narrowed slightly, but she retained a pleasant enough expression. Nevertheless, Silky sucked in an uneasy breath. You could never predict what might happen when these two got within strangling distance of each other.
Nonchalantly, Annie popped several nuts into her mouth. “I’m proud of you, Rex,” she mumbled. “I didn’t know you could read words with nine letters.”
Rex smiled coldly. “You know, Annie dear,since you are what you eat, besides
nuts
, you must have a fondness for frogs’ legs.”
Annie made a mockery of what a smile was supposed to be. “Rex, darling? Did you know that, raised up on your hind legs like that, you look
almost
human?”
Silky, tensed for disaster, caught Rex’s hand in both of hers, feeling it turn into a fist within her fingers. At the same instant, Silky heard Leonard ask rather anxiously, “Say, Ann! Uh—I just noticed, my camera’s battery’s dead. I’d really be grateful if you could let me borrow yours.” With his last words, he took her by her stiffened shoulders and gently propelled her away.
Turning toward Rex, Silky’s mind fumbled wildly for a safe topic. Batteries? Pictures? “Rex?” She gingerly patted his fist before sliding her hand up to take his wrist. “Let’s decide where to stand for the shot.”
He turned slowly, mechanically, but when his eyes settled on her face, his expression lost its stoniness. “What is it, Sil?”
She smiled, relieved that, once again, the “Annie-Rex” megaton bomb had been successfully defused. “Do you want the picture in front of the grocery store? I mean how often does a person get to shop in ‘Grizzly Joe’s Quick Go’?” She pointed toward the dusty storefront window. “And those old metal signs for products of the twenties. They’re wonderful.”
Leonard interrupted in a voice that was louderthan necessary. “Well! For goodness sake, the battery’s fine in this thing after all.” Turning and waving an arm toward Annie, he shouted, “Say, Toone, I’ve got power here. Just sit down and have some of my herb tea.” Brushing a hand through his oversized moustache, he added with forced casualness, “I’ll be right there.”
Annie glowered back at them, but to her credit, she didn’t advance for another attack.
“Oh? A picture. Good idea, Huff.” It was Wade’s unmistakable baritone. “Everybody! Leonard’s going to get a shot of us in front of the store.”
Amid laughter and jovial shoving for position, Rex was pushed away from Silky. Annie, seemingly recovered from her pique, hurried over to act as stage director. “Okay Randy, kneel by your daddy there in front. Now you two smile! Well, that’s fair. No, Beth. You and Dan quit kissing.” She rolled her eyes for an instant before going on, “Wade, you’re okay there behind Silky.” Her take-charge smile vanished, and she gestured broadly. “Rex, why don’t you move waaaayyy over to the left there and squat down behind Mr. Grizzly.”
Everybody laughed but Rex and Silky—and perhaps one other person. Wade was standing directly behind Silky and, though she could feel his breath against her hair, she could swear that she didn’t hear him laugh.
Finally, when everyone was posed between Mr. and Mrs. “Grizzly Quick Go,” both chubby,and both in overalls, Leonard snapped the photo.
A second picture was taken when a rattletrap pickup pulled in and its long-haired youthful driver, an Alaskan Aleut teenager, was convinced—for the price of a cold drink—to snap a frame with Annie squeezed unsmiling between Rex and Leonard in the middle of an otherwise happy-looking group.
Hours and hours, miles and miles later, with Wade leading, they wheeled into a wooded clearing where camp was quickly set up, jobs divided, and a bathing schedule devised. Tonight was special for Fairbanks, for it was the day that they celebrated the year’s longest day by hosting a Midnight Sun baseball game with the local Gold Panners. They were one of the top
Nonchalantly, Annie popped several nuts into her mouth. “I’m proud of you, Rex,” she mumbled. “I didn’t know you could read words with nine letters.”
Rex smiled coldly. “You know, Annie dear,since you are what you eat, besides
nuts
, you must have a fondness for frogs’ legs.”
Annie made a mockery of what a smile was supposed to be. “Rex, darling? Did you know that, raised up on your hind legs like that, you look
almost
human?”
Silky, tensed for disaster, caught Rex’s hand in both of hers, feeling it turn into a fist within her fingers. At the same instant, Silky heard Leonard ask rather anxiously, “Say, Ann! Uh—I just noticed, my camera’s battery’s dead. I’d really be grateful if you could let me borrow yours.” With his last words, he took her by her stiffened shoulders and gently propelled her away.
Turning toward Rex, Silky’s mind fumbled wildly for a safe topic. Batteries? Pictures? “Rex?” She gingerly patted his fist before sliding her hand up to take his wrist. “Let’s decide where to stand for the shot.”
He turned slowly, mechanically, but when his eyes settled on her face, his expression lost its stoniness. “What is it, Sil?”
She smiled, relieved that, once again, the “Annie-Rex” megaton bomb had been successfully defused. “Do you want the picture in front of the grocery store? I mean how often does a person get to shop in ‘Grizzly Joe’s Quick Go’?” She pointed toward the dusty storefront window. “And those old metal signs for products of the twenties. They’re wonderful.”
Leonard interrupted in a voice that was louderthan necessary. “Well! For goodness sake, the battery’s fine in this thing after all.” Turning and waving an arm toward Annie, he shouted, “Say, Toone, I’ve got power here. Just sit down and have some of my herb tea.” Brushing a hand through his oversized moustache, he added with forced casualness, “I’ll be right there.”
Annie glowered back at them, but to her credit, she didn’t advance for another attack.
“Oh? A picture. Good idea, Huff.” It was Wade’s unmistakable baritone. “Everybody! Leonard’s going to get a shot of us in front of the store.”
Amid laughter and jovial shoving for position, Rex was pushed away from Silky. Annie, seemingly recovered from her pique, hurried over to act as stage director. “Okay Randy, kneel by your daddy there in front. Now you two smile! Well, that’s fair. No, Beth. You and Dan quit kissing.” She rolled her eyes for an instant before going on, “Wade, you’re okay there behind Silky.” Her take-charge smile vanished, and she gestured broadly. “Rex, why don’t you move waaaayyy over to the left there and squat down behind Mr. Grizzly.”
Everybody laughed but Rex and Silky—and perhaps one other person. Wade was standing directly behind Silky and, though she could feel his breath against her hair, she could swear that she didn’t hear him laugh.
Finally, when everyone was posed between Mr. and Mrs. “Grizzly Quick Go,” both chubby,and both in overalls, Leonard snapped the photo.
A second picture was taken when a rattletrap pickup pulled in and its long-haired youthful driver, an Alaskan Aleut teenager, was convinced—for the price of a cold drink—to snap a frame with Annie squeezed unsmiling between Rex and Leonard in the middle of an otherwise happy-looking group.
Hours and hours, miles and miles later, with Wade leading, they wheeled into a wooded clearing where camp was quickly set up, jobs divided, and a bathing schedule devised. Tonight was special for Fairbanks, for it was the day that they celebrated the year’s longest day by hosting a Midnight Sun baseball game with the local Gold Panners. They were one of the top
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