the laces to tie them just below her ears. Then she bent and rubbed her hands in the dirt that had collected against the building; some of the dirt was also transferred to her face.
Michael reappeared suddenly beside her. “I did my best,” he told her, handing over a long silver chain and a bundle of dark cloth.
She put the necklace on, satisfied with the big silver crucifix that showed clearly against her black windbreaker. Then she stepped into the dark pants and pulled them up over her shorts; they were too long and the waist was far too loose, but the baggy appearance was what she’d wanted.
“How do I look?” she asked, gazing up at him.
Michael had an odd expression on his face, and his voice had rough edges. “Like the littlest hobo. Robin—”
“Good,” she said, cutting him off. “I’ll try to be as quick as I can.” She hoped desperately that he couldn’t see her fear.
He bent his head suddenly and kissed her, briefly but firmly. “Be careful,” he urged.
Robin found herself at the door without being aware of moving, thinking vaguely that it wasn’t at all fair of him to have done that just when she needed all her wits about her. Then she took a deep breath and went into the tavern.
Michael waited tensely by the window, never taking his eyes off the scene inside. He could feel as well as see all conversation and activity cease when she walked in, and he silently approved the timid way she glanced around. With the baggy clothing and hairstyle she looked about twelve years old, and it was clear that appearance made the men doubtful enough to do nothing while she walked slowly to the end of the bar where Jack sat.
Tensing even more now, Michael almost held his breath as the big man looked at Robin. She must have said something, for Jack nodded and she climbed up on the stool beside him, sitting with hunched shoulders and a hesitant tilt to her head. Immediately the crowd of men seemed tolose interest, and returned to their former activities.
Michael found himself smiling in admiration. By God, she’d done it! Now if she only could get the information and get out of there in one piece.
Robin had never been so terrified in her life. It hadn’t even been this bad when she had woken up to find herself in the possession of white slavers. And she knew why, of course. Because this time someone was counting on her to get the job done. This time someone else expected her to be strong.
“Who sent you to me?” Jack asked her in a rumbling voice.
She fixed her gaze on the big gold crucifix he was wearing, and didn’t have to try to make her voice timid and shaky. “I think he said his name was Dane. He said you might be able to tell me where I could find the
Dragon Lady
.”
“Whatcha want with that tub, kid?”
Inventing as she went along, Robin answeredsoftly. “Mr. Sutton offered me a job a while back. I need to talk to him.”
Jack was chewing on the stub of a cigar, his eyes narrowed against the rising curl of smoke as he stared at her. With a short laugh he said, “You don’t want no job that bastard offers you, girl. Do yourself a favor and forget the idea.”
With a facility that had been hers since childhood, Robin allowed tears to form in her eyes, and let her voice quaver. “I have to find that boat. Eddie works on that boat, and I have to find him.”
“You don’t look old enough to have an Eddie,” Jack said, but in the world-weary tone that expected budding adolescents to have dangerous boyfriends. “In trouble, eh?”
Robin let her eyes skitter away from his. “I have to find Eddie,” she repeated dolefully.
Jack sighed and shifted the cigar to the other side of his mouth. “Girl, Sutton’s carrying valuable cargo, and he ain’t going to want no crying girlfriend pestering one of his men.”
“I won’t pester him,” she said, allowing hopeto creep into her voice. “I’ll just stand by and wait till Eddie’s shift ends. Unless … they’re at
Michael reappeared suddenly beside her. “I did my best,” he told her, handing over a long silver chain and a bundle of dark cloth.
She put the necklace on, satisfied with the big silver crucifix that showed clearly against her black windbreaker. Then she stepped into the dark pants and pulled them up over her shorts; they were too long and the waist was far too loose, but the baggy appearance was what she’d wanted.
“How do I look?” she asked, gazing up at him.
Michael had an odd expression on his face, and his voice had rough edges. “Like the littlest hobo. Robin—”
“Good,” she said, cutting him off. “I’ll try to be as quick as I can.” She hoped desperately that he couldn’t see her fear.
He bent his head suddenly and kissed her, briefly but firmly. “Be careful,” he urged.
Robin found herself at the door without being aware of moving, thinking vaguely that it wasn’t at all fair of him to have done that just when she needed all her wits about her. Then she took a deep breath and went into the tavern.
Michael waited tensely by the window, never taking his eyes off the scene inside. He could feel as well as see all conversation and activity cease when she walked in, and he silently approved the timid way she glanced around. With the baggy clothing and hairstyle she looked about twelve years old, and it was clear that appearance made the men doubtful enough to do nothing while she walked slowly to the end of the bar where Jack sat.
Tensing even more now, Michael almost held his breath as the big man looked at Robin. She must have said something, for Jack nodded and she climbed up on the stool beside him, sitting with hunched shoulders and a hesitant tilt to her head. Immediately the crowd of men seemed tolose interest, and returned to their former activities.
Michael found himself smiling in admiration. By God, she’d done it! Now if she only could get the information and get out of there in one piece.
Robin had never been so terrified in her life. It hadn’t even been this bad when she had woken up to find herself in the possession of white slavers. And she knew why, of course. Because this time someone was counting on her to get the job done. This time someone else expected her to be strong.
“Who sent you to me?” Jack asked her in a rumbling voice.
She fixed her gaze on the big gold crucifix he was wearing, and didn’t have to try to make her voice timid and shaky. “I think he said his name was Dane. He said you might be able to tell me where I could find the
Dragon Lady
.”
“Whatcha want with that tub, kid?”
Inventing as she went along, Robin answeredsoftly. “Mr. Sutton offered me a job a while back. I need to talk to him.”
Jack was chewing on the stub of a cigar, his eyes narrowed against the rising curl of smoke as he stared at her. With a short laugh he said, “You don’t want no job that bastard offers you, girl. Do yourself a favor and forget the idea.”
With a facility that had been hers since childhood, Robin allowed tears to form in her eyes, and let her voice quaver. “I have to find that boat. Eddie works on that boat, and I have to find him.”
“You don’t look old enough to have an Eddie,” Jack said, but in the world-weary tone that expected budding adolescents to have dangerous boyfriends. “In trouble, eh?”
Robin let her eyes skitter away from his. “I have to find Eddie,” she repeated dolefully.
Jack sighed and shifted the cigar to the other side of his mouth. “Girl, Sutton’s carrying valuable cargo, and he ain’t going to want no crying girlfriend pestering one of his men.”
“I won’t pester him,” she said, allowing hopeto creep into her voice. “I’ll just stand by and wait till Eddie’s shift ends. Unless … they’re at
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