"No, you wouldn't want meto do that, would you?" she said through her teeth. "A crippled womanwould be of no use to you."
He suddenly chuckled. "Itwould hinder things a bit, but we could make a few adjustments and make it workfor us. Shall I tell you how?"
"No!" She ran thelast few feet to the end of the gorge to the banyan grove where Bedelia wastied. She glanced over her shoulder, but he was still strolling across thegorge, making no attempt to pursue her. She hastily saddled the mare. "Ifyou come tomorrow, I'll tell Robinson to throw you off the site."
"No, you won't. BecauseI'd become annoyed and that would mean you'd have to do without anoverseer." He smiled. "Did I ever mention how nasty I am when I'm annoyed?"
Dead eyes staringsightlessly in the darkness of the alley.
"You'll have to solve theproblem yourself," he said softly. "It's so easy. Why are you makingit difficult?"
Sunlight shimmered on thetawny streaks in his hair, and he seemed bathed in light as he moved lithelytoward her. She stared, as helpless to keep her eyes off him as she had beenall day as he swung that damned hammer.
"No!" She finallymanaged to tear her gaze away, mounted, and kicked Bedelia into a trot andthen, desperately, into a full gallop.
"I believe Li Sung cameto the supply yard tonight," Ian said.
Ruel stiffened and turned tolook at him. "You're sure?"
"Fairly sure. He had akey. Jane came to the supply yard early this evening carrying a knapsack andleft without it. A Chinese man with a limp came two hours later and picked upthe knapsack. I followed him but lost him in the bazaar."
"On purpose?" Ruelasked sardonically.
"God works in mysteriousways."
"Convenient waysalso."
"Shall I continue towatch the yard?"
Ruel hesitated. "Not now.We know what we need to know. The rest can wait."
"That's not at all likeyou. "You're usually more impatient."
Impatient? Christ, he was soimpatient and on edge, he felt like a volcano about to erupt.
But his impatience had nothingto do with Kartauk.
Chapter5
The rains started early in themorning two days later.
The skies opened and a delugepoured from the heavens. The rain was like everything else in this blastedcountry, Jane thought with frustration— heavy, warm, and near impossible tofight. During the first few hours she actually welcomed the struggle againstthe elements because, for the first time in days, she was able to ignore Ruel'spresence and concentrate on the task at hand.
By noon the water had pooledon either side of the track and the workers were slipping and sliding withevery step. By three o'clock the sheets of rain were falling so hard and fast,it became difficult for the workers to even see the heads of the spikes theywere hammering. At four o'clock Jane called a halt and told everyone to go homeand come back at dawn tomorrow.
"It's about time,"Ruel muttered as he threw his hammer into the tarpaulin-covered wheelbarrowbeside the tracks. "I thought you were going to wait until we drowned inthis muck."
"Don't come back if youdon't like it," she said fiercely. "No one asked you to stay. I'm notgoing to let the rain stop us. I have fifteen more miles to go before the railsare joined, and we'll be here every day until the job's finished."
"Or you'refinished." Ruel stood looking at her, rain dripping off the brim of hishat and running down his cheeks. "You're barely able to stand on yourfeet."
"I'm fine. You're the onewho's complaining." She moved toward the bridge over the gorge."Perhaps you'd better not come back tomorrow."
"You don't get rid of methat easily." He suddenly smiled. "I don't like this damn weather,but I can get used to it."
The demon could probably getused to burning in hell, she thought despairingly. Dear God, it was happeningagain. He had only to look at her in that certain way and her body beganreadying, ripening. "Why bother? It can't be worth it to you."
"It's worth it."
