The Nine Pound Hammer (26 page)

Buck seemed to always be on Jolie’s vestibule, armed with his rifle and cautious to every scent and breath of wind. Ray shifted to different posts, sharing duties with Si, Marisol, Eddie, Shacks, and once, Redfeather, but never Seth, who remained in a particular spot in the woods just off from Nel and Buck’s car.

When Ray returned for a bite of dinner, he saw Nel discussing possible plans with Ox Everett, who was additionally anxious because their coal supply was running low. The increasing tedium of the watching and waiting left everyone jittery.

Ray noticed that Marisol had transformed. After what had happened with the Hoarhound, she was a different person. She had even visited Jolie in her car. Ray also noticed that she was not speaking to Seth. It made little difference; Seth no longer spoke to her either.

The rabbit’s foot had not shown any signs of the Hound’s presence. Although the pair of crows had returned sporadically, Ray had not yet grasped their speech. As he sat on the boulder pinching off pieces of biscuit to throw on the forest floor, a blue jay hopped around the leaves, grabbing at the bits and keeping an eye on Ray. A few times, Ray thought he almost heard beyond its birdcalls to another voice, one that wanted to enter his thoughts, but he was not quite able to catch what the bird was saying.

Just as he was trying to mimic the blue jay’s call, the bird took flight and disappeared into the trees. Ray turned and saw Marisol approaching.

“Oye!
My turn to watch. Thought you might be thirsty,” she said, holding out a skin of water.

“Oh, thanks. I’ve got some,” Ray said, nodding to the fat skin at his feet. A flash of disappointment came to her face.

“But I’ll take more,” Ray said. “It’s warm out here.”

She handed him the skin. It was unusual to see her without a snake encircling her shoulders. Even in her bright red and violet spangled dress, she seemed less mysterious and somewhat vulnerable without her snakes. Ray
found Marisol much more approachable without them, without the haughty smile she used to wear, without Seth hanging on her arm.

“How are you?” Ray asked.

“Bored,” she said. “Do you think we’ll be here much longer?”

“I hope not.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Then Marisol said, “I saw you talking to those birds.” She smirked.

Ray knew he must look a little crazy doing it. He chuckled. “Not having much luck.”

“You know I can speak to snakes.”

“Yeah,” Ray said. “How did you learn?”

“From my parents,” she said, brushing her curling black hair over her shoulders. “They were Ramblers. My father was from the deserts of Mexico. My mom was a Hopi. Her people have powers with snakes.”

Ray hesitated. “Were they … killed by the Gog’s men?”

“No. In the battle fighting the Gog. Not long after John Henry fell. I was raised by my father’s parents, in a village down in Mexico. On the San Miguel River.” She smiled, holding the memory a moment before frowning. “A Rambler came one day and told us what happened to them and that we were in danger.”

“And Nel took you in?”

She nodded. “You’ve been out here a long time. Why don’t you go back? Get a bite to eat. Get a little sleep. I’ll be okay.”

“Sure,” Ray said, feeling weary.

Thinking of what Marisol had told him, he reached the train and saw he was not the only one exhausted from the constant watch. Buck was sitting on a chair on Jolie’s vestibule with a rifle across his lap, his chin fallen to his chest.

“Buck,” Ray said.

The gunslinger lifted his head. He grunted and said, “Ray. I just … nodded off.”

“When was the last time you slept?”

“I’m doing fine,” Buck growled, sitting more upright. “Just need a little coffee.”

“Can I see Jolie?” Ray asked.

Buck shook his head. “There’ll be time for visiting later. If you’re not on guard duty, you need to sleep, too.”

Ray supposed Buck was right. “I’ll get Ma to brew you some coffee.”

“Much appreciated,” Buck said, standing and stretching.

Ray woke a few hours later and sat up from his bed; the light was fading and turning the long shadows in the forest outside his window from bright green-gold to blue-gray. He stepped down onto the right-of-way and was surprised to see black puffs of smoke coming from the locomotive. He heard the churning of the engine being stoked. Ox Everett was inspecting the driving rods and touching a spout of oil to the joints in the metal. He stood as Ray approached.

“Are we leaving?” Ray asked.

Mister Everett scratched at his walrus mustache. “Soon as we can.”

Down on the other end of the train, Nel was talking to Buck, and Ray ran down to them. As he neared, Nel was saying, “… Shuckstack’s too far. The springs are our best bet.”

“What are we doing?” Ray interrupted.

Nel turned from Buck. “Crossing the Mississippi. It’s a bit of a journey, but there’s a series of springs in a great wilderness south of the Ozarks where the sirens used to frequent. Should be a safe place for Jolie to hide, and they might help heal her as well.”

“But the Gog will keep looking—”

“Of course he will, Ray!” Nel snapped. And then waving a hand to apologize, he added, “We’ve just got to get there safely. We’ve risked enough, lingering here. Go. Help round up the others.”

“Sure,” Ray said.

Ray found Conker and Eddie at their post beyond the caboose. As they returned, they saw the others standing around the train. Buck tripped as he hurried down the vestibule, nearly toppling into Ray.

“Have you seen Jolie?” he asked.

“She’s not in her car?” Ray asked.

“Must have … stepped out when I fell asleep.” His pale eyes widened fearfully. “Where would she have gone?”

Si ran down the train toward them, Nel loping behind her. “What’s the matter, Buck?” Si asked.

“She’s gone,” Buck said. “Jolie’s missing!”

As Si held up her hand, Ray watched the pattern of stars arrange and rearrange across the surface of her skin.

Si cursed. “Nothing! I can’t seem to find her.”

“Why not?” Ray asked.

“I don’t know. Something’s … blocking her.”

Nel quickly said to Ray, Conker, and Si, “Spread out! Start looking for her.”

Ox Everett called, “We ready to go, Nel?”

“No!” Nel hollered. “Hold the train. … ”

Ray was already running, splitting off from Conker and Si as they went into the woods, calling Jolie’s name. A quarter of an hour later, they had found nothing to indicate where Jolie had gone. They made their way back to Nel’s car, hoping she had been located.

Buck was roaring, “Who knows how far she’s gotten? How could I have been so stupid! That’s been hours now, and she could have gone in any direction.”

“I’m still having trouble seeing her,” Si said. “I’d have trouble if she’s gone too far, or if there’s lead blocking her. … ”

“Why would there be lead?” Redfeather asked tentatively.

Buck slammed a fist to the table. “The Gog!” He pulled a pistol from his belt and opened the cylinder to touch a finger to each of the bullets.

“What are you doing?” Nel asked.

“Going to hunt for her,” Buck said, turning to leave.

“Wait,” Nel said. “If Si can’t find her, then continuing the search will surely be fruitless.”

Buck snarled as he headed out the door. “I’m loading the guns anyway.”

After Buck was gone, Nel sank his face in his hands. “There’s got to be another way. … ”

“I know,” Ray said, remembering suddenly. He reached into his pocket and removed the dandelion from his toby. It was still yellow and fresh, despite its days of being carried around in Ray’s pocket.

The others looked curiously at the flower.

Conker exclaimed, “Peter Hobnob!”

“Who’s that?” Nel asked.

“Someone who can help,” Ray replied. He clapped three claps, said Peter Hobnob’s name three times, and blew three breaths on the petals. The yellow rapidly faded to gray, and the petals became wispy before scattering on the breeze into the night.

E
VERYONE SAT AROUND THE TABLE, PICKING WITH LITTLE
appetite at some food Ma Everett had brought. Every minute that passed Ray felt Jolie was getting farther from the
Ballyhoo
.

Something tickled Ray’s cheek. In the light of the table’s oil lamps, Ray saw a white seedpod float past like a lost flake of snow. He sat up from his chair as a small cloud of seedpods fell around. Others noticed, too, and looked about curiously.

Nel stood and looked to Ray. “Is it … ?”

The pods swirled around more and more quickly until they coalesced into a shape, gaining color and form. Peter Hobnob appeared. He looked around as if unsure of his location until spotting Ray’s face in the awestruck crowd.

“Ray, I know I promised about your sister,” Hobnob chirped. “Been planning on looking, I swear to you. But between robbing this town and—”

“It worked!” Ray leaped to his feet to greet his friend. Hobnob pulled the dandelion hat from his tousled mop of yellow hair. The others stood around the table in stunned silence, mouths gaping.

Just then Buck came back into the car, carrying several rifles. “I know that voice,” he growled. “It couldn’t be. … What’s that scalawag doing here?”

A smile grew on Hobnob’s face as he eyed the cowboy. “Ah, Eustace. En’t you charming as always.”

“I called Hobnob to help us find Jolie,” Ray said, surprised that the two were acquainted. But of course, Ray realized, they knew each other from the
Snapdragon
.

“You call
him
help?” Buck growled at Ray.

“He can help,” Ray insisted. Turning to Hobnob, he added, “Can’t you?”

“Well, I’ll be needing specifics if you want my aid. What’s the trouble?”

“Wait!” Nel said. “Are you sure he can be trusted?”

“No!” Buck shouted.

“He’ll have to be,” Ray said.

“Maybe I ought to come back when Eustace—” Hobnob began.

“Don’t leave,” Ray said to Hobnob, and then turned to Buck. “Buck, you know what Hobnob can do.”

Buck scowled before giving a reluctant nod.

Ray began to explain to Hobnob. “We’ve been hiding a siren—”

“H-here?” Hobnob stammered. “A siren? On this train?”

“She’s gone. Earlier this afternoon, she disappeared.”

“Kidnapped?” Hobnob asked.

“We can’t be sure.” Ray gulped. “But something’s preventing Si from locating her, and with the Gog’s Hoarhound after her … She’s a girl with dark hair. Really pale. A strange green dress. Barefoot. Can you look?”

“Not much to go on …” Then Hobnob looked from Ray to Buck. “Do you know what direction she went?”

“No, but I thought since you could fly—”

“None’s the difference. I’ll leave straight away.” Hobnob lifted his dandelion hat, but Ray stopped him.

“Take this,” Ray said, placing the golden rabbit’s foot in Hobnob’s hand. “This will tell you if the Gog’s Hoarhound is near. If he is, then the Gog might have caught her.”

“How’s it work?” Hobnob asked hurriedly.

“It glows if it’s near the Hound. I don’t know if it will work for you, but I thought it might help.”

Hobnob nodded, taking the foot with a quick, curious inspection.

Ray looked at the rabbit’s foot hesitantly. “I need you to be careful with it.”

“Like it were my dear old mother’s.”

“Just don’t drop it,” Ray said. Hobnob gave a look
of hurt and made a swishing cross over his heart. Situating the hat with a tight pull over his yellow locks, Hobnob quickly faded, dandelion pods scattering into the wind.

Buck shook his head. “If I’d known you were mixed up with that one …”

“Can we trust him?” Nel asked Buck in a low voice.

Through gritted teeth, Buck said, “What choice do we have?”

Ready for a quick departure, Mister Everett moved the train to the end of the abandoned track and telegraphed the switch operators on the main line to find out what other trains were expected. Conker pulled the toppled poplar off the track. As night settled fully, he and Ray sat on the vestibule, waiting anxiously for Hobnob’s return.

Si sprinted down the side of the train. “Ray! He’s back!” They jumped from the vestibule and followed Si in a run toward the locomotive.

Mister Everett had a rail map unrolled on the grass with a lamp holding the corner. Nel and Hobnob squatted as Everett traced his finger over the bramble of rail lines. Buck stood behind the three, listening.

“What happened?” Ray asked Buck.

“The rabbit’s foot glowed as he passed over a train that was stopped several miles to the southeast of here,” Buck said.

“Saw men loading a girl into a boxcar,” Hobnob explained. “Didn’t get a close look, but she must be your
siren. And that train. I’ve seen it once before, and heard rumors aplenty about it. They call it
The Pitch Dark Train
.”

“Is it—?” Ray began.

“Yes,” Buck growled. “The Gog.”

Terror struck at Ray’s heart. “We’re going after her, right?”

Buck nodded and continued listening to Mister Everett explain. “This rail line we’re going to get on will meet up with the westbound one the Gog’s using. Heads toward the Mississippi River. Hopefully we won’t be too far behind their train.”