A Town Called No Hope (A Steampunk Western)

by Izzy Hunter

  ‘Now, Geoffrey,’ Amos called out from behind the bar. ‘We’ll have no trouble here.’

  ‘You just get back to what you’re good at,’ Woods shouted back. ‘Pouring drinks and taking people's money.’

  ‘Nobody forces you to come here, Mr Woods,’ Mona said.

  ‘I told you to shut up, bitch,’ Woods hissed. He reached down and grabbed Mona’s arm. Just as she pulled out her gun and pointed it at the man, she saw Sam stand behind the former teacher. He reached round and twisted Woods arms behind his back.

  ‘Hey!’ Woods called out, struggling to see who held him.

  Sam looked over Wood’s shoulder and caught sight of Mona’s pistol. ‘Hope you’re not a lousy shot, Sheriff,’ he joked.

  ‘Want to find out?’

  ‘Not this evening, no,’ Sam replied, still gripping Wood’s arm. Mona put away her pistol and stood up to address Woods.

  ‘You’re making a fool of yourself, man. Do like I said earlier: go home, get a bath, get some sleep and sober up. Come to the jail house in the morning.’

  ‘Why?’ Woods barked. ‘Gonna arrest me?’

  ‘Being an idiot isn’t against the law, unfortunately,’ Mona said, and noticed the smirk on Sam’s face at her words. ‘No, Mr Woods. I’m going to find you a new job, if you can prove to me you’re not a complete loser.’

  ‘A job at the jail house?’ The bite had gone from Wood’s tone. He sounded intrigued.

  ‘Not necessarily. I will have to make enquiries,’ Mona replied.

  ‘I'd do as the nice lady tells you,’ Sam hissed in Wood’s ear. ‘In my view, you don’t deserve her leniency, and you don’t deserve help in finding a new job.’

  ‘Well, if you give me back my arm, I can do as she says, can’t I?’ Woods retorted.

  Sam let go off the teacher and Woods held his arm, rubbing it. Without saying another word, the ex-teacher walked out of the saloon. As soon as he left, normal conversation resumed.

  ‘I didn’t need help,’ Mona told Sam.

  ‘I could see that, but I wanted to help anyway.’

  ‘I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure,’ Northam interrupted, appraising Sam with her eyes. She held out a gloved hand. ‘Captain Northam, Airship pilot.’

  Sam regarded Northam before taking her hand and kissed it gently. ‘Pilot, huh? Progressive town, this place. Woman sheriff, woman pilot. My name is Samuel Jonson, but friends call me Sam.’

  ‘I can’t decide if I want to be your friend or not,’ Northam said.

  Sam smiled and doffed his hat at Mona, before returning to his table again.

  Northam watched him go, with a sigh. ‘Just when I thought there were no handsome fellas in this town. He new here?’

  ‘Seems so.’

  ‘Well, you’d better watch out for him,’ Northam warned her, returning her focus to her drink.

  ‘Why? You think he’s up to something?’

  Northam grinned. ‘Oh, Mona, you’ve been a one-man woman for too long. If you’ve not noticed the way that man looks at you, then you’re in deep trouble.’

  ‘Look, whenever you’re around, men don’t give me a second glance.’

  Northam cackled and took a hearty swig of her Jerky. Mona purposely avoided looking in Sam’s direction for the rest of the evening.

  Mona was up earlier than usual the next morning. There was a lot to do. Henry woke at the same time, ready to return to work. Over supper, the previous night, Mona had told him of her plans to go to New Moray and find Matthew. Henry had signalled his intent to come with her but she shook her head. She needed someone to keep an eye on the town.

  ‘You can wear the Sheriff’s badge while I’m gone and Connor will be your deputy,’ she’d told him. Henry had given her a dubious look. ‘He can cope with the job,’ she’d reassured him.

  Washed and dressed, they’d walked together across to the jail house. When Mona told Connor he was being promoted in her absence, Connor couldn’t conceal his joy.

  ‘Thank you, Sheriff. I won’t let you down,’ Connor had said, then looked at Henry. ‘Nor you, Henry.’

  ‘That’s Sheriff Henry,’ Mona corrected him. ‘As of now, I’m no longer Sheriff of No Hope. Not until I return.’ She took the badge from her lapel and pinned it onto Henry’s shirt, then gave him a peck on the cheek.

  There came a sharp rap on the door. Mr Woods stepped in, twisting the brim of his hat in his fingers. He looked more refreshed than yesterday. He'd even shaved.

  ‘I’m not too early, am I, Sheriff?’ he asked after clearing his throat.

  ‘Henry’s Sheriff now,’ Mona told him. ‘Well, until I get back. No, you’re not too early Mr Woods, come on in.’

  ‘Oh,’ said Mr Woods, surprised at the role change in the jail house. He ventured into the main room of the jail house and was invited to sit down while Mona took the seat on the other side of the desk.

  ‘I’ll be off to do my rounds,’ Connor said, pausing at the main entrance. Part of his duties involved walking around the town, checking everyone and everything was all right.

  ‘I may be gone by the time you’re finished, Connor,’ Mona told the temporary deputy. ‘So, goodbye for now.’

  ‘Take care, Sher - Mona,’ Connor smiled, correcting himself, then left.

  Henry stood next to Mr Woods, and looked at Mona.

  ‘Why don’t you go with him?’ she suggested. 'This place will be safe enough. Nobody’s stupid enough to break into jail.’ She added, with a smile.

  Henry bent to kiss her cheek, then followed Connor out the door.

  ‘Going anywhere nice?’ Woods asked when they were alone.

  ‘New Moray. As soon as I’m finished here. So, Mr Woods, we need to find you a new vocation.’

  ‘That would be nice,’ admitted the ex-teacher.

  ‘Have you always been a teacher?’

  Woods nodded. ‘Yes, I fell into it by accident, to be truthful.’

  ‘So you don't have a passion for teaching?’

  ‘Not really.’

  ‘I see.’ Mona sat forward in the chair, resting her arms on the desk in a casual manner. ‘So what would like to do, Mr Woods? When you were a child, what was the one thing you wanted to be?’

  ‘Well, my father always -’

  ‘I didn’t ask what your father wanted for you. I asked what you wanted for yourself.’

  Mr Woods became silent for a moment. Then he gazed at her. ‘I liked caring for animals. Horses, sheep, that kind of thing.’

  ‘A farmer?’

  Woods shook his head. ‘No, I’m sorry. You misunderstand. I liked caring for injured animals. My uncle trained as a veterinary. Whenever we stayed with my Aunt and Uncle, he always let me watch as he healed those poor animals.’

  ‘We don’t have a veterinary here,’ said Mona aloud, more to herself than to Mr Woods.

  ‘That’s right, ma’am. So there’s no way I could learn the trade. It would take years, anyway, and I’m not exactly a young man,’ said Woods.

  Mona started tapping her fingers on the wooden desk, thinking. ‘Hmm.’

  ‘I’m afraid I’m a lost cause, Sheriff,’ Woods shrugged, making to stand up but Mona shook her head and beckoned him to stay seated.

  ‘Mr Woods, how quick can you pack a suitcase?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Come with me to New Moray. I have contacts in the city. I could find you suitable work experience. I can’t guarantee we’ll find something, and even if we do then you may not get paid for it.’ She paused to take a breath.

  Woods was up on his feet and already heading for the door. ‘Doesn't matter. I’ll be back !'

  ‘Meet us there. At the airship!’ Mona called out after him and hoped he’d heard.

  She leant back in her chair and smiled. If her old self saw this new version, she would not recognise her. Never would her old self have helped a man like this. She would more likely have slit his throat and stolen anything worthwhile from his cold, dead body. But those days were go
ne She was Sheriff Mona Miller now, defender and protector of a town called No Hope. Quite apt that it be named so.

  Northam said she would be ready to leave at noon. That gave Mona a couple of hours left to ready herself for the journey. Her case was already packed and waiting to be picked up on her way to the airship. She was feeling hungry, having had forgone breakfast to have a lengthy bath.

  No Hope’s first and only Eating House sat slap bang in the centre of town, where it was one of the successes of all the businesses in No Hope. It had been the first place Mona and Henry had come to on arriving at No Hope, literally dying of hunger. The owner, Miss Clara, an ageing buzzard with small, round spectacles and long, white ringlets, had welcomed them in and kept on bringing plates of steaming hot food until both Henry and Mona were fit to burst. Clara had since passed away, peacefully in her sleep, but her son and daughter-in-law now ran the place, and rather well as it happened. The daughter-in-law, Sophia, suffered from delusions of grandeur, but her husband, Walt, was more pragmatic.

  Mona ordered a simple vegetable soup and took a table near the door. Every public building was home to a Sanders-made wall clock, and Mona noted she need not rush her soup when it arrived. The place was quiet, that morning. Mona initially assumed she was the only customer. But as her gaze fell upon someone tucking into what looked like a roasted potato, she realised she wasn't. The other customer had spotted her and was already bringing their plate and cutlery across to join her.

  ‘Sheriff Mona, we really have to stop meeting like this,’ Sam grinned, taking the seat opposite her. Mona tried not to inhale the smell of the potato. Her stomach was on the verge of making some disturbing noises.

  ‘Good morning, Samuel,’ she said cordially. She didn't want to seem too friendly and give him the wrong idea. She knew from their first encounter that she was attracted to him, which made the fact he seemed to be stalking her all the more annoying.

  He smiled. ‘I thought I said my friends call me Sam.’

  ‘I’m not sure if I want to be your friend,’ she shot back.

  He gazed at her for a moment then continued eating his potato, speaking while he chewed. Mona looked everywhere but his mouth. ‘I hear you’re heading to New Moray this morning,’ he said.

  News travels fast, Mona bemoaned. ‘What I may or may not be doing this morning is my business,’ she said coolly.

  Sam shrugged. ‘I know. I was only saying.’

  ‘Who told you?’

  ‘Your very pretty pilot friend. I’ve never travelled in an airship before,’ he said. ‘I'm looking forward to it.’

  Trust Northam to open her mouth. ‘Hang on, what do you mean you’re quite looking forward to it?’ she asked with a growing sense of dread.

  Sam swallowed the bit of potato in his mouth, wiped his lips with his sleeve, and grinned. ‘I’m coming too,’ he said.

  ‘The hell you are,’ Mona retorted.

  Sam looked at her with wide eyes. ‘I thought this was a free country. Besides, Bertha said there was plenty of spare room on board.’

  So he was on first name terms with the airship pilot, was he? Mona would have to have words with her friend.

  ‘Well, Samuel, if you are heading to New Moray then I bid you an official goodbye and hope you enjoyed your stay in our little town,’ she said, just as her soup arrived. Sam's empty bowl and used cutlery were swiftly taken away.

  ‘Well, Mona -’ he began.

  ‘Sheriff Mona,’ she warned him.

  His eyes glanced downwards to her chest. ‘Where’s your badge?’

  ‘Never heard of the old saying, a badge doesn't maketh the man?’ she asked.

  He paused then laughed out loud. ‘You’re some woman, Sheriff Mona,’ he said, smiling.

  ‘You’ve got that right,’ she responded, before taking a spoonful of the thick soup.

  ‘Need help looking for the boy?’ Sam asked, making no sign of leaving.

  If truth be known, she needed all the help she could get. The city was big, and had plenty of places a young boy could hide away in. She hadn't been there since arriving in the country. Jimmy had mentioned a couple of places Matthew had talked of, and Mona herself knew only one person who lived in New Moray. At least, she hoped he still lived there.

  ‘Possibly,’ she answered. ‘Though if I don’t get to finish this soup in peace then I might not make the airship in time to find out,’ she hinted.

  Sam raised his hands in defence, then got to his feet. ‘All right. Well, I look forward to travelling with you, Sheriff Mona,’ he said, before bowing his head. Mona watched him saunter out of the building and down the street out of sight.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  There were nine passengers waiting to board The Red Jenny later that morning. Besides Mona, Woods and Sam, six other townsfolk stood next to the airship.

  Henry was there to wave Mona off. He held her hand as they approached the small crowd. She wanted to ask him if he'd be all right - they had never spent a single night apart since arriving in the United States - but felt he would take offence, and she didn’t want to leave on a bad note. After she had finished at the eating house, Mona had gone to see Sanders and asked the man to keep a close eye on Henry and be ready to act swiftly should anything happen to him. The old man had told her not to worry, but she saw the truth behind his eyes. He knew that it would only be a matter of time before Henry was unfixable. If he was shot again then that would be it.

  They came to a stop near the huddle of people, greeting familiar faces who were set to travel with her.

  Since there was a bit of a wait, Mona looked up and marvelled at the impressive airship; one of the most secure and elaborate ones in the country. The main shape of the ship was just like a water ship with all the usual keel, starboard, etc. But to give the machine its flying capacity, four three-tiered turrets were attached at the corners with rotor blades at the top which, when working, spun blur-like, propelling the ship forward to its destination. At the back of the ship was a set of stairs leading to an enclosed balcony. People could sit there and take in the breathtaking view. The roof of the balcony also had a pole with a rotor blade attached. At the front end of the ship was a panelled window which covered the entire breadth on the lower half, where Northam captained the ship. Above the window was ornately-pattered wainscoting with four stout pillars in front of it which held the tricorne-shaped top half of the ship. Emblazoned across this part was the name of the ship in bold gold lettering. It truly was a magnificent ship.

  Mona tore her gaze away from the ship and glanced at Henry beside her. He'd been watching her, his lips formed into a smile. She squeezed his hand. ‘Wish you were coming with me?’ Henry’s smile broadened and he kissed her forehead. ‘But someone’s got to keep an eye on all the ragamuffins in town,’ she continued, adjusting the five-star badge on Henry’s lapel. ‘Don’t let anyone give you any crap, either.’ He looked dubious. ‘Yeah, all right,’ she conceded. ‘As if anyone would be brave enough to do so,’ she teased, reaching up and giving him a kiss.

  It was only meant to be a brief kiss, but Henry took the opportunity to wrap his arms around his lover and draw her in for a deep, slow, sensual one. Mona almost forgot where she was for a second, lost in the tingles that was spreading all over her body. ‘Behave,’ she whispered, finally breaking apart from Henry's embrace. People were staring, and Mona caught a few tuts as well as couple of smirks.

  Mona scanned the area for Northam and found the blonde standing on the balcony, evidently talking to someone judging by the gesticulating of the captain’s hands. Because the ship was grounded, it sat at a slant. The captain looked to be giving orders to a crew member. Mona raised a hand and waved at her friend. Northam took a moment but then waved back and a figured appeared next to her. Mona lowered her hand and rolled her eyes once she realised who was next to the captain.

  Henry had seen her reaction and pointed to the ship. He shook his head and shrugged.

  ‘Oh, he’s nobody. An irritating nobody,
’ Mona explained, folding her arms. Then she saw an odd look come over Henry. He looked to the ground. She was about to ask what was wrong when the two iron ladders were lowered from the ship and various crew members approached the passengers to pack their luggage away. A gun sat in Mona’s holdall so she kept tight hold of it, slapping away an eager crew-member, a young Asian boy who looked as though he’d been slapped in the face. He swore at her in a foreign tongue and went picked up another passenger’s bag.

  With her free hand, Mona reached up and pulled Henry in for another kiss. This time it was shorter but no less passionate. They gazed at one another afterwards until Henry looked up at the passengers climbing up the ladders, and gently slapped Mona on the backside to get a move on.

  ‘All right,’ she said, smiling, but feeling her eyes begin to sting with tears. ‘I can take a hint. Take care, my love. I’ll be back as soon as I can.’

  Henry put his hand over his heart and watched her as she turned away and approached the ladder. Once she made it to the top and climbed onto the ship, she spun round but Henry had gone.

  Once all the passengers had boarded The Red Jenny, they were led to the rooms they’d be staying while on the ship. There were five rooms in total and Mona was happy to find she would not have to share. Mona’s room - just like the others - was fairly basic; a double-bed, side-table, gas-lamp, small chest of drawers, and a chair and writing desk, but Mona was happy enough with it. She placed her holdall on the bed and took out the gun, placing it in the holster underneath her jacket, and decided to have a walk around the ship. She headed out the door, remembering to lock it with the key she’d been given for it, and walked along the narrow corridor, passing the other rooms and then found the steps up to the deck.