“Hear, hear,” Luke said, and when he began to applaud, the others joined in.
After Senator Daniels’s apology, the passengers settled back into the routine they had established during the long ordeal. Luke and Jenny sat together, warmed by her coat, his serape, and the closeness of their bodies.
“Luke, when you asked if I would have dinner with you when you came back in four years, I said yes, because I didn’t know what else to say. The truth is, I had no idea where I would be four years from now, and I still don’t. But I do know where I will be if we ever get off this train. I’ll be back in Pueblo, and if you were serious, if you really want to see me again, I would be happy to have dinner with you.”
“Why wouldn’t I want to see you again?”
“You know who I am. You know where I work.”
“I’d rather you not go back to work at the social club, though,” Luke said.
“I . . . I don’t really want to go back there, either. But Adele has been a wonderful friend. And I don’t know where else I would be able to work.”
“What about raising our children?” Luke asked. “Wouldn’t that be work enough for you?”
“Raising our children?”
“Yes, I would like to have children, wouldn’t you?”
“Luke, let me get this straight. Are you asking me to marry you?”
“Well, yes. I mean, we really should get married before we start having children, don’t you think?”
Jenny laughed. “But . . . that’s insane! We’ve only known each other for four days!”
“Remember the Samoans.”
“There is no difference in the heart of a flower that lives but a single day, and the heart of a tree that lives for a thousand years,” Jenny repeated what Luke had told her earlier.
“We’ve known each other for a thousand years, Jenny. Will you marry me?”
“Yes! Yes, Luke, I will marry you!”
They sealed the decision with a kiss.
Suddenly, Timmy shouted, “It’s Christmas morning! Hey, everybody, Merry Christmas!”
Bailey chuckled. “Oh for the spirit of a youngster. At a time like this, he can still be excited by the fact that it is Christmas.”
“He’s right, though. It is Christmas,” Luke said, getting to his feet. “And it is the most wonderful Christmas of my life. I’ve an announcement to make, folks. Jenny McCoy has agreed to be my wife. Merry Christmas ”
“Merry Christmas to you as well, young man, and congratulations,” Purvis said.
For a few moments after the announcement, and despite the fact that they were stranded and without food, a bit of good nature prevailed among the passengers. Anita and Clara came to talk excitedly to Jenny about her upcoming marriage.
Matt went over to Becky, who was lying on the seat, either asleep, or unconscious, or perhaps even dead. It was difficult to tell. “When was the last time she was awake? Do you know?”
“I don’t know,” Millie said. “I think she may have been awake for a bit, yesterday. But I don’t think she was awake at all during the night. I . . . I don’t even know if she is still alive. She is so . . . so unresponsive.”
Matt opened his knife, then took one of her fingers and pricked it with the point of the knife, studying the little girl’s face as he did so. She gave no reaction to the stimulus.
“Do you have small mirror in your handbag?”
“No, I’m afraid I don’t.”
“I do,” Jenny said, having overheard the conversation. She opened her handbag and took out a small compact, opening it to expose the mirror.
Matt held the mirror under Becky’s nose. A small cloud of condensation appeared on the mirror, and he smiled, then showed it to Millie. “She’s still breathing, Mrs. Daniels, so she’s alive. Don’t lose hope. She may be in what they call a coma. I’ve known people to be in them before and come out of them. All the people in this car are praying for her. And like Timmy said, this is Christmas. I’ve seen things happen on Christmas, wonderful things that defy understanding. One Christmas I saw a baby born in a barn when all the odds were against it.1 That birth reminded us all of that first Christmas.”
“If you folks don’t mind, I’d like to say a Christmas prayer,” Troy offered.
“I don’t think we would mind at all, Troy,” Senator Daniels said. “In fact, I think we would appreciate it. I know that I would.”
Troy nodded and bowed his head. “
“Thank you, Troy. That was a wonderful prayer.” Senator Daniels turned to the conductor. “Oh, and Mr. Bailey?”
“Yes?”
“Forget about what I said about holding the Denver and Pacific responsible. I am going to make a report to the Denver and Pacific, but it will be to praise you and all the rest of the train crew for your exemplary service under extraordinary conditions.”
“I deserve no praise, Senator. It was my insistence that we continue on that put you, your family, and everyone else on this train in danger.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
“I dinnae believe my eyes,” Duff said. “There is a path down the sheer side of this cut, and ’tis no ordinary path, but one that is wide and flat and hard packed with snow for the sled.”
“I told you we should wait until sunrise.” Smoke grinned.
“You mean you knew about this path? Of course you did. You live here. How could you not know?”
Smoke was silent for a long moment. Taking a deep breath, he said honestly, “I’ve never seen this path before in my life.”
“How could you nae see it? ’Tis almost like a ramp.”
“It wasn’t here before.”
“Then how did it get here?”
“I don’t know,” Smoke admitted. “Maybe it was created by the storm. Weather does such things, you know.”
It took less than ten minutes to reach the bottom of the cut, where they found themselves at the back of the train. A black man lay on the ground just off the track, a dark shadow against the brilliant white of the snow.
Duff knelt on one knee and put his hand to the man’s neck, though the fact that he was lying there, unmoving, and with both eyes open, made any further investigation unnecessary. “Och, the poor man is dead.”
Smoke and Duff climbed up onto the rear platform and tapped on the door to the car.
Nobody inside the car had seen the approach of the two men and the sled, so the tapping on the door was unexpected.
“It must be Santelli!” Puris shouted.
“Everyone down, behind the seats!” Matt called, pulling his pistol and pointing it toward the back.
The passengers scurried to follow his directions.
The door opened and two men bundled in winter coats came in.
“Hello?” Smoke called out tentatively.
“Smoke!” Matt shouted happily. Holstering his pistol, he rushed to him. “You made it!” Matt grabbed Smoke’s hand and pumped it vigorously.”
“Why is it I always find you bottom-lip deep in snow?” Smoke teased.
