< previous page page_205 next page >

Page 205
She nodded. "More's the pity," he continued. He leaned toward her, as though ready to commiserate.
Mariah didn't want to debate Thorn's character with the old fellow, but she hated the idea that this man apparently thought badly of him. She said brightly, "Mr. Thorn has been very kind to me so far. And understanding. And brave. Now, if I may see Sergeant Ainsley . . . " The bundle of cloth wasn't heavy, but it was growing awkward in her arms.
"Of course, miss," said the guard, snapping back to attention.
At the guard's nod, she walked slowly between the high earthen sides of the embankments, where some of the grass was yellow and patches of sod were peeling away. Then, studying everything with the trained eye of the production specialist she'd been in her own time, she passed by the tall and sturdy brick bastion walls and into the fort area.
The inner structures of the fort seemed in no better condition than the patchy embankments. Some of the long wooden buildings appeared to have portions rotting away. They even smelled rank.
Mariah followed the sound of the rhythmic footfalls tall she reached the parade grounds. Men marched in several long lines, Pennsylvania rifles slung over their shoulders. The uniforms were far from uniform; though most men wore red coats, a few wore blue or green; others were in shirttails or buckskin. The clothing blended well with the dismal, ill-maintained feel of the fort; most was ragged and faded. They kicked up dust with their dirty black boots, and Mariah tasted the grittiness on her lips. She felt sorry for them, in their heavy uniforms and bulky hats in the sweltering, humid summer heat.
She wondered if any of them was named Billy.
An officer shouted orders at them from a raised wooden platform at one end of the field: Ainsley. Beside him stood Thorn, his chin raised proudly, his eyes chilly but alert, as he watched the soldiers drill.
Mariah stood on the edge of the field observing until the group wheeled and came marching right toward her. With an

 
< previous page page_205 next page >