THE BETTER PART OF VALOR. Morgan Mackinnon

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СКАЧАТЬ room because the informal restaurant was cozy and comfortable for them.

      “Tell me, Myles. What is it you do with the US Army? I do not mean to be too inquisitive.”

      “I am afraid my Civil War adventures are much more interesting. However, I do a variety of things. At present, I am assigned to Fort Abraham Lincoln, which is a large fort on the Missouri River in Dakota Territory. Despite my brevet rank, the end of the war dictated a much smaller military force. I was offered a commission as Captain in the regular army, and since I wished to stay in the military life, I accepted.

      “Part of our duty is to assist the Reconstruction efforts in the South. I have chased after moonshiners as well as Klan members. Sometimes I am asked to serve on the panels of court-martial proceedings. I have served as acting Quartermaster as well as a staff officer for General Sully. To tell you the truth, service in a remote fort can be quite boring, especially in winter.”

      She stirred her tea and took a sip. “Sounds to me as though you manage assignments to a variety of interesting duties.”

      “I have made it known I would volunteer for anything noteworthy. I am not fond of doing nothing but drill and parade and eat and then do it all over again.”

      As was normal in later afternoons, the Colonel was sipping at a glass of whiskey. Cresta shrewdly observed he drank too much, but she wasn’t sure why. It was true the Irish had a probably undeserved reputation as being hard drinkers but normally there was an underlying cause. So far, she had not seen him obviously inebriated.

      “Our real purpose on the frontier is to guard the crews working on the expansion of the railroads and to chase after Indians attacking settlers and stage stations. I say ‘chase after’ because that is literally all we can do. While we chase one band, they are miles away, attacking another station. We have had the misfortune to come upon stations that have been attacked and burned not more than an hour before we arrived. All we can do is bury…”

      Cresta wasn’t shocked in the least, but Myles apparently thought she, a lady, would be.

      “I apologize, Cresta. There are things I should not say to a lady with regards to what is happening on the plains. I will continue with your permission. When I am not on assignment elsewhere, I am in command of Company I, which is one of twelve companies of cavalry stationed at Fort Lincoln. Each company has a Captain, a First Lieutenant, a Second Lieutenant, one first sergeant, one quartermaster sergeant, eight corporals, two trumpeters, farrier, blacksmith, saddler, wagoner, and seventy-eight privates.”

      She smiled. “That is a lot of responsibility. And your commander?”

      Keogh made something of a disgusted sound in his throat. “My commanding officer is a nuisance. Obnoxious, rude, hateful, vindictive, reckless…shall I go on?”

      “If you hate him that much, why don’t you seek a permanent assignment elsewhere?”

      “Sometimes I ask myself that question. Well, for one thing, Fort Lincoln is new, it is spacious, I have my own officer’s quarters, I am frequently away on special assignment, and I take as much leave as I can manage. I seem to have the odd distinction of being considered one of the commander’s special cadre of insiders, plus his wife likes me. I am included in many social functions which shut out those who are not insiders. I tolerate it as well as I can.”

      She nodded. “Now I shall be nosy. Did you migrate from Ireland solely to offer your sword to the Union Army?”

      “In a way, I suppose I did. I volunteered with the Papal forces in Italy, did some Vatican duty, but at the time, the Union Army was desperate for experienced officers and were recruiting in Europe. I was commissioned in the volunteer units as a Captain. As always, I suppose, it was difficult to fit in until I proved my worth in battle.”

      “Because of your accent? I find it quite delightful.”

      His face was dark. “No. I find it odd that a country such as the United States, a country made up of immigrants, can manage to spawn hatred for new immigrants. Many Irish immigrated to the States because of poverty resulting from the potato famine. They were looked at as trash. Less than human because they were poor and wished for a better life. They were called shanty Irish or micks. The men I served with could not put me on the same level because I had a college education and came from a comfortable situation, but they took to calling me an Irish bastard until we had had a few fights and I showed them my mettle in battle. After leading a few cavalry charges, I was welcomed among all the men.”

      Cresta made no immediate reply but thought to herself how so many things in life always remained the same.

      Keogh then asked Cresta how she managed without her now deceased husband, and she replied she was much better off without the beast. She still had work as an alienist, her situation was secure, and she was content.

      “Do you ever intend to marry again?”

      She looked at him with her strange, violet eyes. “Never again. I fear there is something missing in my heart that will never be filled. I have my work and I have my cats.” She smiled. “Two out of three ain’t bad.”

      Chapter 4

      The fourth day out saw the weather worsening by the hour. The day began with darkening clouds on the horizon, passengers speculating whether the storm was moving towards them or away from them. Those who thought it was moving towards them won. By afternoon, stewards had secured the deck chairs as well as the chairs in the open lounge outside the informal restaurant. Notices were posted that the evening meal would be limited to the hour between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. and could passengers then please remain in their cabins for the remainder of the night? Passengers who ventured on deck and were swept overboard did so at their own risk.

      The sea was noticeably rougher when Keogh escorted Missus Leigh to the restaurant. At times, the pair actually had to grab hallway railings, and once they collided with each other in an oddly suggestive manner, but they laughed good-naturedly and moved on. For some reason, Cresta was very hungry and looked forward to supper. She hadn’t done much throughout the day except make notations in her black notebook, read, or chat with her companion. Tonight, she ordered the dressed turkey with mashed potatoes, peas, salad, buttered roll, and along with that, a glass of pinot grigio. Keogh hesitated and said he would have the roast beef and a jacket potato with salad. No roll but a glass of whiskey. As they were finishing their meals, the ship was definitely starting to flounder around on the waves. Noting other diners making quick exits, they did the same, but halfway to her cabin, Cresta glanced at Keogh and took a second look.

      “My dear Myles, you look absolutely green. Are you all right?”

      Myles Keogh didn’t answer. His stomach was convulsing like an untamed kangaroo hopping on a bed of hot coals. Must be the whiskey. He could not let Cresta see him ill, so he tried to concentrate on just getting her to her room. By the time Cresta inserted her key into her cabin door, Myles was leaning against the corridor wall.

      She took his arm. “Myles, come in. No, don’t try to argue with me. You look as seasick as anyone I’ve ever seen. Come in. Sit here.”

      Once the man was seated, she went into her washroom, grabbed the emergency basin under her sink, and had barely shoved it under Keogh’s nose before he was vomiting heavily. She knew he felt miserable, sick, embarrassed, and all of the above. Waiting for his heaving to lessen, she ran her hands lightly over his shoulders, making those little soothing noises women murmur to their upset children, nauseated boyfriends, and sick husbands. When he finally stopped for breath, СКАЧАТЬ