The Brotherhood of the Wheel (56 page)
Read The Brotherhood of the Wheel Online
Authors: R. S. Belcher
The baby boy squirmed a little in Layla's arms. His face was red and blotchy, and his eyes were puffy and shut.
“He's beautiful,” Layla said, then looked over to Jimmie. “Oh, I'm sorry. I mean handsome.”
“You mean beautiful,” Jimmie said, his eyes getting wet. “And he is, he is beautifulâjust like his mama.”
“And I bet he'll be brave, and true, just like his old man,” Layla said softly, touching Jimmie's cheek.
“Y'all still calling him Jesse Junior?” Ella asked.
“You know, Don is a fine name, too,” Don said, smiling. “Very dignified.”
“Jesse James Aussapile, Jr.,” Layla said. “That's his name. Better luck next baby, Grandpa.”
They laughed and there was talking, but Jimmie barely heard it. Looking into the face of his baby boy, Jimmie saw all the promise in this world, all the futures and the dreams that we fight through the darkness and the despair to reach. He wanted to give his son a world without monsters, without villainsâa world of light, and truth, justice, and mercy, especially mercy.
The tears came, and Jimmie barely noticed them. His whole world was here, in this room. It was a small world, especially in the grand scale of things, compared to gods and galaxies, magic roads and secret societies. But everything counted, and maybe, just maybe, it all counted square, equal, in the end.
Jimmie Junior opened his eyes and looked into the battered face of his father, and there was a wisdom there in the baby's eyes that is lost to us as we grow.
“Hi, buddy,” Jimmie said, tears wet on his cheeks.
It was a small world, but it was worth fighting for.
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Thanks to The League of Extraordinary Beta Readers and EditorsâSusan Lystlund, Faye Newsham, and David Lystlund. These good folks slogged through the mess of my manuscript and made it so much better, and tighter. I am, as always, in your debt.
To Barb and Carl Kesner. Yes, they are real people and they are awesome.
To the incredible people at Tor that, as always, provided amazing support and expertiseâPatty Garcia, Desirae Friesen, Christopher Morgan, Diana Pho, and my superb editor, Greg Cox. I am reminded of how fortunate I am to work with consummate professionals, who also happen to be such wonderful, kind, and generous people.
Thank you to my agent, Lucienne Diver, and all the family at the Knight Agency. Lucienne saw the potential in Jimmie Aussapile when she was reading
Nightwise
, and this book is a direct result of her talent, encouragement, and belief in me.
To my beautiful, brilliant, and kind childrenâJon, Emily, and Stephanieâwho have all passed through fire and darkness in their own ways, and come out the other side stronger. I am so proud of each of you. You all have made me feel so loved and I am so very thankful for you. I love you.
None of my books would ever have been written if not for the love, dedication, and support of my mother, Mabel T. Belcher. She passed away during the work on this book and I am so very, very thankful that I was fortunate enough to have this strong, determined, and compassionate woman as my mom. I love you, Mama.
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R. S. B
ELCHER
is the acclaimed author of
The Six-Gun Tarot
, which made several year-end ten-best fantasy lists, and
The Shotgun Arcana
. He is a former newspaper and magazine editor and reporter, and lives in Salem, Virginia. You can sign up for email updates
here
.
    
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BOOKS BY
R. S. BELCHER
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CONTENTS
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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE WHEEL
Copyright © 2016 by Rod Belcher
All rights reserved.
Cover design by Jeff Miller, Faceout Studio
Cover art © Getty Images
A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Tor
®
is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Belcher, R. S., author.
    The Brotherhood of the Wheel / R. S. Belcher.âFirst edition.
        p. cm.
    ISBN 978-0-7653-8028-9 (hardcover)
    ISBN 978-1-4668-7253-0 (e-book)
I. Title.
    PS3602.E429B76 2016
    813'.6âdc23
2015032633
e-ISBN 9781466872530
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at
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First Edition: March 2016
