THE IMPERIAL ENGINEER (32 page)

He tossed his boots into the corner, not caring that one of them left a streak of dirt
on the wall. "Lulu, you can't save the whole world."

"I know that. But if I can save one little piece of it, I'll have done something
worthwhile."

"And what if you get yourself killed in the process?" he said, remembering what
she'd told him of the reason she'd quit the relocation group.

"'The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots
and tyrants.'"

"Is that the best you can do? I'd expected something better from you. We're not
talking political oppression here." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized
his mistake.

"Oh, aren't we? What do you call it when one race speaks of another as little better
than animals? When supposedly civilized people believe it's their God-given right to
persecute, to banish, even to kill members of another race purely for economic
reasons?"

"Okay, maybe it is oppression, but damn it, Lulu, it's still not your fight."

"Maybe it should be, since you aren't willing to stand up for your own people!"
She spun around and stomped into the kitchen. The door slammed behind her.

Then it burst open again, and she shouted, "If you want supper, you'll have to
make your own arrangements. I'm leaving!"

Furious, he took his own sweet time dressing. They both needed time to cool
down before they finished this argument. She could sulk in the barn as long as she wanted.
A full ten minutes later, having forced himself to count off the time, he strolled to the back
door.

The buggy was just rolling out of the gate, followed by the dog cart. He couldn't
see their occupants, but he was pretty sure there were four of them. The barn was
dark.

* * * *

As soon as they were on the road, Lulu realized what a horrible mistake she'd
made. Hadn't she learned long ago never to allow a debate to degenerate into a
confrontation? Now she and Tony had taken their stands and both would be loathe to back
down.

No,
he
would be. She was already sorry. What a mess she'd made of
everything, starting with the day she'd first arrived in Hailey. If only... She almost asked
Ru Nan to turn the buggy around, and then she realized that crawling back would be as big
a mistake as walking out in the first place. Tony would see it as capitulation, and this was
an argument neither of them should win.

"Tomorrow," she said in a whisper, "we'll sit down and talk this through like
reasonable, mature people. I'll give in on the men, but I'll find a way to convince him that
we need to keep Xi Xin."

It was certainly a good thing she hadn't given up her apartment yet. She had a
place to sleep.

* * * *

Tony went to work on Thursday, cursing the impulse that had led him to buy a
bicycle in country where it snowed half the year. Cursing the burned fingers that had
resulted when he'd absently picked up the skillet without a potholder. Cursing his
obsession with a woman who was the least likely candidate in the world for a wife.

He went first to the telephone office. Jack and Eph Morton were testing the
circuits to Bullion. "What's wrong?"

"Line went out about an hour ago. It rang, then went dead," Eph said. "Now you're
here, maybe you can make some sense out of it. Far as I can see, there's nothing wrong. It
just ain't working." He handed Tony the tools he held. "See you tonight."

Wishing he could find someone who didn't have a day job to replace Eph, Tony
turned to Jack. "What can you tell me?"

"I ain't been here but a few minutes. All I know is the electrometer won't register,
no matter how I connect it."

They worked for an hour, the silence in the office punctuated occasionally by a
ring for service. When another sounded about eight, Tony paid little attention until he
heard Jack say, "Sure Mr. Pinnick. Hold on, I'll connect you."

He turned to stare at Jack, who was connecting the Bullion Mine to Coffin
Brothers. Once the connection was made, he said, "What the hell?"

"I dunno, Mr. Dewitt. It rang and I answered. I never even thought about it." He
shrugged. "Maybe it fixed itself."

"Nonsense. Circuits don't repair themselves." But Tony had no explanation either.
"'The total depravity of inanimate things,'" he muttered to himself. Hadn't he said that to
Lulu? Yes, the day they...
No, don't think about that now. You've got work to
do.

After once again testing everything and finding all in perfect working order, he
went to his office, hoping there was nothing he couldn't put off until tomorrow. Wherever
Lulu had gone to roost last night, he had to find her. They had to get their differences
settled.

Eagleton was waiting for him. "About time you got here. I wanted to talk to you
before I leave town." He sorted through the papers he held, pulled several out of the stack
and placed them into his briefcase. "I've got to go to San Francisco. You'll have to take
care of things here until I get back."

Opening and closing drawers, he pawed quickly through their contents. "I've got a
deal pending and one of the backers is waffling. I've got to go down and make sure he
doesn't back out. While I'm gone...where the dickens are those contracts?" The last drawer
slammed shut and he turned to the glass-front bookcase behind his desk. "Tim threw his
back out yesterday, so you'll need to find somebody to tend my stock. I fed 'em this
morning, but... Ahhh, there they are." He stuffed a folder of papers into his briefcase and
closed it. "Now, while I'm gone, you'll need to stay close to town. There's not much
pending right now, but I'd not want folks to think I was not tending to business. Anything
comes up you can't handle, you can send me a wire. I'll be at the Palace."

"Mr. Eagleton, I--"

"Not now, boy. I've got to get home and pack. I can't afford to miss today's train."
He slapped his hat on his head and was gone.

Tony stared after him.
Now what? I can't wait until this evening to talk to Lulu.
And I've got to find somebody to take care of Eagleton's horses?

He sank into the leather chair behind his employer's desk.
What will I do if there's
more trouble with the telephones?

Telephones? Of course!
He walked to the instrument, mounted on the wall
behind Eagleton's desk. When Jack answered, he said, "It's Dewitt. When you take your
dinner break, can you see if Billy will stay an extra hour? I need you here in the
office."

"Sure, Mr. Dewitt. Hold on." In less than a minute, he was back. "Billy says he's
glad to do it. He could stay all afternoon, if you need him to."

Billy, the young printer's devil at the newspaper, usually served as operator for an
hour each weekday. He had several times hinted he'd like a full-time job at the telephone
exchange. Eagleton thought him too young, but Tony had found him responsible and
hard-working. And in this case, indispensable. "That would be handy. Tell him one of us will be
here in the office if any problems arise. I'll see you about noon, then."

Well, that took care of one problem. Now if he just knew where his wife was.
Tony stared out the window, wondering if he and Lulu would ever work out their
differences. So far they'd done a piss poor job of it.

* * * *

Mrs. Graham had insisted Lulu stay with her, rather than in the vacant apartment.
This morning she'd made breakfast and had ordered Lulu to sit down and eat.

"I know how it is with young folks," she said as she seated herself across the table.
"Everything looks bigger and worse than it is. After a while you learn that your differences
of opinion aren't as important as what you're building together. Why I remember how Mr.
Graham and I used to brangle..."

Lulu listened and agreed. She had let her temper get the best of her, had allowed
what her mamma called her bleeding heart rule her intellect. She still believed she was in
the right, but she would convince Tony with logic and reason, not with tears and emotional
storms. "Could I leave Xi Xin here while I discuss this with my husband? I truly believe it
is important that she be provided with a way to a better life."

"I don't know. One of my nephews belongs to the League--"

"Of course. I understand. I will take her to her uncle." She rose and set her plate
on the counter. Xi Xin immediately picked it up and washed it.

"No! No, don't do that. What Ward believes is his business, and what I do is mine.
She can stay here as long as she wants. Why, if I could afford it, I would hire her myself.
Such a pretty child. And so helpful."

"I'm sure we'll settle this today. But in case we don't, I'll let you know. Xi Xin, I
promise you we will find somewhere safe for you to be. Do you understand?"

The girl nodded.

Lulu still believed she understood every word of English she heard, but so far Xi
Xin had not spoken in any language but Chinese.

Fortunately the weather had moderated. The outside temperature must be close to
thirty degrees. Further warmed by bright sunlight, snow was melting from roofs, the drips
making a musical chorus from every side. Lulu walked to town, fingers crossed that she
would find her husband in his office.

"My husband," she mused. How quickly that had come to sound natural. Right. As
if all along it was meant to be.

Hadn't Tony tried to tell her that a long time ago?

Last night when she'd finally laid herself on the bed in Mrs. Graham's second
bedroom, the baby had awakened. She had lain there, hands on her belly, and contemplated
how her life had changed as a result of a few careless moments.

Try as she might, she could not regret this pregnancy, not any more. She loved her
daughter already--or her son, but she was sure the child was a girl--with a love so
all-consuming, so tender and poignant, that sometimes she wanted to weep with the power of
it. When a small hand or foot tickled its way along her side, she followed it with a gentle
finger, wanting to touch, to hold as closely as possible, Impatient for the day when she held
this wondrous creature, this part of herself and Tony, in her arms.

The closer she got to Tony's office, the more slowly she walked. What if he
wouldn't be reasonable? She didn't really know him any more. A person changed
immensely between eighteen and twenty-eight, far more than at any other time of life, she
was sure.

"Good morning Miss, King."

Startled, she looked up to see Jacob Teller smiling down at her. "Oh! Good
morning, Mr. Teller. How are you? And Imajean? I hope she is well?"

He turned to walk beside her. "She is, although this winter has been hard on her.
Imajean is used to being out and about, and I believe she gets very lonely, now she is home
with young Terrence much of the time."

"I can imagine," Lulu said, wondering how she would adapt to the same
circumstances.
Well, I'll find out soon enough.
"Perhaps I will drive out to see her
next week. I've missed her."

"Better yet, why don't you come for dinner Sunday? Miss Petersham will be there,
and I could invite--"

"Excuse me, Mr. Teller. I should tell you I am married now. My husband is Mr.
Dewitt, who works for Mr. Eagleton."

He stopped walking and regarded her with a raised eyebrow. "Tony Dewitt? The
fellow at the Telephone Exchange?"

"Yes, we've been friends since childhood. We..." She let the sentence trail off, not
sure what to say.

"I've been wanting to get to know him, so I'll extend the invitation to the two of
you. Perhaps you would bring Miss Petersham with you? About one?"

He took his leave as soon as she accepted, pleading an imminent appointment.
Lulu stared after him, wondering what thoughts had passed through his mind. He'd had the
strangest expression on his face for a moment there.

Tony was sitting at Mr. Eagleton's desk when she entered the office. He looked up
as the door opened, but said nothing. Nor did he smile.

"Good morning, Tony," she said as she came to stand before the wide mahogany
desk. "I hope you have time for me this morning."

"Not now," he said, his tone neutral. "I have some things to do for Mr. Eagleton,
but if you'd like to come back about four, I think I can make time."

She stared. He sounded as if it really didn't matter whether they settled their
differences or not. She had to bite her tongue to keep from speaking her thoughts. "I
see."

He grimaced. "I'm sorry, Lulu. I really am busy this morning. Eagleton is leaving
town for a few days, and he handed me a pile of work to take care of. Some of it has to be
done right away."

She studied his face for a moment. He seemed sincere, but she still felt a...a
withdrawal. As if he was walling himself off from her. "I suppose there's no help for it. I'll
be back... Oh, I almost forgot. I met Mr. Teller on the way here. He has invited us to dinner
Sunday. Will you be free?"

His eyes flashed, before he lowered his lids. "I'm surprised you want me to meet
your friends."

"Why on earth shouldn't I want you to meet them? You're my husband!"

The telephone rang just then. Lost in its shrill sound was his answer. Lulu wasn't
sure, but it had sounded like "Not yet."

As he spoke into the telephone, she took a card from her reticule.
Miss Luella
M. King
was engraved on its linenlike surface. She wouldn't need these any more.
Surely he would expect her to use her married name, something she'd always thought
ridiculous. Why should a woman lose her identity simply because she married? Perhaps
she should suggest to Tony that they use both names, as was sometimes done in England
and even occasionally Back East. What would he say if she suggested he become Mr.
King-Dewitt? Dewitt-King?

Shaking her head at the impossibility, she turned the card over and, using a pencil
lying on the desk blotter, wrote,
I shall return at four. Please keep your schedule
open.
She ended with a single letter, L for Lulu.