Читать книгу Spawn of the North - Barrett Willoughby - Страница 17

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Eve, to quote Sockeye, was having the time of her life. The languid air she had worn when she entered the roadhouse vanished soon after she found herself surrounded by eager, admiring men. And she had promptly abandoned fruit punch for moose-milk. Sockeye, after watching her for a while, attempted to make clear to her that there were certain social distinctions, certain things a girl like her did not do, even in such a mixed Alaskan crowd. But Eve laughed at him. She talked and drank with everyone, and when she grew tired of dancing she wandered from table to table chatting with men who were sitting out.

Blossom, watchful in the kitchen doorway, saw her slip to a secluded corner where Red Skain lurked in the shadows.

Red, owner of the Fort Tongass, was a big, square-framed man who habitually went in his shirt-sleeves and for sleeve-holders wore women's round garters with a buckle of entwined hearts. Tonight, however, he had on a coat. All evening he had sat at his remote table, his close-cropped red head, slightly bald in front, emerging above a cloud of smoke, his pale, opaque eyes sliding over the crowd. The hand that held his cigarette was strong and pulpy with a fleshy back that stood out like hardtack that had been soaked in bilge-water.

Blossom's mouth drew down at the corners when she observed Eve lean across the table and with a strange little smile light her cigarette from that of Red. When the girl sat down and began luring out the short, harsh sentences that made up Red's conversation, Blossom turned and with a jerk of her head summoned Briny from the kitchen. She gave him a poke with her plump elbow. 'Briny'—the words came guardedly from the corner of her mouth—'Dian's little cheechako friend ain't got no business hob-nobbing with Red Skain. He's a cache-robbing wolf and hard as a whore's heart. Chase over there and get her to break away.' Then, as Briny started eagerly to obey, she tweaked his sleeve and cautioned in a whisper: 'But be smooth about it. Remember he's a good customer.'

Briny made his way through the jostling crowd and paused before Red's table. With his head turned sidewise on his thin neck, he smiled ingratiatingly at the glowing-eyed Eve.

'Beg parding, Miss Galliard, I 'ate to tike you off from Red's bonzer back-chat, but there's somethin' important for you to see out in the kitching.'

'I hope,' said Eve, when she and Briny were crossing the floor, 'that you're going to make me another of those delightful drinks.'

'Smite me soul!' ejaculated Briny, delighted. 'That's just wot I was aiming for!'

Eve ensconced herself behind a little table in the kitchen and Briny began manipulating the cocktail-shaker. 'You see I'm tossing this one up special for you, Miss Galliard. An' I'm going to fix it so it 'as a kick like a box-fighter.'

When he poured the creamy mixture into a glass, Eve gave a throaty little chuckle and patted the seat beside her. 'Pour yourself one, Briny, and sit down here beside me. I want you to tell me things.'

Briny complied with alacrity, his pale eyes shining as they moved over her exquisite, lace-draped figure. She unveiled her dazzling sapphire gaze and, with lips parted, touched her glass to that of the little man.

'Ar-r-r!' he gasped. 'Gor'struth, Miss, but you'd melt the 'eartstrings of a china dorg wen you look that way! I 'ad a girl onct'—he became garrulously confidential under her flattering smile—'over on the China coast it were, and you remind me a lot of her. Only she were 'eavier a-beam nor you. I liked 'em 'eavy in them days; but now I goes in for the trimmer models. Yes, she were like you—just a kid when I met up wiv her. She were dark, too.'

'A half-caste, Briny? Dark blood?' There was an encouraging eagerness in Eve's voice.

'Maybe a dash of color. I dunno. But she 'ad them same eyes as you've got. The sort that ketch a feller right in the bellers wen you lamps 'im. Only 'ers was black, and 'er 'air more crinkly, maybe. Gawd!'—Briny rolled his pale orbs—'wot a howl she put up wen my ship left! You could 'ear her carrying on the whole length of the quay, wiv me right there and the captain lookin' on!... She give me this scar on my 'ead, see?'

'Briny! How romantic!' Though Eve's words were for the little man, her interested gaze was plumbing the depths of the cocktail-shaker. 'It's very evident to me that you've always been a great favorite with women.' She held out her empty glass and Briny refilled it.

'Ar-r-r! Wimmin!' He sighed heavily and set down the cocktail-shaker. 'I could tell you things, Miss Heve, if I was a-mind to! Gawd, wot a man like me means by coming to a fish country and settlin' down wen they is wimmin waitin' for 'im in tropic lands!... 'Course, I'm married proper now. You can see our certificate framed in our bedroom. So there's no use torking about it. But Blossom—now, she carn't understand. Good sort, and all, but wen a man's traveled like me, you know yourself it mikes a difference. You ain't been married none—or 'ave you, Miss Heve? No! Well, me and Blossom 'as been together a long time—too long I——'

'Briny!' He leaped to his feet. Blossom was standing over the table, her black eyes fixed with dislike on Eve. 'On the job!' She jerked her head to indicate the other room. 'Shoot a round of moose-milk in there to Lem Hanley's table.'

Ivor came striding into the kitchen. 'Oh, here you are!' His face lighted as he saw the tiny figure in black lace. 'They've turned on the radio for a while, Eve. Will you come? I don't want to miss a minute of this dance with you.'

With indolent deliberation Eve handed her empty glass to Blossom, who glared at her and set it down with a thump.

As Ivor led his partner out to the dance floor, Blossom snorted: 'Humph!' The corners of her mouth turned down. Her scowling gaze focused on Eve. With emphatic though silent lips she began mouthing a string of potent words. The last two came out in a hoarse, torrid whisper:

'Lit-tul ... bastritch!'