something like that?" Zeke demanded.
"I want him mad. Nothing gets past him then."
"You made me mad, too."
"Good. You're a better fighter when you've got the prospect of spilling some white man's blood."
Zeke jerked his horse around and trotted after Hawk.
"You're crazy," Sandoval exclaimed, "baiting those men like that. They're liable to put a knife in you."
"They'd die before they'd let anything happen to me. Jake and Isabelle taught them nothing is more important than family."
"You ain't part of nobody's family," Sandoval said. "You're like a lone wolf. You'd eat your young if it would get you anything by it."
"They don't know that."
"They're liable to find out before this trip's over."
Hans, dressed exactly as he must have dressed for court in Belgravia, came out of the hotel and started toward Luke with mincing steps.
"What's he going to do up on the Rim?" Sandoval asked. "I'll bet you fifty dollars he can't stay on a horse more than ten minutes."
"I doubt any of them can ride worth a damn. I don't know why Valeria wanted to bring these horses."
"Maybe her husband wanted them, though I don't know what use he'll find for them on the Rim."
"Probably fox hunting," Luke said. "I expect somebody showed him a picture of a coyote."
Sandoval burst out laughing, glanced at Hans, and headed off to his saloon.
Luke pulled a watch from his vest pocket. "Your mistress has two minutes to be downstairs," Luke said when Hans toddled up.
"The princess is ready," Hans said. "Please get all these people off the street so she can enter her coach."
Luke jammed his watch back into his pocket. "Did she ask you to say that?"
"No, but she'll naturally expect it. It's nearly impossible to enter a carriage without exposing a limb to public view."
With a muttered curse, Luke headed toward Valeria's hotel. "I haven't got time for such foolishness," he said over his shoulder to Hans, who was practically running to keep up with him. "Before this journey is done, she'll expose more than that."
"She's a royal princess. She can't be expected to appear in public like an ordinary person."
"This is America," Luke said. "As far as people here are concerned, she is an ordinary person."
Luke reached the hotel and pushed through the door way to find Valeria and her maid waiting in the lobby, luggage piled up behind her. She looked like a queen, regal and distant, waiting for her subjects.
"You've got about one minute to get yourself and all your belongings into the coach," Luke said. He turned to her maid. "Get some of the drivers to load this stuff. Now!" His imperative command caused Elvira to jump, and run from the hotel as through pursued by a dangerous animal.
"Don't shout at my maid," Valeria said.
"I expect I'll shout at everybody, including you, before this trip is over. Why are you standing here instead of getting into the coach?"
"I'm waiting for you to clear the street."
His temper stretched by the circumstances of this absurd journey and his being stupid enough to take responsibility for it, Luke had no tolerance left for this kind of arrogance. "This is a Western territory, not a medieval kingdom."
"Hans said-
"It's desert," he said, interrupting her. "It's hot, dirty, and dangerous. Men kill each other for gold, silver, cows, horses, or a cup of water. Some kill just because they like it. If they see something they want, they take it. If anybody tries to stop them, they shoot the fool or put a knife in his heart. The only thing standing between your being raped and probably having your throat cut afterward is me and those two men outside."
Hans tried to insert his pudgy body between Luke and Valeria. "You can't talk to her highness like that." He was so upset he could hardly articulate the words.
Luke didn't bother looking down at him. He just picked him up and set him aside. "Now you either get into that coach on your own," he said to Valeria, "or I'll put you in it."
"In case it's of any interest to you-and I
"I want him mad. Nothing gets past him then."
"You made me mad, too."
"Good. You're a better fighter when you've got the prospect of spilling some white man's blood."
Zeke jerked his horse around and trotted after Hawk.
"You're crazy," Sandoval exclaimed, "baiting those men like that. They're liable to put a knife in you."
"They'd die before they'd let anything happen to me. Jake and Isabelle taught them nothing is more important than family."
"You ain't part of nobody's family," Sandoval said. "You're like a lone wolf. You'd eat your young if it would get you anything by it."
"They don't know that."
"They're liable to find out before this trip's over."
Hans, dressed exactly as he must have dressed for court in Belgravia, came out of the hotel and started toward Luke with mincing steps.
"What's he going to do up on the Rim?" Sandoval asked. "I'll bet you fifty dollars he can't stay on a horse more than ten minutes."
"I doubt any of them can ride worth a damn. I don't know why Valeria wanted to bring these horses."
"Maybe her husband wanted them, though I don't know what use he'll find for them on the Rim."
"Probably fox hunting," Luke said. "I expect somebody showed him a picture of a coyote."
Sandoval burst out laughing, glanced at Hans, and headed off to his saloon.
Luke pulled a watch from his vest pocket. "Your mistress has two minutes to be downstairs," Luke said when Hans toddled up.
"The princess is ready," Hans said. "Please get all these people off the street so she can enter her coach."
Luke jammed his watch back into his pocket. "Did she ask you to say that?"
"No, but she'll naturally expect it. It's nearly impossible to enter a carriage without exposing a limb to public view."
With a muttered curse, Luke headed toward Valeria's hotel. "I haven't got time for such foolishness," he said over his shoulder to Hans, who was practically running to keep up with him. "Before this journey is done, she'll expose more than that."
"She's a royal princess. She can't be expected to appear in public like an ordinary person."
"This is America," Luke said. "As far as people here are concerned, she is an ordinary person."
Luke reached the hotel and pushed through the door way to find Valeria and her maid waiting in the lobby, luggage piled up behind her. She looked like a queen, regal and distant, waiting for her subjects.
"You've got about one minute to get yourself and all your belongings into the coach," Luke said. He turned to her maid. "Get some of the drivers to load this stuff. Now!" His imperative command caused Elvira to jump, and run from the hotel as through pursued by a dangerous animal.
"Don't shout at my maid," Valeria said.
"I expect I'll shout at everybody, including you, before this trip is over. Why are you standing here instead of getting into the coach?"
"I'm waiting for you to clear the street."
His temper stretched by the circumstances of this absurd journey and his being stupid enough to take responsibility for it, Luke had no tolerance left for this kind of arrogance. "This is a Western territory, not a medieval kingdom."
"Hans said-
"It's desert," he said, interrupting her. "It's hot, dirty, and dangerous. Men kill each other for gold, silver, cows, horses, or a cup of water. Some kill just because they like it. If they see something they want, they take it. If anybody tries to stop them, they shoot the fool or put a knife in his heart. The only thing standing between your being raped and probably having your throat cut afterward is me and those two men outside."
Hans tried to insert his pudgy body between Luke and Valeria. "You can't talk to her highness like that." He was so upset he could hardly articulate the words.
Luke didn't bother looking down at him. He just picked him up and set him aside. "Now you either get into that coach on your own," he said to Valeria, "or I'll put you in it."
"In case it's of any interest to you-and I
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