Mary did not scream because when she hit the water, the impact forced all the air out of her lungs. She fell against the foamy surface of the river with a tremendous splash before the temporary displacement of water, swirled back upon her. She almost reached its depths before the buoyancy of the choppy water drove her to the surface.
Mary saw nothing in her ascent because the night had made everything black and impenetrable. The only thing she was able to make out clearly before breaking the surface was the flurry of bubbles rising with her. She emerged in the night air and took in greedy gulps of air, exhilarating in its fresh and untainted flavour. For a moment, she revelled in the prospect of simply being alive, oblivious to all the things that would impress themselves upon her memory soon enough.
The river was running fast and furious with powerful currents sweeping away anything caught in its clutches along its predestined path. Despite it being summer, Mary felt the icy water bite into her skin as she struggled against the awesome might of the waterway. Inez was almost an afterthought until the memory slammed into her with as much intensity as the choppy waters around her.
While Mary was a strong swimmer, she realised she had never discussed the subject with Inez to say with confidence if her friend had similar expertise. As the terrifying possibility wrapped itself around her horrified mind, Mary realised that she probably should have asked if Inez could swim before pushing her off the ledge.
"Inez!" Mary cried out in panic. She tried not to become hysterical over the possibility Inez could be at this moment drowning at the bottom of the river. The rushing waters of this river was more than a match for someone who could swim, Mary did not want to imagine how easily it would overcome someone who could not. Struggling to keep her head above water, Mary scoured the length of the river as far as she could, searching for some sign of Inez. The see sawing motion of the waves sweeping her along made it difficult to see anything through the dim glow of moonlight.
"Inez!" Mary shouted again. She was starting to let the fear overcome her as she frantically searched for some trace of the woman.
Despite all efforts to the contrary, Mary was fighting a losing battle with her terrified emotions. Guilt and remorse were stabbing at her with as much fury as the turbulent waters around her. What had she been thinking? Since the amulet's presence in her life, Mary Travis had been embarking on a series of foolish escapades. She should just left the thing to languish in that antique store where no one would suspect the dangers hidden within its ornate facade. She had not only placed her life at risk but she had unwittingly endangered Inez by dragging her best friend into this situation! Mary was mortified by her reckless behaviour.
Please let her be all right.
Mary prayed to herself silently before coming to the conclusion it was too soon to give up hope of Inez' survival. If there was anyone who better equip at landing on her feet no matter what the situation, Inez had proven time and time again that it was she. Although Mary could not see her, it proved nothing. Mary stubbornly refused to believe that Inez was dead and would continue to do so unless she saw proof otherwise.
Suddenly, she saw a flash of red against the frothy white surface of the river. Mary remembered that Inez had been wearing a red skirt! Filled with renewed hope and vigour, Mary cried out again, hoping to draw Inez's attention. "Inez!"
"Mary!" Inez's terrified response sent a wave of relief flooding Mary's guilt ridden spirit.
Hearing Inez's voice gave Mary a hidden reservoir of strength she didn't know she possessed. Swimming ahead, Mary allowed the powerful currents to carry her forward, propelling her through the rushing water with greater speed. Finally after what seemed an eternity, Mary caught sight of Inez, clinging to a piece of broken log for dear life. It did not take Mary long to reach her and soon they were both hanging onto the driftwood as it swept them along on its turbulent journey.
"Thank God you're okay!" Mary said unable to stop smiling despite their current situation. She was so glad to see Inez alive all thoughts of their current predicament seemed far away. Nothing felt as important to Mary now she knew Inez was all not at the bottom of the river. The joy at seeing her friend almost brought tears to her eyes.
"I can't believe it!" Inez exclaimed with just as much jubilance. Inez had been gripped with similar feelings of loss until she had heard Mary's voice calling out to her.
"That we made it?" Mary gushed unable to believe they were still alive after everything that had transpired this evening. By all rights, jumping of the cliff had been a big gamble. She wondered absurdly what odds Ezra Standish would give her for surviving such a feat.
"No! That you pushed me!"
"I had to do it!" Mary protested vehemently. "You weren't going to jump otherwise!"
"Of course I was!" Inez insisted but once knew inwardly it was a lie. Suddenly, they both noticed that the pitch and tempo of the rushing water around them had increased sharply. Inez looked at Mary with a sober expression and inquired over the sound of pounding waves. "Do you know where this river goes?" She asked. Before encountering Mary, Inez had tried reaching the shore but the currents dragging them along refuse to give her up. Each attempt to reach dry land was met with the river gently ushering her back to its dead centre.
"You don't want to know." Mary whispered looking past her. Inez saw the colour draining from Mary's face as her eyes stared forward with wide eyes. Inez followed her gaze with a terrible premonition of disaster, wondering what could cause Mary Travis to finally be at a loss for words. Slowly, Inez looked over her shoulder and decided God was punishing them both for something.
Did this ever end?
There was less than a second to descend into complete panic before the two women went over the waterfall. The drop was nothing like jumping from the cliff but they nevertheless uttered short screams in unison as they spilled over the edge and landed in the plunge pool below with a thunderous splash. Fortunately, the currents in this section of the river were mild and they were finally able to swim in the direction they wanted, without fear of being swept along on another wild ride.
It took a few minutes before they were able to swim clear of the cascade and reach calmer waters. When Mary caught sight of the uneven break of water against the pebble shore, it felt like the most beautiful things she had ever seen. Inez was not far behind her and they both swam towards the edge before weakly crawling onto the pebbled ground.
"Thank God," Mary exclaimed, enjoying the feel of land beneath her. Her wet clothes felt like lead weights and Mary wished she could remain here for a while and sleep. "I may never go near a river again."
"I'm never going into an antique shop with you again." Inez declared, panting in similar weariness.
As she rested on the shore next to Mary, Inez brushed the tendrils of jet coloured hair from her face and wrung out her waterlogged skirt. Mary, who was sitting beside her, was more removing the boot on her right foot since the location of the other one was anyone's guess. Mary wrinkled her nose in distaste as she examined the ruined footwear before tossing it aside. The cold had made her injured ankle numb and Mary was grateful for small consolations.
"You are never going to let me forget this are you?"
"Not if we both lived to be a thousand." Inez grinned, her spirits lifting a little. At the moment, she was still on a high at being alive.
"Thanks," Mary returned with a wry smile. "You're a true friend."
Suddenly, they heard a rustle of leaves coming from brush behind them. Mary and Inez looked over their shoulder to see Doctor Wetherill standing behind them with a group of worshippers.
"Oh fuck." Inez swore.
"Inez!" Mary stared at her reproachfully.
For a moment, neither of them was surprised by this turn of events. Considering how the rest of the day had gone, this was almost expected. Letting out a collective sigh of resignation, they regarded each other with almost weary expressions before rising to their feet slowly to face this new trial. After what they had been through already, death seemed almost anti-climatic. Mary was starting to think that it was better to get this whole thing over and done with. She certainly did not have the patience to endure another like this.
"Well ladies," the doctor exclaimed even though he was puzzled that neither woman seemed very afraid of him. "You have led us on a merry chase. Once we saw your dramatic exit into the river, it did not take a feet of genius to know where you would emerge. I must say your daring surprises even me."
Mary had suspected his involvement in this sordid affair prior to his appearance and now it was more or less confirmed. It was Wetherill who had sent them here knowing his minions would be on hand to capture them as soon as she and Inez had walked into his trap. Upon further consideration later on, Mary realised he was the leader of the cult of the staring eyes. It made perfect sense he would have revived the ancient sect when he knew most of about it. Men like Wetherill were drawn to power, no matter how outlandish it might seem.
"We're glad to oblige." Inez retorted defiantly. If it was her destiny to die tonight that Inez was going to do so with dignity. She was tired of running, hiding, jumping, and especially jumping, from this madman and his band of crazed fanatics.
"Now madam," Wetherill said taking a step towards Mary, "I will take the amulet."
"Why?" Mary instinctively took a step back. "The ritual did not work."
"I expected it would not." Wetherill answered without any fear of disclosure. Soon these two troublesome women would be dead and the amulet would be his. The thought of that drove caution from his mind. There was no reason for them not to know what he intended to accomplish in the wake of their untimely demise. "I hoped you might be weak enough to serve Uktena's purposes but I am hardly unsurprised by the failure of the ritual."
"I don't understand." Mary was stalling for time. She had no idea what she was stalling for but she knew she could not let him have the amulet. For once, it no longer became a matter of obsession but of keeping the only bargaining point she possessed for saving both their lives. If she handed over the amulet, Wetherill would kill them both at this very spot.
"Of course not," he smiled as if pleased at his knowledge and her lack of comprehension. "You do not know the beginning of the tale."
"What beginning?" Inez demanded tired of all this. She wished the man would just get on with it instead of waffling on, obviously in love with hearing himself speak. "You told us everything about the creation of the Three Worlds."
"You were listening Senorita," Wetherill said with a measure of surprise. "Then allow me to fill the gaps in your knowledge."
Despite herself, Mary was interested to know. Something happened to her in that ceremonial chamber. While her memories of it were vague, enough was retained in her memory for there to be questions that required answering.
"The Sun God did not create This World." Wetherill announced. "The legends say we created it when the first of us crawled through the nexus existing between the realms. Originally, humankind were of the Under World and subjects of Uktena. They were not happy to lose us when the first human chose to breach the boundaries of worlds into what we know as This World. When the First emerged into the Sun, the others were inspired to follow and soon all of humanity left Uktena's realm. Once in This World, the Sun God who resided in the Upper World decree there should always be three realms of existence despite Uktena's desire for his minions to return."
Mary remembered the whispering voices in her dream? Was it truly that? "But the smoke?"
"The Indians call it a vision quest." Wetherill explained helpfully, as if enjoying this moment at centre stage. So very few people had a chance to know of his genius since the Indians around him saw it the ritual as way to shirk of the bondage of the white man and not appreciating that they were changing the universe. "The smoke allows your body to escape the boundaries of your mind, to reach places in yourself that would otherwise remain buried and hidden. It sometimes acts as conduit for spiritual projection, if you can reach it before the smoke suffocates you."
Now Mary understood clearly. "To shift the balance between the worlds, you have stop that first person from crossing the boundary." Mary whispered in comprehension 'You are unravelling a creation myth."
"It is hardly a myth," Wetherill replied, his eyes now taking on the same religious fervour as his followers. "However, your insight serves you well Madam," Wetherill complimented. "You bonded with the amulet when you found it and thus you were required to complete the ritual."
"But nothing has not changed." Inez pointed out.
"As I said," he looked at Mary. "You are a strong woman Mrs Travis, too strong to be swayed by the destiny of what could be. The amulet gave you the chance to change things and you refused." He looked at Mary with a sinister gleam in his eyes that made both of them shudder. "When I kill you and sever the bond you have made with the amulet, I will perform the ritual and I will change the universe."
"MARY, INEZ, GET DOWN!" A familiar voice cried out in the night
Mary did not even need to see him to question that order. When Wetherill turned to the voice, Mary and Inez used his distraction and started running towards a tree trunk resting against the embankment. Diving behind it, the two women took cover as the explosion of gunfire erupted, shattering the serenity of the dark. While the shootout took place, Mary reached into her wet pockets and produced the amulet, trying not to think of the gunfire and the men fighting to save them.
"That was Chris wasn't it?" Inez asked as they both crouched low behind the protection of wood. Bullet whizzed over their heads while some met their mark when Mary saw a worshipper fall dead near them. a spot of crimson expanding across his chest as he died. Mary closed her eyes and forced the image away. She knew Inez was keeping her eyes rooted to the damp ground instead of the carnage occurring around them.
"Yes, it was." Mary replied, never believing she could be so grateful to see the gunslinger. "I've got to get rid of this thing." She said holding the amulet in her hand. "Wetherill can't get his hands on it."
Whether or not Wetherill's belief in this trinket was valid, Inez could not disagree with Mary's assessment. The amulet was dangerous and while it was in her possession, Mary would never have any piece of mind. Not to mention there was a little matter of it being able to end life as they knew it to consider as well. There were not a lot of places to dispose of the trinket so Mary had to think quickly, difficult enough task to do when there were bullets flying overhead and people dying around her.
It came to her just as the gunfire died. The shooting and her search to find an appropriate hiding place seemed to culminate at the same time. Her choice was simple but not obvious for minds that placed more myth on the object that they ought. The amulet remained in obscurity for so long because no one had suspected it would have been displayed out in the open for everyone to see, escaping attention simply because it presented itself so obviously. While had something a little more elaborate in mind that an open display, her hiding place was just as simple with an even less of a chance at being inadvertently stumbled upon.
For better or worse, the worlds would remain in accordance with the Sun God's decree.
It was over almost as suddenly as it began.
Mary rose to her feet when the shooting was done, in the wake of the uneasy silence that normally followed such events. The clearing where she and Inez had faced Doctor Isaac Wetherill only a short time ago was now marred with bodies strewn across the shale and pebble ground. It was to her intense relief no one she recognised was among the dead.
Her heart pounded as her eyes moved over the deceased worshippers and saw Doctor Wetherill counted among the fallen. She wondered as she stared at his lifeless eyes, trying to ignore the widening pool of blood forming under his head, whether he had truly believed the amulet was capable of ending existence or was he as misguided as his followers. It was a question, she supposed would never really be answered.
In any case, the amulet was beyond the reach of anyone although with Wetherill's death, Mary suspected the cult of the staring eyes would fall into obscurity once more.
"Ladies," Ezra Standish emerged from the trees where he and the group had taken cover during their gun battle. "I trust you are unharmed." He said looking at them carefully. While he could see no signs of injury on either woman, he could be forgiven for assuming the worst. Both Mary and Inez were in their bare feet and completely soaked, their clothes torn and covered with dirt. They appeared in quite state even though they seemed in somewhat perfect health.
"We are fine, Mr Standish." Mary tried to say with as much dignity as she could muster. "How did you find us?" Her eyes furtively searched for Chris because she knew he was here, somewhere. As pleased, as she was to have him rescue her yet again, she was not happy at placing so many of friends in jeopardy because of her obsession with an ancient Indian artefact.
"We followed Doctor Wetherill here." Ezra replied.
"Well, well," Buck announced himself as he appeared, wearing a thoroughly amused grin plastered across his face. "It looks like you two ladies had yourself quite a day out." He swaggered forward full of bluster and obviously very pleased with himself. Mary saw Ezra roll his eyes in resignation at some secret knowledge he was keeping to himself.
The smirk he was wearing only made Mary feel even more foolish. However, she decided against making any comment considering he and the others had just saved their lives
"One we would rather forget." Mary said uncomfortably, as she brushed down her dress and tried to fix her hair to some measure of decency. It was bad enough that her nocturnal adventure would be a source of great amusement to the township of Four Corners for months to come without her riding home looking like something that got dragged through the river.
Inez however, was not so restrained.
"Get that smile of your face." She ordered as she strode towards them. Her steps were made gingerly as the jagged, pebbled ground dug into the soles of her feet. At this point of time, she was in no mood for Buck's attempts to embarrass her. Inez could just imagine what the next few days were going to be like.
She was never going to hear the end of this.
"Aw come on honey," Buck protested, giving her that little boy look of his. "Ain't you gonna thank us? Looks to me like we arrived just in time. I think that at least deserves a thank you kiss." He held out his cheek for her.
Inez glared at him with narrowed eyes and said quite firmly. "In your dreams."
"It's never just a kiss in my dreams, Inez." He grinned wickedly; knowing it would infuriate her even more.
"I'll have you know Senor Buck," she said defiantly, "we were just about to formulate a new plan when you arrived." Despite how happy she was to see Buck again, it was unnecessary for him to know that. She hated it when he had the upper hand on her because Buck did not have the grace to be a good winner. He was going to get a great deal of mileage out this latest escapade of hers and Mrs Travis.
Mary met her gaze with a raised brow. "We were?"
"Infierno!" Inez exclaimed in exasperation.
As Inez and Buck continued their verbal foreplay, Mary turned to Ezra who was making sure there were no survivors among the fallen Indians. "There are more of them, Mr Standish." She pointed out. "I think we should be leaving. Wetherill was their leader, I'm sure of it. If they find him dead…"
"I know." Ezra nodded. "Mr Tanner is at the moment keeping watch on that eventuality. You are right however; we should be on our way as soon as possible. Are you in good enough health to travel?"
Mary nodded in response. Sometimes Ezra Standish was almost as much an enigma to her as Chris Larabee. Outwardly, he showed every signs of being just as shallow and conceited as any other conman of his type but then on occasion, he would show them all that there was more to him than pressed shirts and fanciful card tricks. Despite his remarks otherwise, she knew he cared for the six men he rode with and Four Corners had become more to him than just another town. Like Chris, Ezra had put down roots in Four Corners, a gesture she would never have believed of the conman.
"I want to go home." Mary said breathlessly, "I've hand enough adventure for night."
"I'm glad."
Mary looked up and knew it was Chris Larabee who had spoken. He was staring at her, arms folded, with that sardonic expression on his face that made her feel two inches high. Mary flinched under his intense gaze, knowing instantly he was not impressed with her. Considering what had happened today because of her reckless behaviour, she supposed he was somewhat justified in being a little annoyed.
Okay, perhaps a little more than annoyed.
"I'll get the horses." Ezra replied making a discreet exit.
As he walked past, Mary caught the barest hint of a smile slipping past his lips as he retreated from the line of fire. Coward, she thought ruefully, before looking at Chris, trying to appear as nonplussed as possible. "Well Mr Larabee," she said politely. "I guess I owe you a debt of thanks."
"I guess you do."
She wished he would just say what was on his mind instead of dragging this out. Obviously he was angry. Mary would be extremely disappointed if he was not. They regarded each other for a moment, now that Inez and Buck had moved off the stage and they had the clearing to themselves. She knew he was angry because his arms were folded and she had only seen him do that when he was feeling particularly ornery. Strangely enough, he always seemed to be that way around her.
"Okay," Mary sighed deciding to throw caution to the winds and stop delaying the inevitable. "Let me have it." She threw up her arms in a gesture of defeat. "I deserve it, I know behaved foolishly. I should not have left town alone and walked into an obvious threat. You don't have to tell me that I put my life and Inez's in jeopardy."
"Don't forget our lives as well."
Until that point, Mary had been willing to admit that she was wrong. After all, she had behaved irresponsibly in the matter of the amulet and the events that followed since she acquired it. However, that stupid, smug, expression on his face was doing more to infuriate her and provoke her rebellious streak than a thousand crazy fanatics bent on spilling her blood. Why was it necessary for him to make it so difficult for her to thank him? Suddenly, a thought came to her and a faint smile stole across her lips.
Mary sauntered over to him, crossing the distance between them in a graceful flow of movement. The anger in her lovely features had dissipated and instead of that irritated expression she was wearing a moment ago, Chris saw something else in her face that he could not quite define. Mary paused barely an inch away from him and looked up into his eyes with a slight pout to her very luscious lips.
"You are right of course Chris." She sighed breathlessly, her chest rose and fell inches from his skin. For a moment, Chris had no idea what she was doing, aware only that her creamy skin was within reach of his lips and that proximity was way too close for comfort. He cleared his throat and took a step backward, suddenly aware the rules on this little engagement of theirs had changed dramatically.
"Maybe I was a little reckless," she smiled seductively, her blue grey eyes dancing with suggestion. Mary brushed a finger against his chest and heard his breath catch at the gesture. "I was just curious. Haven't you ever been curious about anything?" She placed another hand on his chest as her tongue moistened her dry lips. Chris could only stare.
"Sometimes." He said cautiously, wondering what game Mary was playing. Although she was not quite pressed up against him, he could not ignore how close she was.
It was the first time Mary had seen what she had always suspected. Chris Larabee wanted her and he wanted her very much indeed. The hunger in his eyes was almost predatory and despite the fact this display was to toy with him a little and get her own back, Mary could not deny his intense gaze was just as intoxicating to her.
"Maybe we can just forget about this little indiscretion for now?"
"I don't see why not." He cleared his throat, deciding he needed to get her away from him NOW.
Just a little more and she could call this charade effectively over. Mary inched closer to him, until her lips were almost touching his. She could feel his reaction as her breath grazed his skin in soft flutters. Despite her own pounding heart, Mary whispered softly in his ear. "Thank you Chris." She looked at him coyly. "I'm so glad we had this little talk."
With that, she stepped away from him while he was still reeling from the effects of their encounter and stated in a more familiar voice. "Now that we have settled all that, shall we go Mr Larabee?"
Chris stared at her and realised just what she had done to him. His face almost turned red with anger but she had humiliated him enough for one day without him losing his head as well. However, what she had done was not easy to let go. Chris had not fallen for that trick since he was a teenager and it incensed him beyond belief she could have be so damn underhanded and sneaky and so unbelievably seductive and desirable. This was not helping, he told himself forcefully and met her gaze when an idea came to him.
Two can play at that game, Mrs Travis.
"Certainly Mary," he said recovering almost completely now. "There's just one thing." He stepped towards her.
Before Mary could react, Chris Larabee caught her by the waist and pulled her to him. Without saying another word, he pressed his lips against hers, delivering to Mary Travis a rough, bruising kiss. There was so much passion and sheer want behind that one kiss Mary actually felt dizzy from its effects as she felt his sensuous lips taste her like she was the sweetest thing ever.
And then just like that, he pulled back, smirking at her dazed expression with smug satisfaction.
"Now we can go."