a moment, then said, “I guess it wouldn’t hurt. Do you want to see our project?”
“Sure,” I said. “What else do I have to do?”
“Come on, then,” Susanah said. “I’ll show you.”
I followed her outside, along the back of the train to the place where Olivia and Asa had fought. But she led me beyond it, to the cliffside. She stood with her boot on an odd white rock, and said, “Puuku.” Then the side of the cliff was just gone and in its place was the mouth of a high, broad cave. She led me into it, and we walked a little ways into the cliffside, Mowse lighting the torches as we passed them with a pinch of something and a whispered word. A tingle of familiarity went through me. Was this the fire spell I knew? And if so, how had Mowse learned it? Had Cassandra taught her?
But before I could think too much about this, they stopped in front of an alcove that smelled of motor oil, and Susanah said, “There they are: our pride and joy.”
I moved forward until Mowse lit a torch nearby, throwing the alcove into light. At first, I wasn’t sure what I was looking at. Then, when my brain pieced it all together, I couldn’t help but move forward to get a better look.
They were horses. Four life-size horses put together from pieces of metal, springs, gears. Robotic horses, with lightbulbs from old headlights for eyes, rusty license plates and pieces of sheet metal for skin, actual bones covered in metal for jaws, and ropes for manes. Their long, lean legs were pistons. Their backs were broad and strong and plainly well put together.
“You built these?” I gasped.
“Yep,” Susanah said. “With my own two hands.”
“I helped!” said Mowse. “Mostly with that one.” She pointed to the one on the end.
“Two people can ride on each one,” Susanah said. “Theoretically, I mean. I’ve never been able to get them to work long enough. Anytime I try to build anything that runs off electricity, the desert just drains it. So they’re a work in progress, I guess, until I find another power source. But once they’re finished, nobody in the desert will want to mess with us.”
“But why horses?” I asked. “Why not cars or something?”
“I’m Comanche,” she said. “Numunuu, Kotsoteka. We were horse riders from right here on the Plains. And even if I didn’t get to learn much about my people before they sent me off to Chilacco, I’m back home now. I can at least have my own horses if I can’t have anything else, you know?” Susanah stared at the horses for a moment more, then shrugged. “Anyway, hooves are more maneuverable on sand and dust than wheels are.”
We stood, staring at the horses for a few more minutes, Mowse telling me about this thing and that; then we left the horses slumping in the darkness and went back to the train. There, Olivia and Judith were gathered around the table, Judith with toast in her mouth and Olivia finishing a cup of coffee. There were two plates left, carefully saved for Zo and Cassandra.
“Well, there they are,” said Judith. “’Bout time we saw you this morning.”
“Good thing I came back too,” laughed Susanah. “Or you’d have eaten all of it yourself.”
“It’s not my fault you cook so much better than Olivia,” said Judith. “Hey, maybe we should find that Harold Lloyd guy. Maybe y’all can have a cooking contest and settle it once and for all!”
“Shut up, Judith!” Olivia flicked Judith with her bandanna.
“What is he, anyway?” Judith asked me. “’Cause he sure ain’t normal.”
I took a deep breath. Might as well just tell them, I thought. “He’s a daemon, given form by the Goddess of Life and sent to help Life win the Game. He was here on a mission to return a cricket in amber to its owner, and somehow that was supposed to help tip the Game in Life’s favor, but we got exiled, so now we’re out here together.”
Judith and Olivia blinked at me, bewildered.
“What’s the difference between a daemon and a demon?” Judith asked.
I sighed. “It’s like a… like a… It’s some ancient Greek thing. But not evil! More neutral to… be a sort of go-between between people and gods.”
Judith and Olivia exchanged dubious glances.
“He’s a really nice guy, though,” I finished lamely.
Judith shrugged and nodded. “If you say so.”
But Olivia wasn’t finished. “Whatever he is, why did he have my picture?”