Clockwork Universe

by Seanen McGuire

  Worse, there’s a storm raging. Getting colder and lots more wind pulling up old snow, mixing it with new. We got as far up this damn mountain as we could afore we braced for it. Summit can’t be far, but damned if you can see it in this weather. We’ll be in all day tomorrow I reckon. I’m in the tent now writing by a candle that’s flicking like crazy. Just wanted to say that me and Jonas miss you. Still ain’t heard from you and it’s a damn sight lonely out here even though there’s hundreds of us on this here mountain.

  * * *

  April 3

  There’s been a terrible landslide, Sally. Snow, ice, and rocks coming down like nobody’s business. Covered all the lower pass and all the hundreds climbing. I reckon you might read about it in the papers, so want you to know I’m safe. Radigan and Jonas too. We just peaked the summit not hours afore the snow give out. I hurt my knee pretty good, though. Tackle broke just as our last sled mounted the top and the chain took my leg out from under me. Ain’t nothing compared to what those poor saps below suffered not six hours later. Radigan rigged up a brace for me out of two pieces of sled runner. It ain’t no easy task walking like this, but it’s a damn sight better than being dead.

  I set Jonas to helping dig folks out here near the top. Least they ain’t more than a few feet buried. Even so, I seen three dead already. Hope I never have to see suffering like that again in all my days. A few others we got out alive. One, a kid, can’t be more than 16, was climbing with his Pa. Can’t find his Pa nowhere now. Makes me wonder how you and our Pa are doing.

  I’ll hand this letter off as soon as I find somebody going back to town. God help all those caught under the snow. And God look out for you and Pa. Me, I just got to keep pushing on.

  Your Loving brother,

  Edward

  * * *

  Lake Linderman

  May 25, 1898

  Dearest Sally,

  Last night we saw a fire in the sky. A real, honest-to-God trail of fire right across the stars, bright as day. Made a screeching sound too, like cannon shot straining against the wind. Lots of folks is saying it’s a sign, like what led the Wise Men. Either God is showing us where to go or punishing those what are already there.

  For near three weeks we been building rafts and waiting on the river to thaw. Then we set out for Dawson, shooting rapids right along with chunks of ice as big as Jonas. It were mighty rough and plenty of folks ended up in the icy water. Rapids toss you about like nobody’s business. We got through most, but in the end, Jonas come off the raft. We had him tied on, but he’s mighty heavy and damned if the ropes didn’t break. He went under and his fire went out, steam exploding off the cold river. Radigan and me spent the next two days dragging him out and drying him. Without his coal fire melting the freeze around us it’s a damn sight colder. And if he can’t start up again, our hopes of mining is pretty much gone. I’ll get him fixed though. Don’t you worry none.

  My knee never did heal up right, but Radigan added gears to the brace and it works as good as you might think. Like a mechanical leg, but no steam power. Hurts like all hell, though. And all of us is getting testy, worried about staking our claims. They done hung two fellas here in Lake Linderman for stealing. At least they got the law. We ain’t had to unpack our guns yet.

  Write and let me know how things is back home. I see folks coming through with mail from time to time, but still none from you. I’ll just keep writing no matter what. Honest to God, Sally, I’m here for you and Pa, not for me. I’m mighty sorry for leaving you and all, but it were the only way I could see as to get money enough to make it all right. I know I’m gone for a long time, but you always been the level-headed one and me all running off. I promise as I’ll be back with lots of gold and it’ll all be better.

  Your Loving Brother,

  Edward

  * * *

  Dawson City, N.W.T.

  June 9, 1898

  Dearest Sally,

  Got your letter dated March 12. It were addressed to Seattle but one fella brung it to me here for a pretty penny. I was sore glad to get it, but mighty sad at the news it brung. I didn’t know it were that bad. Hope he didn’t suffer none too much.

  I’m sore tempted to come home, but I can’t quit now. And I been too long gone anyways. Pa’d understand. He never cottoned to a quitter. Hope you understand, too, Sally. I’ll strike gold. Then I’ll buy the nicest tombstone in the whole cemetery for our Pa.

  We brought Jonas in like the rest of our cargo, leaving him cold and tied on the boat. Don’t like seeing him like that, like he’s dead. Don’t want to think of Pa like that neither. I come to think of Jonas as one of the family, like I know you done from the beginning. But his boiler cracked and we had to get him to Dawson for repairs. Didn’t have no money, and prices is mighty steep. Radigan made some gambling wins and I got the proper tools to repair Jonas myself. He’s running pretty good again, steaming out his hat just as afore. One fella offered me good money for him once he seen him working. But I can’t sell him, and ‘sides, he’s our ticket to striking real gold.

  That fiery streak we saw a couple hundred miles out sure as everything come down right near here. Struck the central Klondike fields, near the top of the dome about 50 miles from Dawson. Some right crazy stories about that place being told now. They say folks what gets near ends up mad or dead. Some sort of electrics that makes a blue haze in the twilight, or so they say. Since nobody goes up there, I reckon it’s where I got to go. I come too far to get scared now. And everything else is already staked out. If I can successfully dig into the dome, maybe I’ll hit the mother lode. And with Jonas’ help, I reckon I can do it.

  Radigan met a fella playing cards who says he knows that area right good. Name’s Davies, an old codger who’s drunk as a skunk most of the time. Had no place to stay so he come out to our camp after Radigan took all his money. We give him some coffee and stew and he starts telling us stories. Been in the Klondike more than a year now and damned if he ain’t seen everything. Swears he used to be a physician, so we call him Doc Davies. Not sure as we can trust what he says, what with all the whiskey he’s put away, but he reckons that dome is where all the gold done welled up from within the earth and what the sourdoughs is getting out of the fields below is just small potatoes. Says he’ll show us where to stake a claim.

  By the time I write again, we’ll be rich. Then I’ll make it all up to you Sally. Can’t bring Pa back, but we’ll do it up right for him.

  Edward

  * * *

  CRD Claim

  July 1, 1898

  Dearest Sally,

  We got our claim but not sure as I’m happy about the way we got it. Strange things is happening. I didn’t believe the stories about electrics I heard in Dawson, but some nights I swear the whole top of the mountain lights up, makes your tent go all green-blue and there’s a crackling in the air makes your small hairs stand up. T’other night I went out to see it, and damn sorry I did. Shouldn’t have seen whatever it were I seen. God’s punishing me for it, or for leaving you and Pa. Probably both.

  Not sure as I believe it myself, Sally, and I were there and got the scars to show for it. I heard something, something akin to that screeching in the sky we heard afore, only higher pitch still. I climb up the dome as far as I can, clouds gathering round as they shouldn’t in June, and I swear a big metal ball were up there, half sticking out the mountain, glowing blue-white as the spring waters we used to jump in when we was kids. The whistling got louder and something sparked off the ball. Not sure as there were anybody really there but a shadow grew like a man and next thing I know another spark, a stabbing pain in my eye, and I’m falling.

  Radigan found me next morning, leg brace bent double and my eye all burnt away, even the eyelid. Lucky Doc Davies were mostly sober and remembering some of his learning so as he could tend to me. Radigan climbed up the dome and swears there weren’t no metal ball. He’s seen the blue haze, though, and my eye got to say something happened. Some say I burnt it out wit
h a stogie, too drunk to remember. Others that I got to welding on Jonas in my sleep, fell over and burnt out my eye. But that just ain’t so.

  It’s been a week or more since, and it still hurts something awful. But Doc Davies says it burned clean and no other damage. Didn’t lose no blood nor nothing like that. I can see out t’other eye good enough, I guess. Me and Radigan fixed the leg brace, but the fall done my leg real bad and Doc figures I’ll have to wear it the rest of my life.

  Most folks’d give up by now, but I ain’t most folks. That gold got to be here, Sally. Just got to be. If it ain’t, my whole trip were for naught. God can keep punishing me if he wants, but I ain’t quitting.

  Jonas been cutting through permafrost like nobody’s business. Now he cuts direct into the side of this dome sticking out from the Klondike basin like a thumb. If there’s gold, we’ll find it sure enough. Radigan reckons somebody’s trying to scare us away from it. I don’t know, but we’re keeping watch all the same. Unpacked our guns and expecting sure we might have to use them. Radigan’s got the biggest shotgun you ever did see. Sure looks funny sitting there with a gun almost bigger than he is.

  Don’t worry about me, Sally. I know I’m talking some fright into you, and maybe I shouldn’t tell you all that I been writing. I’m doing fine ‘spite of all the hurting I’ve been through. You know me, Sis, I can take a beating. Just you tend to you, but let me know how things is. I’m damn sore curious. Ain’t got a letter since that one in Dawson.

  Even if you can’t forgive me for leaving, I’m going to take care of you. I swear to it, Sally.

  Your loving Brother,

  Edward

  * * *

  Dawson City N.W.T.

  July 10 1898

  Dearest Sally,

  I come into town today just for Church. Praying forgiveness for all my wrongs and hoping the Good Lord will take me back into his graces. Most important, I got to tell you that we done it. We struck gold!

  It were just a glitter in the wall, but damn sure a vein that goes deeper and bigger still. I’m praying to the Lord for more. It’s mighty hard working the mine, even with Jonas holding his own against the mountain. Had a minor cave-in t’other day, but lucky for us Jonas held most of the tunnel stable. Now we got to brace the roof the deeper we go and it gets mighty hot in that small hole, what with Jonas’ steam and all. He runs through coal faster than we eat, even with Doc Davies’ mouth to feed too. Damn tough keeping Doc in whiskey, though.

  Met a mighty strange man in Church today. He were all smart in his white shirt and pressed trousers. Nobody that clean round here. I right took him for the angel Gabriel at first. He come up to me after the service to ask if I were the fella digging on the dome. I seen gold in his eyes, but not the way you see it in most folks round here. It weren’t the desire, but near the sparkling stuff itself. ‘Stead of saying, “What’s it to you?” I just said, “Sure am.”

  Turns out he’s some sort of Lawman. Got a funny way of talking. All proper like. Says he “wants to know about the incident with my eye.” I tell him the story, after a belt of rye round the saloon, knowing he weren’t going to believe. But he don’t doubt none.

  I wear a patch over the eye now. Radigan says he can engineer a kind of loop, a monocle thing that the Doc can set in the socket. Maybe even get me some sight if the nerve’s still working. Best to make it out of gold, since that’ll set all right with the skin.

  God bless and keep you, Sally. You’re my only sister and my link to a better place. The gold is here, I just got to get it out of the mine and I’ll be home afore you know it.

  Edward

  * * *

  CRD Claim

  July 30 1898

  Dearest Sally,

  I feel a might better these days. My leg’s still hurting, mind you, but my head’s not bad. Can’t see all that good, and hard to tell how far away things is, but it don’t hurt none. Best thing is we’re getting gold out of this here mine. Not as much as I like, and it’ll take time afore I can get enough to come home, but for now it’s enough so as we can keep buying bracing materials and coal.

  Our picks and shovels is sometimes getting all magnetic and sticking to Jonas with a mighty clank. Doc Davies says it’s acause we’re getting under the earth’s skin, like lancing its boil, and down here there’s things we don’t understand, magnetics running like blood maybe. ‘Course, he’s still hitting the whiskey pretty hard. He couldn’t fix my eyesight, but he set the monocle loop Radigan made pretty good. We’re having a lens ground down to slot inside, but since Doc can’t find a way to make my eye nerve work without no eyeball, it ain’t going to do no good. Meanwhile, I slot a half dollar in there real nice. Damned if I don’t look funnier than Radigan these days. All of us is haggard and worn like hobos, but we’ll be rich soon enough. Just you wait.

  That there Lawman come around t’other day. Damn near got hisself shot, seeing as he come in pretty late and we was drawing straws for first watch. I took the shift and stayed up talking to him. I swear he were as clean as the first day I met him, even though he must have walked through all the muck round these here creeks. And his hair’s all in place even when he takes off his hat.

  I ask his name and damned if he don’t say “Forty-three.” I tell him that’s a strange name but he don’t say nothing. Maybe it’s a badge number or some such. I reckon I’ll still call him Gabriel. He tells me he ain’t found no “culprit” yet. Funny word that, some sort of legal-speak meaning crooked folk. He says he’ll be round the dome a good deal, looking at the scene where it all happened. I guess there ain’t no harm in that, but Radigan don’t trust the fella. Thinks he’s snooping round our gold mine, figuring we’re about to hit it big.

  I offer him a swig of whiskey but he don’t take none. We play a hand of cards and then he look at my eye apiece. I ask him if he’s a physician and he says no but he might can help. Takes out a cold metal stick and rolls it round my eyehole. There’s a light from somewhere and that’s when Radigan come in to take over the watch. Gabriel says his goodbyes and after he’s gone Radigan tells me again that he don’t trust him. Thinks he’s getting direct to my brain through my missing eye. Radigan don’t much seem to trust me these days neither.

  Still waiting for a letter from you Sally. I ain’t going to stop writing even if you ain’t writing me. I’m going to keep believing it’s just the mail not getting here. I got to believe that.

  Your Loving Brother,

  Edward

  * * *

  CRD Claim

  August 19 1898

  Dearest Sally,

  Gold still coming, but never enough. Ain’t hit the giant pot Doc Davies says is under this here boil of a dome but we get more every day. Doc and Radigan been arguing about how much each of us gets. I reckon I deserve most since it’s Jonas as doing the heavy work. You and me built him, Sally. You deserve a second share, even if Jonas hisself don’t need one.

  I don’t much like the way Radigan is acting these days. Doc seems happy enough, long as he got his drink, but he might just up and run off with the gold if you ask me. Got to keep an eye on both of them, but I only got one eye. One real eye. My other ain’t truly working, but damned if that Lawman Gabriel didn’t come through on his promise. He come round again and used that metal stick, sparkling like a lightning bug this time. Made my tongue twitch when he run it round the gold monocle. Smelled like frying pig fat for a second, but it didn’t hurt none. He slots the big lens back in and then fits a movable one on a tiny swing arm. I ask if he’s an engineer and he says no.

  At first nothing happens, but after a few days, I can see a haze of things, movement and swirling colors. When I swing the smaller lens in front, damned if I can’t make out shapes of people, all red and glowing, even at night. It’s amazing strange. Hard to get used to, but it’s better than being half blind. Now I got almost more moving parts than Jonas. Hope he ain’t jealous.

  Magnetics still acting up from time to time, and Radigan says it only happen
s when Gabriel’s around. Funny enough, seems to be true. Sure is a strange coincidence.

  Got to get back to work. That gold ain’t going to mine itself. I’ll be home afore you know it and we’ll be richer than you ever did dream.

  Edward

  * * *

  Dawson City

  September 10 1898

  Dearest Sally,

  Ain’t had much time to write lately. I don’t much trust t’others, so I been watching them close. More gold we get, more I been thinking they done stashed extra away so as we can’t split it up proper. Even though we get more and more, it all seems to go to buying supplies and we ain’t got none to spend on ourselves. At least I ain’t got none.

  ‘Course, we spent a good deal fixing Jonas up after the last cave-in. Almost lost him for sure. Magnetics went all crazy and he flung up to the ceiling, all 800 lbs of him, along with wheelbarrows and picks and such. Took out the bracings and rock come down all around. Lucky for us it were only Jonas down deep. Spent the next week digging him out. He were too beat up for me and Radigan to fix, so we hauled him here to Dawson.

  Other folks is taking to our methods now. They got drills bigger than Jonas and they dig tunnels on the mountain below. Guess they ain’t scared no more. But maybe all that extra drilling is causing the electrics to get stronger. Radigan still blames Lawman Gabriel.

  Gabriel did stop by our claim to check on my eye and to tell us he still ain’t caught the fellas what done the damage. I reckon if it were a fella, he’s long gone, but Gabriel thinks there’s more than one and still here. We seen most nobody on watch these long nights, so I can’t see as he’s right. Radigan says he followed Gabriel when he left, followed him right up the mountain. Swears he started doing something up there akin to drilling, set up some sort of machine like a big gun that pushed a beam of light down into the mountain. I think he’s just worried the Lawman will find his stash of gold and tell me about it.