THE IMPERIAL ENGINEER (46 page)

And build.

And build, until he could no longer contain it.

As he emptied himself inside her, he felt the spasms of her completion, milking
him. Pulling at his very soul.

A long time later, when he hovered on the edge of exhausted but restful sleep, he
heard her soft whisper.

"Tony? Are you still awake?"

"Barely."

"The voice on the telephone? He came from the South. Listening to Patrick
Newell tonight...there was something about the way he spoke that sounded the same. A
hint of a drawl..."

She seemed to fall asleep then.

Tony didn't, because she'd given him something new to think about.

* * * *

Six large batteries, connected in series, powered the switchboard. The next
morning Tony connected the two fully charged batteries into the set and sent a second pair
to the smelter in Ketchum for charging. This morning he'd received a reply to his telegram
ordering a spare set. Unfortunately it hadn't been good news. With so many new telephone
systems being built, the demand for batteries of any sort was far exceeding the supply.
With any luck, his order might be filled in a month.

In the meantime, he had two spares, and once he got all eight batteries charged, he
would be able to operate with some leeway. The dynamo was beyond repair, although
there were some parts he could salvage. A new one would be expensive, the cost more than
he was authorized to spend without Eagleton's approval.

The man had sure picked a rotten time to travel.

Lulu entered, carrying a handful of mail. "We have a letter from your parents," she
said, waving it at him. "Can you stop long enough to read it?"

"Sure." He laid down the electrometer and motioned her to sit at the small desk
against the wall. "You said 'we.' That must mean they got our cable."

"I don't think so. This is postmarked Boston. Ellen must have told them." She
ripped open the envelope and extracted the single sheet. "Shall I read it?"

He leaned over her shoulder, one hand on the desk. "Go ahead." His eyes followed
along as she read, stumbling a bit over an occasional word written in Silas's back-slanting
hand.

We're absolutely thrilled, of course, and consumed
with curiosity about the circumstances leading to a marriage in March and a baby due in
June. Soomey reminds me she always predicted you would marry, and promises she will
raise hell if anyone says a word of criticism.

Mostly we're excited, and already making plans to be in Idaho by the first of June.
Nothing will prevent our being at the birth of our grandchild.
We'd planned to
connect up with the Lachlans and Kings in London next month, so perhaps we can all
travel back together. I can't imagine Hattie and Flower staying away from such a
momentous occasion.

The rest of the letter was news about their travels--Silas still oversaw his shipping
empire personally, although Buffalo Lachlan was gradually taking over the day-to-day
operation. "The thought of all the family coming for the birth of our children is daunting,"
Tony said. "Oh, hell! Nobody knows it's twins. We'll have to--"

"No, we won't. I think we should keep this our secret. As long as we can,
anyway." She tilted her head back and looked up at him. "What do you want to bet that
Mamma, Aunt Hattie, and Soomey will all insist on helping with the birth?"

"I never bet on sure things. They can be there, as long as they don't try to keep me
out."

"You want to be there?"

"Try and keep me away." He dropped a kiss on her lips. "I'll walk you to the
office, then I've got to come back here. Lots to do."

"You don't need--"

"You're not going anywhere alone, not until we catch whoever's been trying to kill
us."

"Tony!"

"Let's go." He crossed the room to get his coat, hanging on a corner of the
switchboard.

"I am not helpless."

"But you're pregnant, and not as agile as you used to be. Now, can we go? Or are
we going to fight about it?"

She strode to the door, opened it. "What," she demanded, "are we waiting
for?"

The Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone Company has hardly completed the purchase of
the sole right to the Territories of Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and Idaho, yet it has already
taken steps to bring the telephone into use all over its territory. It now has 11 exchanges,
with an aggregate of about 1,000 instruments in use.

Wood River Times

~~~

They were eating dinner in Tony's office at Eagleton's place of business on Friday
when someone came in the front door. Since he had left it locked, Tony immediately went
to investigate. Lulu reached for the shotgun, which she had stood in the corner, and put it
into the kneehole of the desk, keeping one hand on the barrel.

She heard voices, indistinct. Neither held threat or anger, so she relaxed a little.
"I've a lot to tell you, sir, and you won't like most of it," Tony was saying as he ushered
Mr. Eagleton himself through the doorway.

"Well, boy, I've some news of my own, and I've a feeling some of it'll be welcome
and some won't. Dinner, you said? Have you enough to share with a tired, hungry
traveler?"

"Of course, Mr. Eagleton," Lulu said, standing and motioning for him to take her
chair. She tried to set the shotgun back into the corner unobtrusively, but failed. Eagleton's
eyebrows went up, but he said nothing.

They had ordered far too much food from the Nevada Chop House, having
planned to take the remainders home for supper, so there was plenty for Mr. Eagleton. He
refused to talk business while they ate, so they spoke of events in town. Lulu related some
of the tidbits she'd heard from Mrs. Graham, leaving the news of the destruction of their
belongings for later.

While Lulu took care of the little food that was left and packed the plates and
silverware for return to the restaurant, Tony quickly summarized the situation at the
telephone exchange. To Lulu's surprise, for her impression of him was that he was highly
volatile, Eagleton listened without interruption until Tony said, "We'll manage, but it's
going to be expensive, having a man take the batteries to Ketchum every day. I sure wish
the railroad went all the way."

"Yes, it's going to cost me a little, but not because of wages. You see, as of the
first of May, I won't be the owner of the Hailey Telephone Exchange any longer. I sold out
to Rocky Mountain Bell, seeing as how they have exclusive rights to the whole
Territory."

Tony looked as if he'd been struck a blow. Lulu clasped his shoulder, wishing she
could demand why Eagleton had betrayed her husband this way. Before she could more
than open her mouth, he went on.

"I stopped over in Boise on my way back. The fella there told me he'd talked to
you in Denver. Said he'd offered you a job, anytime you wanted it. I told him I'd send you
on over as soon as you could get packed up."

"Mr. Eagleton--"

Tony caught her hand, squeezed it. "Thank you, Mr. Eagleton," he said,
forestalling her protest at his high-handedness. "I hadn't intended to leave you
short-handed, but I won't deny I'd welcome a new challenge. I'll have to talk it over with Mrs.
Dewitt, and find out more about what position I'd hold. Naturally I'll stay here until you
can find someone to take over my responsibilities."

Biting her lip. Lulu went back to her housewifely duties. Whatever Tony decided,
she would agree to, but oh, how she wanted to move to Boise. The legislature was there, so
even tied down with two children, she could make a difference.

"We'll manage, don't you worry. It'd be a shame for me to hold you back. Now
then, you say you think all the problems we've had are related? Any reason why you think
that?"

Tony pulled Lulu's list of incidents from his desk drawer and handed it to
Eagleton. Lulu was wishing she'd made a typewritten copy when she heard him say, "The
house is sound, but we'll have to see about repainting and repairing the windows and
replacing the kitchen linoleum."

"Nonsense," Eagleton told him. "None of that was your fault. I'll take care of it.
Now, let's talk about what we have to get done before you go off to Boise." He clapped
Tony on the shoulder. "In my office, I think. I've missed my chair."

"Oh, dear, let me get the typewriter, then," Lulu said, wanting to work on the
article she'd been writing this morning. "I've been using your desk while you were gone. I
hope you don't mind."

"She's a dab hand at the typewriter," Tony said, "much better than I am. I've been
having her take care of all the correspondence."

Eagleton's next words reassured Lulu, who'd been afraid he'd disapprove of her
helping Tony with his job.

"You are? Good. I'll put you to work, then, if you're willing. I've got a lot of letters
to write in the next few days."

"I'll be happy to help out, if I can," she agreed, wondering what she was letting
herself in for. Secretarial work was not to her taste.

* * * *

Eagleton's return seemed almost to be a calming influence on the town. Tony
spent most of his time at the switchboard, overseeing Jack as he took on more and more of
the responsibility for day-to-day operations. Privately Tony wasn't sure the young man
would be able to perform satisfactorily for the new owners, but he was willing to give Jack
the benefit of the doubt.

The aftermath of the League's meeting surprised him. A few men about the town
shunned him, and he knew some were speaking of boycotting Eagleton. He didn't know
what good it would do. None of them had signed up for telephone service, and Eagleton's
other business ventures were not such that local investors were common. Only once was he
refused service in any establishment, and that had been at the barbershop. So he simply
took his business down the street to Tom Holmes, and found the man far more pleasant and
friendly than his previous barber had ever been.

Lulu reported much the same situation, although she'd been told her trade was not
welcome at the
Bon Appetit
, a small tea room catering to the town's more social
crowd. Since she'd only gone in the tea room once, with Imajean, she'd been more amused
than anything. "As if I'd pay their price for tea not half so good as what I make myself,"
she'd said, when relating the experience to Tony. She went on to tell him of her meeting on
Main Street with Mrs. Axminster, who'd cut her dead. "I liked that far better than having to
make a polite response to one of her diatribes."

The Sunday after Eagleton's return, Tony wrote to the fellow in Boise who'd offered
him a job. Lulu laughed at his hesitation. "I doubt very much they've ever heard of the
Sagacity River Bridge Disaster. And even if they have, your recommendation from Mr.
Eagleton will carry far more weight. Don't you
want
to move to Boise?"

"Of course I do. Living there would be the next best thing to being close to Silas
and Soomey. Maybe even better, considering Soomey's tendency to boss everyone."

"Pooh! Soomey and I will get along famously." Her confident grin was more like
the Lulu he remembered than anything he'd seen for days. "Although I do admit we'd
probably get along better at a distance than in the same town."

"Soomey a grandmother! I'll bet she's over the moon."

He wrote the letter, then asked Lulu to type it for him. After he'd mailed it on
Monday, he had an instant's indecision. Almost he asked the postal clerk to hand it back.
Was he asking for certain rejection?

Lulu believed in him. He decided he should trust her.

* * * *

The letter from Lulu's parents arrived on Wednesday. She could practically feel
the excitement spilling out of it. When she'd read it through the first time, she handed it to
Tony. "It sounds to me as if Uncle Emmett and Aunt Hattie had to practically tie Mamma
down to keep her from boarding the next ship home."

He read, the smile on his face spreading with each line. "Your father is almost as
bad. I'm surprised though. I'd have thought he'd want a grandson."

"Oh, Pappa's downright silly about little girls. He loves the boys, but he practically
dotes on me. If he'd had his way, I'd have been thoroughly spoiled." She thought back to
one sentence she'd read. "He's really disappointed he didn't get a chance to walk me down
the aisle."

Tony's mouth twisted. "I'm sorry, Lulu. You deserved a nice wedding."

She went behind him and leaned over, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Tony,
the only time I ever wanted a big wedding was when I was about twelve years old. I never
gave it a moment's thought after that, because I wasn't planning to marry. So don't fret,
please. What's important is that we... I did come to my senses and marry you."

She read over his shoulder. "Oh! I missed that the first time. Gabe's coming home
with them." She read on. "I wonder why."

"Maybe he's tired of the spy business." Tony turned the sheet over. "They'll be
here the end of May. Will they be in time?"

"I hope so." She'd been to see Dr. Lewis that afternoon. He'd warned her again that
twins often came early, but she didn't think she'd remind Tony of the possibility. He had
enough to worry about. Time enough when they were settled in Boise.

She hadn't a doubt he would be hired, but she hadn't convinced him. He still
believed his unwarranted reputation of incompetence had followed him to Idaho.

I wish I'd hear from Professor Stelzner.

* * * *

Tony stopped at the Silver Dollar Bar with Eagleton on Saturday after work. His
employer had signed the final sale papers this afternoon and had been in a mood to
celebrate, even though the damage resulting from the latest vandalism had reduced the
selling price by a considerable sum. "I like to start new things," Eagleton confessed after
knocking back his second whisky, "but hate to run them. Besides, I've retained the water
rights and ownership of the waterwheel site. Maybe I'll put in that electrical generating
plant you tried to sell me on." He slapped Tony's back, causing him to spray whiskey
across the bar. "Boy, you ought to be a salesman. You've almost convinced me not to build
a steam generator."