The Two Devils (15 page)

I dared not get distracted. This time, I had no pickaxe with me—though I was armed. And I had no idea if firearms were effective against this sort of foe. I moved cautiously toward Roy. Sure enough, a small shadow erupted into the shape of a bear and moved toward me. I aimed my revolver and it stopped.

"Roy, you hurt bad?” I asked.

"Dang nab it. Anyone ever get hurt good."

The fact he was still ornery seemed like a good sign. I looked at the shadow entity. “And what are you supposed to be?"

It turned into a raven shape. “Whatever you want me to be, Miles. Anything for you."

"It's like a living shadow,” Roy told me.

Roy never knew about my encounter with one of these things in the mine. I'd never told anyone about it. For just an instant, I worried this was the same one, then I decided it was another of the same kind. “What does it want from us?"

"Don't know, rightly, but watch its claws,” Roy warned as he rubbed the caked blood on his wrist.

The entity changed into a bear shape again, then almost playfully took a swipe at me with its claws. “Yes, Miles, watch my claws. Watch them cut you to pieces."

"How's it know our names?” Roy asked.

"It heard us talking at our camp,” I explained.

"It can hear that far away?"

"Yes, Roy, it can,” the entity answered. Then it turned back toward me. “You are a clever fellow, Miles. A very clever fellow, to figure all this out. Most of my prey are bewildered, totally bewildered, when they arrive."

I didn't respond to that. I made an effort to slip over to Roy's side of the cave, but the entity shot in between us.

"Very clever fellow, Miles is."

"What is this place?” Roy demanded.

"Hell,” the entity answered.

It might have been right. But, it was certainly not the hell I'd been to. “You know, Roy, back in Nevada, there was one of these in the mine."

"There was?” Roy asked.

"There was?” The entity changed into a snake shape and slithered along the floor around the pile of glowing embers. Then it sort of stood up, but kept its snake form. “And how would you know that?"

"Well, I sort of met it,” I said.

"If you had met it, you would not be here.” It coiled into snake form, then struck out at me, but missed. “Meeting one of us is one hundred percent lethal."

"How many of you are there?” I asked it.

"Not many. There doesn't need to be many of us.” It changed back to a bear shape. “I'm troubled, though, how you could see one of us and still be walking around."

"Just lucky,” I replied.

It turned back toward me. “Perhaps. Perhaps luck did not have much to do with it.” It changed into a two-dimensional woman. “And perhaps, I remind you of someone,” it said in Ruth's voice, as best as I could remember it. It was either reading my mind somehow, or it was connected to the other shadow creature I'd destroyed.

"Not likely."

"But Ruth thought you were so sweet.” It changed to a raven and flew around the ceiling of the chamber, then landed by the flickering fire. “And I've been waiting ever since then, waiting for the day you'd drop in to my lair."

"How'd you know I'd come here?” I asked. “To fall in some hole by the ocean?"

"It was your destiny, Miles.” It changed into a fair shadow likeness of me, then went over to Roy. “Roy, old buddy, you are free to go."

"I ain't leavin’ Miles,” Roy said.

"Get out of here, Roy,” I pleaded. He wasn't doing me any good by staying.

Roy started limping along toward the outer chamber and freedom.

The entity changed to a wolf form and raced in front of him to block his escape. “Just kidding, Roy. You're not going anywhere.” He meekly went back to the fire and sat down. “Now, things are really getting interesting.

I've never had three humans in one day. This is wonderful."

I was just about to ask about the third person when I noticed dirt crumbling. Then someone else fell into the lair. Even though it was dark, it appeared to be a woman, though she was dressed oddly. When she came closer, I realized she was an Indian, dressed in buckskin. The entity said something in a language I did not understand. She looked at me, then at Roy. Then, she sat on the ground.

"See, Miles. She accepts her fate. She knows she's doomed. So, she just awaits her death. None of this jumping around like you and Roy keep doing.” The entity changed into a snake and slithered right next to her knee. “I like that. My fire will burn brightly tonight."

With lightning speed, the Indian woman sliced a hunting knife at the entity. She missed, but the entity quickly retreated to the other side of the fire and changed into a raven. She slid her knife into a sheath on her belt.

"She ain't dressed like no squaw I ever seen,” Roy whispered.

Without looking at either of us, she said, “I speak English. And the word squaw is vulgar to my people. It means a woman's private parts."

"I'm Miles,” I said. “This here's Roy.” I pointed at the raven shadow. “And that is some sort of shadow creature."

She did not respond. She just stared into the crimson embers of the fire. “Your fire, it gives off no heat."

"Very clever girl, you are. It gives off other things,” the entity replied.

"I like her. Don't you, Miles?” It changed into the bear shape again.

"What's your name, woman?"

"I have no name. I am from the Yavapai Apache people."

"Arizona?” I asked. I'd lived near them in Flagstaff, but never had any dealings with her people.

She nodded. “I chose to live the life of a warrior. This is not allowed—not for a woman. My name will never be spoken again."

"Depressing,” the entity said. “Poor thing."

"Why is she here?” Roy asked. “Long way from Arizona."

"I am on a quest,” she said. “And now, I will die."

"You're all going to die.” It changed into the snake form, which seemed to be its favorite. “The problem, my dear, is we get so lonely. We find we want to play with our victims simply because it might be years before anyone else drops in. Ours is a lonely existence. And, only when one of us dies, do we get to share the experiences of those like us."

"I find it hard to weep for you,” she said.

"Same here,” Roy agreed.

"I've never had three at once.” It coiled like a rattler. “This is so invigorating."

"In all my sixty-three years, I ain't never seen nothing like this, nothing,” Roy said.

"Roy, if you'd been more adventurous, my counterpart in the mine would've taken you.” It reared up like a cobra. “But you were too fraidy to go inside the mine, so you became a cook."

That kind of took something out of Roy. It had him pegged pretty good. Of course, I had no idea what kind of torture it had already inflicted on him.

"He cooks really good,” I pointed out.

It changed to a pig shape and snorted. “And the great Miles, killer of those like me, is so stupid he doesn't even know there's no such thing as an otel."

"Not true,” I insisted. “I stayed in one a few days ago."

The Indian woman tried to keep from laughing. I wondered what joke I was not getting.

"Tell him,” the entity said. “Explain it to Miles.” She said nothing. It waited a full two minutes, perhaps a little more, then it told me “An otel, as you call them, is a hotel that is simply so run down that the letter ‘H’ has fallen off the sign. They are inexpensive because they are such dumps no one wants to stay in them. They do not exist."

"I don't believe that. I've stayed at a number of them, and saved cash every time."

"On that, Miles, we can all agree."

"Each hour we're in here, we all get a little more tired,” Roy pointed out, “More vulnerable to it."

"True, Roy,” it agreed. “But, you're already vulnerable. I'm just enjoying our conversation so much. Are you in a hurry to die, Roy? Ready to end your existence?"

"Talkin’ to this thing's like talkin’ to my second wife. Just throws everything right back at your face,” Roy said.

"Wives!” It changed into a woman's silhouette. “How many wives have you had, Roy?"

Roy counted out on his hand. “Uh, six, I reckon."

"Six wives!” I blurted out.

"Yeah, six,” Roy agreed. “That's right."

"Miles,” it asked, “do you not think that a bit excessive?"

"Perhaps, but I don't know much about what happened,” I pointed out.

"Did they leave you?” It changed into a snake form. “Or perhaps you have them stuffed in a trunk somewhere?"

"Well, first one dropped dead.” Roy thought a moment. “Number two, she run off with some sea captain. Three, she dropped dead. Four, she just sort of disappeared. Injuns killed number five,” he looked at the Indian woman, “Utes. Number six, well she lives down in San something, south of here. She left me, but we're still hitched."

"That's really touching, Roy,” the entity said. “You are one pathetic individual."

"He does the best he can,” the Indian woman declared. “Not everyone can achieve perfection, to your standards."

It changed into a dog, or coyote, I wasn't sure. “You seem rather well educated for a mindless savage."

"I am well educated for a mindless savage,” she snapped back.

"Ah, you're an educated savage. Hooray!"

"You are insane."

"Perhaps,” it admitted. “Perhaps I am."

"I went to missionary school, but I escaped,” she said. “And now I am here."

"This is getting boring.” It started swirling around, then changed into a bear, a bear with really long claws. “Who wants to die first?"

The woman stood. “Let's get this over.” She promptly took her buckskin shirt off. There was nothing underneath it.

"I'm sure you've given Roy and Miles an unexpected treat, but stripping is really unnecessary.” It waved a claw though the air. “I will tear you apart, my dear, bit by bit, until you are all gone."

She threw her knife at it. The entity easily moved out of the way, but it also ended up a few steps back from the fire. Then, she threw herself onto the fire, scooped up most of the embers in her shirt, and hurled them hard against the wall of the cave. It seemed like sparks went everywhere.

Even though I wasn't sure what was happening, I kicked a few remaining embers out of the fire pit. The entity was stunned. It didn't seem to know what to do. I charged it, grabbed it and just ran with the creature until we were outside. “No, Miles, no!” were its last words. Just like the other one had done back in Nevada, it sort of crumpled up into an ash-like dust and disintegrated. I stood there a moment, unable to reconcile what had happened.

"Is it dead?” the woman asked. She was standing next to me.

"Yes,” I said. “It said there are others. I wonder how many."

"With luck, you will never know,” she said.

"Dang strange goin's on, I say,” Roy said. “You never said nothin’ about one of these things in the mine."

"Would you have believed me?” I asked without looking at him.

"Hell no."

I took my shirt off and draped it over the woman. “I got another shirt if I can find my horse and saddlebags.” It didn't fit her very well. It was too big, but she didn't seem to mind.

"How come it was afraid of knives?” Roy asked. “Why didn't you just shoot it?"

"The knife might hurt it, Roy, but I don't think it would kill it. Its power came from that fire,” the woman said. “At least, that is how I understand it. Of course, I did not have a gun with me.” She looked at the gun still in my holster.

And she didn't know that the gun I carried wasn't exactly ordinary.

"Somehow, I just figured it would get it all riled up. Face it, if there hadn't been three of us..."

"I'm gonna go and see if I can find wife number six,” Roy announced.

"Good seeing you again, Roy,” I said. We all climbed back up the hill a little ways. Roy's mule and Paul were eating grass. The woman had a spotted mare known as a pinto. The horse was saddled. I'd always thought Indians rode without saddles. The butt of a rifle stuck out of a leather holder. “I hope your quest turns out well,” I said.

"It will, Miles O'Malley, it will,” she said. She climbed up on her horse.

I waved at Roy and watched him disappear down the trail.

Then something registered in my head. “Paul, help!” And I started running as fast as I could. Some dirt exploded right next to me as the crack of a rifle tore through the air. My horse was behind her. There was no way he could dash to my rescue. I found a downed tree and dove behind it as another round tore off some bark. I looked up to see the Indian woman was still on her horse, slowly moving toward me. I aimed my revolver, but dearly wished I had the rifle in Paul's saddlebag. Even Nick-provided weapons had to have some limits, and she had me pinned down and was still about a hundred yards from me.

"How did you know!” she yelled.

I could barely hear her, the ocean still drowned out a lot of sounds. “I never told you my last name!"

She nodded, then aimed and took another shot at me. Thankfully, it struck the tree instead of me. She was a little far and reluctant to come closer on account of my being armed. I'd been amazed at what my gun had done in the past. I aimed and fired. As I feared, even my gun had its limits.

I don't know where the bullet went, but she was still on her horse, pointing her rifle at me.

"Why are you doing this?” I yelled. “Before today, I never saw you."

She fired another shot, which also missed. We seemed to be at a stalemate. Then, I guess my wonderful horse decided he'd had enough of this. He was quietly approaching her from behind.

He grabbed hold of her rifle barrel and yanked it away from her. She was no match for a horse's strength. He trotted around for a minute, then ran over and dropped the rifle next to me.

I gladly picked it up. “Thanks Paul.” I unloaded it. Then I took my rifle out of Paul's saddlebags. I aimed it at her. “Madam, this rifle has more range than yours. I assure you, I can kill you at this distance. Now, climb down off your horse."

She did as I ordered. Then I got on Paul and rode over to her.

The woman looked up at me. “How'd you train a horse to do that?"

"He's a very good horse. Now, will you tell me why you're trying to kill me?"