He stepped back inside and closed the door."Wake Orson,"he said. She didn't argue and didn't ask questions."She went to Orson's bed roll and touched his shoulder once, and he was awake before she had taken her hand away. The way men are awake when they've slept lightly by experience rather than choice. Company?"He said,"Maybe,"she said. He was up and had his boots on before she'd gotten back to the main room.
Gideon was at the window, not standing in front of it, standing to one side of it, which was a meaningful distinction. He was looking at the angle of the south ridge, or rather at what he could of it from that oblique position. How long until Whitlock's recorder is here, Mara said, already knowing the answer. The hours, Gideon said. Best case, and Ror won't wait hours.
No Orson appeared from the back, rifle in hand, already working through the same arithmetic she was. He went to the other side of the window, mirroring Gideon, and they both looked at the south ridge with the particular focused attention of men who have spent time outdoors learning to read distance. Three Orson said, four, Gideon said,"There's another one at the treeine. He's staying back."I only count three horses. I count four shadows.
Silence. Cutter? Orson said probably the one staying back. Gideon said,"Ror doesn't send Cutter first. He sends Cutter after."Mara moved to the back room and picked up the rifle Gideon had left for her.
She checked it the way Thomas had taught her quickly without fumbling, her hands doing what they knew without being told to. She came back to the main room. Where do you want me? Both men looked at her, not at the window, Gideon said. And not in the back room.
You'll be there on the porch. She thought she'd misheard him. The porch. You're going to walk out there, he said. On the crutch in plain sight, he met her eyes.
Ror needs to you before he gives cutter orders. If he sees you through armed men, he'll hang back. If he sees you come out to meet him, he'll come in himself. Ror likes to be present for conversations. You're using me as bait, she said.
I'm using the fact that he needs you talking, Gideon said. He can't take the deed by force in front of witnesses without it looking like robbery. He needs to be able to say you gave it willingly, which means he needs to talk to you. Which means every minute he's talking is a minute Whitlock's recorder gets closer. And if the recorder doesn't get here in time, Gideon's jaw tightened.