Moonlight and Magic

by Rebecca Paisley

  Venus received a tiny blue bonnet edged in fine lace and wore it for five full minutes before she managed to tear the lace off. Chimera was able to rescue the bedraggled thing before further harm could come to it.

  For Archibald there was a stethoscope. Sterling watched carefully as the boy looked at it. He’d thought Archibald would be thrilled to have it, but the boy picked up his other present, a gleaming pistol, instead. Sterling saw him caress it thoughtfully, roll it over in his hands, and hold it to his chest. He never once examined the stethoscope.

  “We ain’t got no presents for nobody,” Snig said sheepishly. He gave his harmonica a swift puff of air, the resulting note so sour Sterling and Chimera flinched.

  “So what we decided to do,” Snag began, and blew a terrible sound into his harmonica, too, “is be good.”

  “We might not be good for long,” Snug warned with a cherubic smile, “but we promise to try.”

  “Their gift will last all of ten seconds,” Sterling whispered to Chimera.

  “You got somethin’ to give, Archibald?” Snig asked.

  “Yes,” Archibald said, a tremor in his voice. “I p-p-promise to ride without crying. I—I’ll try harder, Sterling.”

  Sterling laid his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I couldn’t ask for a better gift, son.”

  When Archibald hobbled away from Sterling, Chimera shooed the boys outside to play in the snow and began staffing a wild turkey with cornbread, dried fruit, and nuts. Sterling put Venus down for her nap and crossed to the window to watch the boys. The triplets were building a snowman, he saw, and Archibald sat on an icy hay bale, still staring at his gun.

  “I’ve a gift for you, Sterling,” Chimera announced, and smiled when he turned from the window. “I made it. I don’t know where you’ll hang it, but—I hope you like it. I worked hard on it. Not that I minded, but it was hard to do without you seeing. I had to sneak around. Once I even hid in Pegasus’s stall to work on it. You came in, and I got frantic trying to hide it. I finally stuffed it into Pegasus’s hay. But before I had a chance to retrieve it, he ate part of it. I was furious, but then a snake came out from beneath the hay. Sterling, it scared me to death. I almost fainted! If I had, Pegasus might have stepped on me! The snake was black with yellow—”

  “Chimera,” he intervened gently, “you’re slowly, but very surely, getting off the subject. If you continue, it will be Easter before you remember to give me the Christmas gift.”

  She frowned, and it looked to Sterling as if she couldn’t remember anything about the gift. But before he could remind her, she took out a large square object from behind a pile of books. Holding it to her breast, she walked toward him, kissed him, and handed him the gift.

  His eyes never leaving hers, he removed the brown wrapping paper. Only then did he look at what he held.

  It was a framed drawing. Sterling was so deeply affected, he had to sit down. Chimera sat down beside him and continued to tell him about all the places in which she’d hidden it while drawing it for him. But Sterling heard none of her chatter. He could only concentrate on the picture, the beautiful picture.

  She’d drawn him building the new cabin. He was shirtless, and he felt flattered at how many muscles she’d given him. He was fitting a log to a wall, and beside him was the huge stack of dead branches he kept saying he would clear away, but never had. The triplets stood with him, each with a tool in his hand. Archibald was sitting on the ground peeling bark off a log. Venus sat in a basket next to him, and was smiling a smile so real, Sterling was amazed. Gus was tied to the fence post, nibbling at a patch of grass. Even Pegasus was in the scene, and Sterling laughed when he saw the camel was looking at him, teeth bared. A tiny gnome was sketched under a bush, and the infamous werewolf trap was hanging from a tree branch. In the clouds above were softly formed images of Athena and Apollo, both with halos above their heads. And Chimera herself stood by her big, black caldron, witch hat on her head and stirring stick in her hand.

  “It’s a picture of all the things we do together,” Chimera said, thinking his silence meant he didn’t understand.

  He had to swallow the lump in his throat before he could speak. “I didn’t know you could draw,” he managed to say, his heart thudding violently. “It’s—Chimera, it’s just wonderful. I’ll take it with me...I—Thank you.”

  She felt her face pale and looked down at her lap. He was mentioning his departure more often now, and each time he spoke of it, she thought the pain would surely kill her. She was running out of time. He did not love her, and she couldn’t think of anything she hadn’t done, hadn’t tried, that would change that. The only thing on her side was the little bit of time she had left with him.

  Hope returned, cheering her. “I’m glad you like it,” she said, and smiled. “I made it with all the love I have for you.”

  He clutched the frame so tightly, his hands shook. He felt relieved that she hadn’t argued about his leaving. It was a great consolation to know that she’d apparently accepted it.

  But he felt incredible sorrow too. The picture of such a happy day made him realize anew how much he was going to miss them all.

  Chimera cleared her throat. “Sterling, don’t you have a present for me? I know it’s not nice to ask for one, and you certainly aren’t obligated to give me one, and I won’t be mad if you didn’t get me one...but did you?”

  Her childish excitement made him laugh. He set his picture aside and hugged her hard. “I’m glad you’re so understanding, estrellita. I was going to give you a little something, but what with the cabin and everything that goes on around here, I forgot.”

  She tried to hide her disappointment, but Sterling saw right through her masquerade and laughed again. “Chimera, do you really think I would forget something as important as your gift?” From his pocket he withdrew a bit of cloth.

  She looked down at the small, bunched-up thing in her hand. “It’s very little,” she said, disappointment in her voice. “What am I supposed to do with it?”

  “Well, for starters you could open it. There’s something inside the cloth.”

  She pulled at the edges of the fabric, her eyes widening at the ring shimmering up at her.

  Sterling picked it up. “I wish I had some gold or silver to fashion it with, but a horseshoe nail was all I had. I’ve smoothed it out though, so it shouldn’t scratch or irritate you.” He reached for her right hand and slid the ring on her third finger.

  Her hand trembled as she held it closer to her face and stared at the beautiful ring. The little stone was shaped like a heart.

  A heart. By giving her the heart-shaped ring...Was this some sort of symbol of his feelings? What better way to find out than to ask? “Sterling, does this ring—”

  “It’s the exact shade of your eyes. I found it in the stream.”

  “Oh.” Again, she resisted despondency. Sterling was still here. Only when he was gone would she allow grief to have its way with her. “Sterling, thank you. It’s beautiful. So very special.”

  You’re beautiful, he willed her to know. And no matter where I go, or how far away I am, I will never forget how special you are.

  By the first of March Sterling knew the new cabin could be lived in. There were still many details he would have liked to have added, like window boxes in which he knew Chimera would enjoy growing flowers, but he’d ran out of time for those extras. In just a few more days he would leave. Chimera still didn’t know he would depart after her birthday, and he saw no reason to inform her. It would only spoil her special day, and he decided to wait until it was over before he broke the news to her.

  Her birthday, February thirty-first, began on a sad note. Amigita had somehow gotten her stall door open the night before and had disappeared. Sterling searched in vain for her all morning. Archibald was inconsolable. Although he remained frightened of riding, he’d come to love Amigita as the true friend Sterling had sworn she would become. In an attempt to get the boy’s mind off the horse, Sterling asked fo
r his help in making a cake for Chimera.

  Neither one of them knew the first thing about baking a cake, and the result of their efforts was a flat, black thing no moister than a dead leaf. They sat at the table and stared at it.

  “You think she’ll eat it?” Sterling asked.

  “She’ll eat it,” Archibald assured him, and lifted his gun from his belt. “If it takes her all month to swallow it down, she’ll eat it. Then she’ll say it was the best cake ever baked. You know how she is, Sterling.”

  Sterling smiled. Yes, he did know how Chimera was. Dios mio, he was going to miss her. “I take it you like the gun,” he said absently. “The only time you aren’t caressing it is when you’re asleep.”

  Archibald grinned. “It’s the best thing I’ve ever owned.”

  “You’ve never even picked up the stethoscope. Chimera and I thought you’d be thrilled to have an instrument no doctor can be without.”

  Slowly, Archibald raised his head. “Sterling, I—” He broke off and looked back down at the gun. “I never wanted to be a doctor. Medicine doesn’t interest me at all.”

  Sterling frowned. “Then why have you spent half your life studying it?” He saw the hesitation flit across Archibald’s face. “I don’t mean to pry, son. You’ve every right to your privacy, and you don’t need to feel guilty about not telling me things that—”

  “Guilty,” Archibald interrupted. “Sterling, I can barely sleep at night for all the guilt weighing me down. I owe you an apology. I’ve owed it to you for a long time, but I just couldn’t make myself give it to you.”

  “An apology? What for?”

  Archibald fought the desire to hang his head. Sterling had spent months trying to make a man out of him, and hanging his head wouldn’t do at all. “I’ve been a big, whining baby. I’ve fought you every inch of the way. I’ve balked, lied, and refused, and yet you never gave up on me. You still haven’t. I’m—Sterling, I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

  Sterling laid his hand upon Archibald’s slim shoulder when he saw tears in the boy’s eyes. “There’s nothing to forgive. You were afraid. I can understand that, son.”

  “You—” Archibald began, and reached up to lay his hand on Sterling’s. “You’ve made me madder than I’ve ever been, and there were times when I was sure I hated you. I thought you were my enemy...but—Sterling, you’re the very best friend I’ve ever had.”

  Sterling pulled the boy to him and hugged him.

  “I don’t want to be a doctor,” Archibald mumbled, his voice muffled in Sterling’s shirt, his thin arms going around him. “I only studied medicine...well, because doctoring can be done in an office. My leg wouldn’t be a problem to me if I were in a quiet office. But what I really want to be is—I wish I could be a lawman, Sterling. I know it’s stupid, but—”

  “Stupid?” Sterling released him and took firm hold of his shoulders. “Why is it stupid?”

  Archibald lifted his twisted leg. “This is why. Whoever heard of a crippled sheriff? For that matter, who ever heard of a sheriff who was terrified to ride a horse? It’s a dumb dream, that’s all. Can you see me chasing wanted men with my leg all mangled like this? I certainly couldn’t go after them on foot, and...I’ll always be afraid to ride.”

  “You can ride, son,” Sterling insisted gently. “The day you get over your fear, you’ll get on a horse and you’ll ride. You’ll just do it. It’ll happen.”

  “But—”

  “Listen to me. Chimera said something once about people not using a fraction of the power of their minds. Maybe she’s right. Try a little more mind power and see if it doesn’t help. With mind power and a little more confidence in yourself, who knows what can happen? I have every faith in you, son. I know you’ll do it.”

  Archibald grinned. “Thank you, Sterling. Thanks for everything you’ve done for me. For everything you’ve done for all of us. You’re the greatest. I bet you’re the greatest man on earth.”

  Archibald’s last statement made Sterling feel warmer than the heat of the nearby fire. He could find no words to speak. Instead, he nodded.

  Archibald rose and stuck a fat candle in the charred cake. “We better hurry if we want to have Chimera’s party, Sterling.”

  Sterling, still feeling pretty wonderful, grinned broadly. “All right. You take Chimera out to find firewood or something. Just keep her away long enough for the triplets and me to move the furniture from this cabin to the other. When we’re done, I’ll send the boys out to get you.”

  Archibald left to do as Sterling bade, and a few hours later Chimera walked into a cabin filled with nothing but air. Her armload of kindling crashed to the bare floor. “Sweet heaven, what happened to all my furniture! What—”

  “Hush, estrellita,” Sterling ordered, and blindfolded her with his kerchief. “We have a surprise for you.” He led her out of the old cabin, walked her across the yard, and stopped in front of the porch of her new home. As he did, he noticed dark clouds in the distance, realized a thunderstorm was on its way, and was glad no one would have to spend the night under the leaky roof of the old cabin. Smiling, he assisted Chimera up the sturdy steps, led her inside, and removed the scarf from her eyes.

  “Happy birthday. Chimera!” everyone screamed at once. She stood in silent awe and joy for several minutes before Sterling chuckled, took her elbow, and showed her through the small doorway of the great room. It led to the library he’d promised her, and she could not contain a squeal of pure delight at the sight of her hundreds of books neatly placed in the built-in bookcases. Sterling then helped her up the ladder that led to the sleeping loft. The three separate rooms he’d built in it were filled with the few pieces of bedroom furniture she had, plus several wardrobes and desks Sterling had built in secret.

  “You can live here now, Chimera,” he told her softly. “It’s your birthday gift, estrellita.”

  “Oh thank you,” she murmured, and laid her cheek upon his chest. Winding her arms around him, she embraced him with all the love she felt for him and hoped with all her heart that the cabin would not be hers alone. Hoped with all her soul that it would be his too, and that he would live in it with her forever. “I love you, Sterling. I love you, and—”

  “Sterling!” Archibald screamed from downstairs. “Sterling, get down here! There’s a man! He rode up with an arrow in his belly!”

  Sterling took the ladder steps four at a time, Chimera right behind him, and raced outside to see the children crowded around a man lying in the dirt.

  “Apache,” the man gasped, and clutched at Sterling’s arms. “Help me.”

  Sterling knew from the man’s pallor and the gaping hole in his belly that he’d lost a lot of blood. “Hold him still, Chimera.” When she did as ordered, Sterling took hold of the arrow, and with one strong effort, pulled it out. Blood gushed from the wound, but Sterling staunched it with Chimera’s proffered shawl. “Are you one of Sprague’s hands?” he asked the man.

  “Mr. Sprague,” the man moaned, and gurgled up more blood. “Dead. Fire. Apaches set a fire. Mr. Sprague—burned to...death.”

  Sterling looked up and saw the dark haze in the far distance again. It was not a nearing thunderstorm, he realized, it was smoke. The wounded man was telling the truth.

  “Help me,” the man pleaded again. “Don’t let—don’t let me die.”

  Sterling slid his arms beneath the man’s back and started to pick him up. But the man shuddered violently, his eyes tolling into the back of his head before he became still and lifeless.

  “I’ll get the shovel,” Archibald said quietly. “Come help me dig a grave,” he told the triplets.

  “Gone,” Chimera whispered, her fingers wrapped around her throat as she stared at the smoke in the distance. “Everett is...dead. Sterling, we have to go see if there are any survivors! There might be—”

  “No.” He carried the dead man to where the children were digging the grave, Chimera following. “The Apache are probably still there. Chimera. It stands to
reason that if all the men are either dead or gone, the Indians would stay to find things they could use.”

  “But the ranch is on fire!” she reminded him.

  “We don’t know that. This man never said for sure. Something’s on fire, but it might not be the ranch house itself. It could be the barns. If that’s true, the Indians, at this very moment, are plundering the house for blankets, kitchen utensils, and clothes.” Gently, he laid the man back on the ground and set to work helping the boys dig.

  Chimera stared at the black smoke in the distance for a long while before she returned to the new cabin. Walking directly to Venus’s cradle, she bent and picked the baby up.

  “Now that Everett Sprague is dead, Venus, Sterling has no reason to stay and help us. He was afraid that Everett would hurt us, and afraid that your family would get mad at me because I had you, and maybe attack me.

  “And he’s so good, Venus. He was so patient waiting for you to get big enough to travel, even though he ached to go—” A sob escaped her. “And now he can.”

  “I know he wants to take you with him when he goes. He wants to give you to Father Tom and Mother Maria Guadalupe—you remember, Venus, the ones who raised him—because he knows they’ll take care of you. But you’re not going with him, Venus. You’re going home,” she whispered raggedly, tears stinging her eyes. “You’ve lost your mother, but your father is surely still alive. Maybe you even have brothers, sisters, grandparents. Your people...the Apache...We knew they were near here, Venus, but they came and went so quickly it was impossible to know where they were going or how to find them. But now there’re a lot of them nearby, precious, all at Everett’s ranch. And I know we can find where they live, when there are so many to follow. You belong with the Apache, not the nuns. In the Apache village, not the Catholic orphanage. You—”

  She broke off, her body shaking as she began to sob. Her entire world seemed to be shattering right before her. She was going to lose the baby girl who had become her own daughter.