhea's mood, that was probably wise. "You're lucky I let ye live, ye warlock," the old woman grumbled.
She turned back to the ball and began to make passes above it, but the glass only continued to swirl with bright pink light - not a single image appeared. Rhea got up at last, went to the door, threw it open, and looked out on the night sky. Now the moon had waxed a little past the half, and the Huntress was coming clear on its bright face. Rhea directed the stream of foul language she didn't quite dare to direct at the glass (who knew what entity might lurk inside it, waiting to take offense at such talk?) up at the woman in the moon. Twice she slammed her bony old fist into the door-lintel as she cursed, dredging up every dirty word she could think of, even the potty-mouth words children throw at each other in the dust of the play yard. Never had she been so angry. She had given the girl a command, and the girl, for whatever reasons, had disobeyed. For standing against Rhea of the Coos, the bitch deserved to die.