She Returns From War by Lee Collins Page A

thing that makes it all work is behind the bench."
    "Where he can stuff himself a midget or some such to make his foolery look real," Cora said. "Ain't nothing but a big old trick of the eye, and you're a damn fool for letting it take you in, Booker." She caught sight of Victoria then. Her eyes lit up, and she motioned for her to join them. "This here's a right fancy lady from England. She'll know if you're telling true or not."
    "Victoria Dawes," Victoria said, offering her hand.
    "Robert Booker," the man replied. "I take it you've met our lovely Cora?" Victoria nodded. "Well, I'm her business partner here at the saloon. She pours the drinks and tames the drunks, and I make sure her finances are in order."
    "I also provide the color," Cora said. "Folks keep coming in because they like my jawing. Only interesting things you can ever say is outlandish yarns like the one you was just telling."
    "It isn't a yarn," Robert insisted.
    "We'll ask Miss Fancy here." Cora grabbed Victoria's hand. "Is there any such thing as a horseless carriage?"
    "A what?"
    "A carriage what moves with no horses or nothing pulling it."
    Victoria blinked. "Not to my knowledge, no."
    "Ha!" Cora shoved Robert with her other hand. "See there? If Vicky here ain't seen one, they doesn't exist."
    "My name," Victoria replied, "is Victoria."
    "Whatever. You proved my point."
    "I don't think the opinion of one young woman, however refined, proves your point," Robert said. "No offense, ma'am," he quickly added.
    "None taken."
    "Enough of your manners and your yarns," Cora said. "I ain't going to stand here and watch you make moony eyes at pretty ladies. I got a business to run."
    Robert blushed. "Yes, well, see that you do. I don't want to lose out on this venture, not with new devices rolling out every day. Think of all the opportunities!"
    "I got your opportunity right here," Cora said, lifting up a bottle without a label. She pulled out the stopper and took a drink.
    "That's a day's profit right there."
    Cora laughed. "I only drink the stuff the rest of the boys ain't man enough to stomach." She offered the bottle to Victoria, who shook her head earnestly. "More for me, then."
    "Well," Robert said with a sigh, "no use correcting an old dog. I'll leave you two ladies to your whiskey. Don't forget our meeting on Friday, Cora. We still need to decide how best to invest this month's surplus."
    "Long as it ain't magic carriages," Cora said. Robert rolled his eyes, nodded to Victoria, and left. Cora took another swig from the bottle, eyeing the young woman. "So, Miss Fancy, what brings you back here? I thought I was nice and plain in our talk yesterday."
    "You were," Victoria said. "I understood you quite clearly."
    "So? You get a sudden hankering for my rotgut?"
    Victoria shook her head again. "Not at all."
    "Well, I'm out of notions."
    "Yes," Victoria said. She took a moment to steady herself. "I had a rather interesting encounter last night."
    "Is that right?" Cora asked. "Was it your idea or his?"
    A furious flush bloomed on Victoria's cheeks. "Nothing of the sort, I assure you. No, my encounter was much more unusual. Unusual in a way someone of your talents might understand." Leaning in close, she lowered her voice. "I was abducted by a pair of supernatural beings."
    Cora nodded. "Ain't surprising."
    "What do you mean?"
    "This town ain't exactly free of critters, if you take my meaning." Cora leaned against the back wall behind the bar. "No surprise, really, seeing how close we are to all them old Indian things. Burial grounds and dead cities what have you. Them things is bound to stir up nasty critters now and again. Why, we got ourselves a mess of old ruins just outside of town somewhere. Local Indians say the whole place is plumb silly with spooks."
    "And you just let them be?"
    The old hunter shrugged. "They don't bother me, so I don't bother them. Ain't going to get yourself nowhere if you go poking your nose into every little thing."
    "You did once,"