Chapter Two
Questions
We got the supplies we needed from the store, including various items for the journey, and rode home in the afternoon. We dropped everything off at our place and rode out to Clarence and Irene’s.
Clarence was cleaning his gun in the front yard when we arrived. He waved as we approached.
“Heya! Jimmy, you wanna go hunting? Irene could use a rabbit or a goose to make somethin’ tasty for supper, and you’re welcome to stay.”
“Well, normally I’d take you up on that offer, Clarence. But we got some news to share.”
He straightened. “What’s that then?”
“I’m afraid we have to travel back to Telegraph Creek. We’ll be gone for a spell, but we’ll be back. Don’t worry.”
“Well now,” Clarence said, his face a picture of disappointment. “That’s a shame. Irene won’t be happy.”
“No, I suppose she won’t be.”
“I don’t wanna go, really,” Oscar said. “But Jimmy feels we have to, and I’m goin’ where he’s goin’.”
The front door creaked, and Irene came out with a smile.
“Hello, neighbors! What a fine day it’s turned out to be.”
Clarence turned to her. “Irene, Oscar and Jimmy gotta leave us for a bit.”
Irene’s face fell as she looked between Oscar and me.
“Oh no! Truly?”
“I’m afraid so,” I said. “We got a message from a friend of ours in Telegraph Creek. She’s asked for our help.”
“Oh dear,” Irene said, holding her hand out for Oscar’s. He took it and she drew him to her for a hug. “But I’ll miss you so! And your brand-new house…”
She and Oscar exchanged a sorry look.
“Yeah. I ain’t really lookin’ forward to being out in the wilderness again,” he said.
“Well, it’s something we gotta do,” I said.
“I know it. Miss June and her girls saved my life, no doubt.”
“Oh! Miss June who runs the cathouse?”
“Yes,” I said. “One of her girls has gone missing.”
Irene raised a hand to her mouth. “Oh, goodness.”
I exchanged a look with Oscar. “Cal left to get married to some fellow, and they ain’t heard back from her since.”
Irene frowned. “Oh no.”
“When are you headin’ out?” Clarence asked.
“Tomorrow, most likely,” I said. “As soon as we can.”
Irene’s face relaxed and she smiled, not with as much unfiltered joy as before, but with a renewed commitment to making the best of things.
“Then you’ve got time to come inside for something to eat.”
We did owe Irene and Clarence some kind of an explanation.
So, despite my sense of urgency that we needed to get ready for our unexpected trip, we went inside, and over a cup of tea and some leftover fruit cake, we told Irene and Clarence more about our stay at The Angel and how we’d become friends with the people there.
“Well,” Clarence said, “you have led an interesting life.”
Oscar snorted, glancing at me. “Well, I ain’t no outlaw.”
“Stop it. ’Twasn’t interesting at all. ’Twas monotonous when ’twasn’t terrifyin’. I’d not wish that life on anyone.”
“I know it,” Oscar said.
“And, as to that,” I said to Clarence, “we’ve been enjoying our plain life here in Port Essington with our friends and our domestic cares.
It’s been a blessing, and if it weren’t for caring so much for Cal and Miss June and the others and feeling obliged because they were there for us when we needed them, we wouldn’t go. ”
Oscar had suffered an awful fall from his horse on our journey from Whitehorse, and if not for the care of Miss June and her girls at The Angel—a reputable and well-run cathouse in Telegraph Creek—he might not be here with me now.
“I understand,” Irene said. “We’re blessed to have the two of you as friends, and that’s a hard fact. Aren’t we, Clarence?”
“We are.” He scratched at his chin. “That fella, Cal—I’m sorry, I mean, that girl you met there…Cal—she seems like a fascinatin’ person.”
Irene had a kindly smile on her face as she looked at Clarence, and I realized what it must mean to him to know there were others who felt pulled to be different to their born sex in the way that he did.
“She surely is. Sweet as punch and smart—and always up to something.”
“Like helpin’ me dress as a lady for you,” Oscar said in a quiet voice.
I laughed, remembering how surprised I’d been. I hadn’t even recognized Oscar in the clothes and the paint.
“Oh my,” Irene said, glancing between us. “Now that’s a scintillating piece of information.”
Clarence rolled his eyes, but he smiled.
“I’m sure you looked lovely, Oscar,” Irene said.
Oscar preened. “You bet I did. Jimmy didn’t even recognize me.”
“Not till you bent o’er.”
They burst into raucous laughter as Oscar blushed.
“Anyway,” he said, “we’re awful worried about Cal. And if Miss June sent for us, she needs us pretty bad.”
“Well, then,” Irene said, “you must go help her. As hard as it will be for Clarence and me, since we’ve got used to your companionship, we’ll look after your place for you while you’re gone.”
“Thank you,” I said. I looked at my hands. “Oscar and me, we didn’t have anybody before we found those folks, and we left them to come here.” I looked at Irene then at Clarence. “We’re mighty—”
My voice choked up on my emotion and I coughed.
“What Jimmy is trying to say”—Oscar took over, putting a hand on my back and gazing earnestly at them—“is that we’re mighty glad to have met you, and we’re truly lucky to count you as friends. We’re sorry to leave you, to be sure.”
I nodded. “That’s right. That’s all.”
“Will you pop over now and then to feed Sprite, Irene?” Oscar said. “She’ll have water at the creek, and she can get into the barn in the bad weather, and she’ll probably catch and eat some mice, but—"
“Of course, I will. I’d tell you to bring her over here, but I reckon she’d only end up back at your place. Cats like to stay where they’re used to.”
“True enough. Thank you, kindly,” I said.
Clarence smiled. “And that way we can check on your place and make sure everything’s all right while you’re gone, so it’ll be standing right where you left it when you get back.”
Irene stood and came o’er to hug me, then Oscar, while Clarence offered his hand to us to shake.
“You two are a wonderful addition to this town. And we hope you come back as soon as you’re able,” Clarence said.
“We surely will,” Oscar said. “Won’t we, Jimmy?”
“Port Essington is our home now, and ’twill always be our home, I reckon. So, you can count on us returning.”
* * * *
Back home that night, we sorted out what we needed to take with us. We’d pack up the mule in the morning and head out by noon. I was glad I’d taught Oscar to shoot. He had his revolver, and I had the rifle.
I didn’t want to think about the wolf attack outside of Port Essington last fall—or what had happened with Spook and Whitlaw on our way to Whitehorse.
Well, we didn’t have to worry about them outlaws since they were dead and gone, and nobody else from my gang possessed the motivation or the skill to track us down.
’Twas true that traveling through the wilderness was dangerous, and unexpected things could happen.
We’d have to keep our wits about us. But Oscar was a better rider now, he had a horse that understood him and he could protect himself, so we were in a better position than we’d been on our way here.
I only had to keep telling myself that.
* * * *
We had our packs and the animals ready when we’d planned to. One of the great things about Oscar was that, if he had specific instructions and a defined goal, he worked hard to get there.
Of course, now he was saying his goodbyes to his cat, and we might be delayed.
“She’ll be fine, Oscar. Let’s go.”
“Hold on,” he said, giving me an irritated look. He scooped the gray-and-white cat up from the porch and cuddled her to his chest, like he had when she had been a tiny kitten. She flicked her ear as he whispered something to her. She made a little mewl, and Oscar threw me another look.
“Oh, I know it,” he said out loud. “But he has other, better qualities.”
I rolled my eyes. “Come on, now. We gotta go.”
“Fine,” he said, and put the cat down gently. She ran toward the barn, and I reckoned she’d be hunting for her supper now. There were lots of mice and birds around for her to get.
Oscar grabbed the reins and the pommel of Onyx’s fancy, tooled saddle, and swung himself up.
“All right. I’m ready.”
“Hold on a second,” I said, taking a look at our brand-new house where it rose up in front of us.
“Really? Now you wanna wait?” He followed my gaze and saw where I was focused. “It truly is a beautiful house, Jimmy. I’m sorry to leave it.”
“I reckon I feel the same. But she’ll be here when we return.” I gave him a smile. “Now, let’s go.”
The smell of the fish canneries hit us hard when we got close to town.
As soon as the ice on the Skeena had broken up, business had gone back to normal, and the docks had become chaotic and congested.
There were already more people here than there’d been all winter, and more would come all summer long.
We stopped to say goodbye to Carson and Tim, and they expressed their dismay at how we had to leave right after our house went up.
Tim said he had some goods in the back we could have for the trip, and Oscar went with him, while Carson touched my elbow and gestured to a spot out of the way of customers.
“I need to ask you something, Jimmy,” he said, in a hushed voice, and a chill crept up my spine.
“Sure.”
Carson’s gaze followed Oscar and Tim, then returned to me, with eyes that sparked with intelligence. His cheeks flushed and he stumbled o’er his words. “I’m sorry, but I noticed how…close you are to Oscar, and he to you, and I wondered…”
He seemed to be searching for something, and I wasn’t giving it to him. Not yet.
I swallowed. “You’re gonna have to speak a bit plainer to me if you want an answer. I need to know what exactly you’re askin’?”
He cleared his throat and grabbed his hat off the bar, putting it in front of our faces to hide us from anyone that wanted to look.
“You don’t have to tell me if my supposition is correct, but please don’t be mad that I’m asking.
I don’t care a whit, and I know it ain’t my business, except I want you to know it don’t matter to me.
And I don’t reckon it would matter to Tim, either, except I haven’t said anything to him, because I wasn’t sure. ”
I kept my breathing steady, even though my heart was going a mile a minute. “Said anything about what?”
He held my gaze with an intensity that rattled me.
I stared at him for a long time, until Oscar and Tim came back, and I turned to greet them. But I hadn’t denied it, and I figured Carson knew the truth. He’d sussed it out. And what that meant for me and Oscar, I didn’t yet understand.
I shook Tim’s hand and hoped my arm was steady.
“Thank you kindly for your help with the house and everything, and for welcoming us to Port Essington. We truly are grateful.”
Tim bobbed his chin and smiled, as he gave it a hearty shake. “You’re very welcome, Jimmy Downing. I hope you’re not gone for long.”
“I hope so, too.”
“Goodbye, Jimmy,” Carson said, smiling at me with an earnestness I couldn’t hide from. It seemed he didn’t care what our relationship was, and he had to know why we hadn’t been up front about it. “Oscar. I’ll miss you both.”
“Bye, Carson. Thanks for everythin’,” Oscar said, grinning and tipping his hat.
We rode out and along the street. Clouds were coming in, but I hoped we wouldn’t get rain on our first day of travel. When we were well out of town, I pulled Dixie up to wait for Oscar and Onyx to come up beside us.
“What is it?”
I tilted my head back toward the town.
“He knows.”
Oscar stared at me, eyebrows knitting in confusion. Then his expression changed to one of comprehension and unease.
“Who? Carson?”
“Yeah.”
“Fuck,” Oscar said, glancing behind us. “What did he say?”
I shrugged. “Somethin’ ’bout how close we seemed…”
“Goddamn it.”
“But he said he didn’t care, and he figured Tim wouldn’t either, though he hadn’t told him of his suspicions—which I’m glad of. I hope he doesn’t.”
Oscar nodded, chewing on his lip. “Did you say anything?”
“I didn’t—but I didn’t deny what he was suggesting, either.”
“So maybe it’s good we’re leaving,” Oscar said.
“Maybe. Except, we’re gonna come back. And I don’t know what we’re gonna come back to, if Carson tells anyone else what we are to each other.”
Oscar frowned. Then he said, “Hmph.”
“That all you got to say?”
“No, Jimmy, that ain’t all I got to say. I’m glad Carson figured it out, and I’m glad he knows. I believe him when he says it don’t matter to him, ’cause why should it? Who the hell cares but us?”
I stared at him, taken aback by the vehemence of his righteousness, though why I was surprised, I don’t know. Oscar had always defended our love this way.
“This is our life, and if we want to spend it together, as friends, or sweethearts, or anythin’ else, that’s our right, as long as we ain’t hurtin’ nobody.”
“Of course,” I said. “I know.”
“Then let’s not worry about it. We won’t be back for at least a few weeks, and probably it’ll be longer.
And I ain’t gonna think about anythin’ except our cozy house, Irene and Clarence and the friends we’re goin’ to help in Telegraph Creek—and how much I love you and want to always be where you are. ”
“All right,” I said. “Then I’ll do the same.”