Victoria said. "You survived then."
"Maybe so. Then again, I was paid to survive. Gives a body a bit of incentive."
"I offered you that same incentive."
Cora nodded again. "So you did. Had you run me down ten years ago, might have been I'd have gone with you, but not no more."
"And nothing I can say will change your mind?"
"You British folk do catch on," Cora said, "even if it is a tad slow. Now then, unless you're aiming to buy yourself a drink, I suggest you make yourself scarce. The boys here ain't changed since yesterday, and you're still far too fancy a girl to be running about by your lonesome."
"My captors seemed to take an interest in you," Victoria said, hoping to pique her interest.
"Most folk do," Cora said with a smirk. "After all, I ain't exactly a run-of-the-mill lady. Not many women seen what I seen and live to tell about it. Plus, I can drink any of these fellers under the table, and I play a mean game of cards. Find me another gal like that, and I'll eat my own boot and thank you after every bite."
"They wanted you to come with me back to England."
Cora laughed, a dry, rolling sound that turned a few heads at the tables. Victoria's impatience grew as the sound went on. The old woman was really enjoying herself, and Victoria did not appreciate being the source of her amusement.
Finally, Cora's laughter faded away, returning in a few chuckles as she spoke. "That's a fresh one, I'll grant you that. Ain't never heard no story quite that hare-brained."
"It's the truth."
"I reckon it ain't," Cora said. "Too convenient by half."
"Precisely," Victoria replied, seizing on a new tactic. "Do you really think I think you're stupid enough to fall for it? Why would I say it unless it were true?"
A frown deepened Cora's wrinkles. "That is odd, now that you say it like that. Then again, maybe you think I'm stupid enough to fall for what you just said. Ain't the first time somebody tried to pull the saddle over my eyes."
"I promise you, I'm not."
"Say what you like," Cora said. "I ain't coming." She set the bottle down behind the bar and walked away. Victoria watched her go, the Indian woman's eyes burning like blood moons in her mind. The worn-out old gunfighter would be the death of her. Without Cora beside her on the train, the strange woman would find her and kill her. She might even send the blue-eyed demon to do the work once night fell. Maybe if she could get far enough away, catch a fast-moving train to San Francisco or back to Santa Fe, they wouldn't be able to follow her.
"There was one more thing," Victoria said.
Down at the end of the bar, Cora turned. "Make it quick."
"One of my captors wanted me to give you a message."
"If it's 'get on the train', you can save your breath," Cora said.
Victoria shook her head. "No, nothing of the sort. It was a threat."
"Well, that's a bit better," Cora said. "Go on."
"He told me to tell you that he was gunning for you."
"That it?" Cora asked. She let out a short laugh. "Don't sound like nothing to me. Hell, I got me a few boys here who spout that at me whenever I take a hand." Shaking her head, she turned her back to Victoria.
"He said his name was Fodor Glava."
Cora went rigid. Victoria held her breath.
"What?"
It was just one word, quiet and short, but Victoria heard it. She also heard the ocean of ice beneath it.
"Yes," Victoria replied. "He said that he was Fodor Glava, and that he was aiming to finish what he started."
The old hunter's braid slid across her back as her head turned. One brown eye fixed Victoria in a gaze of steel. "You're sure you heard that right?"
"Absolutely." Cora's reaction surprised her, but Victoria kept her composure. "I made sure to remember his name. It wasn't that difficult, really; it's quite remarkable."
"Yes, I suppose it is." The hunter's words were soft. Her voice trembled slightly. She turned toward the young woman, but her eyes no longer looked her way. They wandered over the bar, taking in every inch of it
"Maybe so. Then again, I was paid to survive. Gives a body a bit of incentive."
"I offered you that same incentive."
Cora nodded again. "So you did. Had you run me down ten years ago, might have been I'd have gone with you, but not no more."
"And nothing I can say will change your mind?"
"You British folk do catch on," Cora said, "even if it is a tad slow. Now then, unless you're aiming to buy yourself a drink, I suggest you make yourself scarce. The boys here ain't changed since yesterday, and you're still far too fancy a girl to be running about by your lonesome."
"My captors seemed to take an interest in you," Victoria said, hoping to pique her interest.
"Most folk do," Cora said with a smirk. "After all, I ain't exactly a run-of-the-mill lady. Not many women seen what I seen and live to tell about it. Plus, I can drink any of these fellers under the table, and I play a mean game of cards. Find me another gal like that, and I'll eat my own boot and thank you after every bite."
"They wanted you to come with me back to England."
Cora laughed, a dry, rolling sound that turned a few heads at the tables. Victoria's impatience grew as the sound went on. The old woman was really enjoying herself, and Victoria did not appreciate being the source of her amusement.
Finally, Cora's laughter faded away, returning in a few chuckles as she spoke. "That's a fresh one, I'll grant you that. Ain't never heard no story quite that hare-brained."
"It's the truth."
"I reckon it ain't," Cora said. "Too convenient by half."
"Precisely," Victoria replied, seizing on a new tactic. "Do you really think I think you're stupid enough to fall for it? Why would I say it unless it were true?"
A frown deepened Cora's wrinkles. "That is odd, now that you say it like that. Then again, maybe you think I'm stupid enough to fall for what you just said. Ain't the first time somebody tried to pull the saddle over my eyes."
"I promise you, I'm not."
"Say what you like," Cora said. "I ain't coming." She set the bottle down behind the bar and walked away. Victoria watched her go, the Indian woman's eyes burning like blood moons in her mind. The worn-out old gunfighter would be the death of her. Without Cora beside her on the train, the strange woman would find her and kill her. She might even send the blue-eyed demon to do the work once night fell. Maybe if she could get far enough away, catch a fast-moving train to San Francisco or back to Santa Fe, they wouldn't be able to follow her.
"There was one more thing," Victoria said.
Down at the end of the bar, Cora turned. "Make it quick."
"One of my captors wanted me to give you a message."
"If it's 'get on the train', you can save your breath," Cora said.
Victoria shook her head. "No, nothing of the sort. It was a threat."
"Well, that's a bit better," Cora said. "Go on."
"He told me to tell you that he was gunning for you."
"That it?" Cora asked. She let out a short laugh. "Don't sound like nothing to me. Hell, I got me a few boys here who spout that at me whenever I take a hand." Shaking her head, she turned her back to Victoria.
"He said his name was Fodor Glava."
Cora went rigid. Victoria held her breath.
"What?"
It was just one word, quiet and short, but Victoria heard it. She also heard the ocean of ice beneath it.
"Yes," Victoria replied. "He said that he was Fodor Glava, and that he was aiming to finish what he started."
The old hunter's braid slid across her back as her head turned. One brown eye fixed Victoria in a gaze of steel. "You're sure you heard that right?"
"Absolutely." Cora's reaction surprised her, but Victoria kept her composure. "I made sure to remember his name. It wasn't that difficult, really; it's quite remarkable."
"Yes, I suppose it is." The hunter's words were soft. Her voice trembled slightly. She turned toward the young woman, but her eyes no longer looked her way. They wandered over the bar, taking in every inch of it
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