The Two Devils (3 page)

"In the mine? You want me to go down there?” The mules weren't working. Even if I got a cart to roll me down, I'd have to hoof it all the way back out. “What's he doing down there?"

"Trying to figure out where to start the new tunnel. He thinks there's a big vein somewhere,” she explained.

"It's a holiday.” My protests were pointless. I soon found myself, tray in hand, picking up a lantern and heading into the mine. She was right about one thing. It was a lot cooler in there.

I climbed into an oar car, and with a little jostling, got the car rolling along. I'd ridden the thing down before, but this time was different. With all the miners off, there weren't any lanterns lit up. So, I just sort of jostled around in the dark, holding my lantern, and hoping the little car wouldn't derail or run into anything as it whisked me off into the earth. Finally, it stopped—so abruptly I was thrown from the cart.

I landed in a pile of dirt. At least the darkness hid my filth. Clyde's lantern could be seen just ahead.

Clyde was a mining engineer. He liked to ponder things at times when the mine was quiet and inactive.

I'd walked, perhaps fifty feet, when I realized I'd forgotten the tray—my reason for being there. I turned around and somehow managed to get my left foot caught in a depression underneath the oar car tracks. I couldn't move. I was just able to reach a pickaxe leaning against a support truss. As I stood there trying to pry myself loose, I heard footsteps coming up from behind me. “Hey Clyde, I'm stuck."

I looked up. It was Clyde, but he acted like he didn't see me. He was running, not walking, and he ran right on past me and vanished into the darkness. I didn't know if the mine was about to collapse or the man was seeking the privy, but I tried to hurry my efforts. Then, an icy cold shot of adrenaline raced up my back. My back usually knew I was in danger before I did. I again looked up and saw one of the strangest things I'd ever seen.

It was a man, but wasn't. You could see right through him. And he sort of glowed. He was running along, oblivious to me and carrying a rather large chest; wooden with metal trim. The chest had a padlock on it, and the whole thing sort of glowed slightly, much like the man carrying it.

Soon, the man was out of sight, vanishing in the direction Clyde had run off to. And I was alone again, trying to free myself. And again, I heard steps coming out of the mine. This new guy wasn't glowing. I can only say, I'd never seen the likes of this, either. He had to have been hairy or maybe that wasn't hair covering him. I don't really know. He stood at least eight feet tall. There were horrible fangs sticking out of his mouth. And his eyes glowed like the coals of a dying campfire.

He looked straight at me. “Give me the chest!” His voice was deep and angry. I reasoned, if there were demons in hell, this would be one.

I pointed over my shoulder. “It went that way, with the glowing guy."

"You lie!” He reared back and hurled a fireball straight at me. This fireball, about the size of a large snowball, was red and orange, and a trail of flame followed behind it. As it was about to hit me, I instinctively put the pickaxe up in front of me. The fireball bounced off and it exploded into sparks when it hit the tunnel wall. He threw a second one. I deflected it to the other wall. The big fellow decided this wasn't working, so he marched right up to me. “Give me the chest or I rip your head off."

I had no doubt at all he had the power and temperament to do it. I readied my pickaxe. “The glowing guy has it."

"I believe him. Don't you?” It was Nick Mephistopheles. And he was standing right next to me. I wondered where he'd come from.

The demon backed off a few feet. He wanted to say something, but couldn't or wouldn't. And he seemed very afraid of Nick.

"Miles, this is a demon. Most folks like you don't come across such things,” Nick explained. “His name is Ellul. And I must say, I wouldn't have thought you were the sort to stand your ground with him."

"My foot's stuck.” I pointed down at the track.

Ellul and Nick both let out some loud laughter with that. But only for an instant, then Ellul stopped. He came back over to me, reached down, and easily lifted the track enough to free me.

Nick rubbed his chin in thought. “Well, Miles, we've got a bit of a problem.” He looked at Ellul. “Go back and patch that dang blasted hole up.” Then he looked back at me. “In the search for minerals, your employer has knocked a hole into my territory. This is most unfortunate."

"Territory?” I asked.

"Miles, you're not that stupid, boy. Hell. You've surely heard of it, and it is just down at the end of that tunnel,” Nick said. He pointed back in the direction of the hole.

"I don't like the sound of this.” I wished I hadn't said that the second the words left my mouth.

Nick again started rubbing his chin. “Miles, that glowing guy, as you called him, is a ... well, we'll call him an unprocessed soul. And he has something of mine—something very important."

"The trunk?” I asked.

"Yes, the trunk,” Nick said. “And I want it back. And I want you to get it for me."

"Me?” I couldn't figure out why I had to get involved in this. “Why me? I didn't have nothing to do with this,” I reminded him.

"Miles, under the master lease for hell, well ... my powers out there,” he pointed back toward the mine entrance, “are somewhat restricted. But you don't want to cross me. I can make your life most miserable, believe me."

"Why me?” I protested. “I didn't take it. I just got my foot caught in the track or I'd have skedaddled out of here long ago."

"If it weren't for these bull-headed miners, none of this would've happened. That's why I was trying to buy the mine.” Nick looked at me and smiled. I don't know why, but he kept reminding me of a grinning snake, though he really had no such features. “Miles, I'll make it worth your while. Name your price? Women? Money? How about a nice job as governor in a few years?"

"It's tempting, but—” I hesitated a moment. “You don't have the best reputation for making bargains. No offense."

He waved his hand around. “Lies, all lies from our competitor. Are you with me, Miles?"

"I don't..."

"Miles, the mine will cave in. I'll see to that. Would you rather it be full of your pals, or at a time like this when it's empty?” Nick asked. “I am not sharing hell with a bunch of miners, Miles. You can bet on that."

"Why don't you just turn the gold into lead? Then they'll go away,” I suggested.

"Wonderful.” He literally smacked himself. “Miles, I never though of that. Kind of reverse alchemy. I like it, but they'll need convincing to abandon this hole."

"Good.” It seemed better than a cave-in, anyway.

"Well, while we get to work on that, you go and find that soul and my chest?” Nick asked. “I really need that chest back, Miles."

"Okay.” I shook his clammy hand on it. “What about that soul?” This soul stuff was a little new to me.

"I don't really care about the soul, Miles. There's plenty of souls that have wandered off.” He looked around for a moment. “But don't spread that around. Just get me my chest back. And don't open it."

"We shook on it,” I reminded him. “I'll do my best."

"Good man,” Nick said as I started the long trek back to the entrance.

He called after me, “You might look into Howdy."

"Why Howdy?” I asked.

"The soul, it was from there. Used to be a doctor or lawyer or something,” Nick said. “They always want to go home. Nobody there wants him. That never stops them, though."

So, I hoofed it all the way to the entrance. My eyes hadn't even adjusted to daylight again when Emily was at my side. “Tell him he's nuts."

"Who's nuts? What?” I spotted Clyde over by the water trough. He was sitting there with his face in his hands.

"Clyde thinks the mine's haunted,” she said.

"Oh.” I headed for my tent.

"Tell him!” she demanded.

"He already knows it's haunted. He don't need me to tell him that.” I don't think that's what she wanted to hear. A drinking glass flew by my right ear.

I stuffed some clothes in my duffle, then headed for the mining office. Mr. Driscoll was asleep in his chair. “Mr. Driscoll?"

He sat upright. “What?"

"Mr. Driscoll, I need a few days off,” I explained. “For personal business."

He didn't seem to be sure who I was. “I've got a business to run,” he finally grunted.

"I really need a few days. I owe these fellows a favor.” It was the best I could come to the truth.

"Out of the question.” He pointed at the door. “Get back to work."

"Well, I guess I'll have to quit,” I said.

He shook his fist. “You can't quit. You're fired!"

I hadn't been fired in months now. I was overdue, anyway.

Howdy is off in the middle of nowhere, even by Nevada standards. It started out like all the other mining towns, but then they figured out how little ore there was to mine. Most folks had drifted on to more profitable digs. A few remained to sell things to the hapless sorts who got lost on their way to Virginia City or Reno.

I kept telling myself some day I was going to buy a horse. I decided the building with the sign that read “otel,” must be a lodging establishment. It was. I took their cheapest room and plopped myself down on a rather lumpy mattress so I could contemplate how I'd gotten there. I couldn't figure out how Nick had talked me into this. I couldn't care less about Nick's trunk. I wondered how I'd even find it, then I drifted off to sleep. Nothing makes you tired like walking everywhere.

The following morning, I was real hungry. The only eating place seemed to be the café. The otel certainly had no dining facilities that I could find. I seated myself and ordered some flapjacks and ham from a surly woman. The food, when it finally arrived, was palatable, though nothing fancy. I'd been cooking for the miners and could have done much better. As I ate my meal, I tried to listen in on the conversation three locals were having at the rear of the establishment. I couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but something odd had happened the previous night. Then I looked out the front window. Clyde was out there on a horse. He rode on, but I wasn't surprised when there was a knock on my door at the otel a little later on.

Clyde pushed his way inside without asking for an invite. He set himself in the only chair the room had to offer and gazed vacantly out the window. “I gotta hear it with me own ears, boy. Did you see it too?"

"Sure. You betch ya.” I stretched out on the lumpy bed. “Went right by me."

He sort of shook his head. “I see."

"I never seen nothing like it, either, Clyde.” I knew he hadn't come all this way, just to ask if I'd seen it. “Mine started up?"

"No. It's like all the ore just disappeared. I been a mining engineer for twenty years, boy. All I can find down there is pyrite and quartz. And we're finding batches of lead. There shouldn't be any lead.” Clyde shook his head again. “Devil's doing. You a church goer, boy?"

"I been to church.” I just couldn't remember when. “Bein’ on the road, well you know how it is."

"Well, I gotta find that thing.” Clyde stood. He was quite tall.

"Why Clyde? It didn't do nothing to you. Leave it be."

"Ore's all gone. That thing, it weren't natural."

I had doubts he'd ever seen the demon, Ellul. I didn't want to bring it up.

"Back, back in the back of the tunnel, boy, I saw hell itself. There was a hole in the wall. The fiery lake—it was there. Then I went back, and it weren't there no more.” Clyde headed for the door. “I think I'm going mad."

"There's plenty of things I don't got answers to, Clyde. That don't mean either one of us is mad.” I wanted to tell him about Nick and the chest, but thought better of it. I figured I knew more than Clyde and was intent on keeping it that way.

"Then I heard you'd run off here. I figured you were looking for that ghost thing too,” Clyde added.

"How'd you know I was coming here?"

"There ain't much else out this way, boy."

"Ain't that the truth.” I really wanted to get rid of him. I had things to do. “I hear they got half price drinks down at the saloon.” That did it. He was gone lickety split. I hated lying to him like that.

Howdy wasn't much of a town. There weren't too many places a rogue soul could linger around at. I decided he must be at the dry goods store. It was Sunday. A soul in hell weren't likely to have been a church goin’ man.

Since the saloon was quite crowded, there weren't a lot of other choices—just the store and the livery stable. The back window wasn't even locked. I slid it open and crawled inside. Maybe it was just dumb luck. Maybe it weren't. But, I'd no sooner set my feet on the creaky floor when this gosh awful metal pounding metal noise started up in the next room.

I poked my head up against the door. There were cracks big enough for me to see through. There was my missing soul. He was trying to pry open the chest with a crowbar and hammer.

I threw open the door and burst into the storeroom. “Put that down!” I commanded.

He all but ignored me. I moved right up next to him. “Put down that bar.” He was like a regular man, though transparent. Finally, he looked at me. “Your master sent me to get this chest back."

I pointed at the door. “You can go. Go anywhere you like. But I have to have the chest."

I didn't even know if he understood. He just stared off blankly.

Finally, I picked up the chest. It wasn't nearly as heavy as it looked. He kind of shrugged, then walked away, vanishing right through the wall.

"I'll be taking that,” a familiar voice declared. Clyde's long form moved into the middle of the store. He had his Colt .45 trained on me. “Half priced drinks.” He shook his head. “More like double priced drinks."

I clutched the chest tightly. “Clyde, go on back to the mine. You don't want this. It'll bring you nothing but trouble."

"It must have something incredible in it.” He pointed the gun at my head. “Either way, kid."

I backed away from the case. “It ain't yours."

"Well it ought to be,” Clyde argued. “Wouldn't have figured you in league with the devil, Miles."