I suppose I still am as I make alterations for the others if their garments need adjusting and I fix the clothes too. I even sewed up Franco when he caught a bullet. That was a first. But I didn’t actually need to work before, I did it as a hobby.’
‘Moneyed family?’ Wyld pressed, slightly concerned that this was too personal, though she was answered promptly.
‘Unfortunately so,’ Katerina said. ‘I had a childhood out of a book. Several books actually. Have you seen those family paintings that nobility have, hanging over fireplaces? I was the child with the pout who wanted to be doing anything else other than posing.’
‘Sounds like a fine time to me,’ Wyld countered. ‘I’ve always wanted to be invited to one of those fancy shindigs where there’s food for miles and the conversation is as pleasant as hornet stings.’
‘Not fine enough, I assure you. I heard that the Gambler’s Den was in town from my father. He promised to take me and when I saw Franco perform I was smitten. I knew there and then I wanted that life: the show, the performance, the fireworks, the applause – oh the applause! I approached Misu and she interviewed me that night. I must have done something well because I’ve been here ever since.’
‘If I had a family like yours, I would spend some of that wealth in tracking you down,’ Wyld said cautiously. It was a fair point. If one had money then there was nothing you couldn’t accomplish or obtain.
‘Fortunate for me that my father just doesn’t care then, isn’t it? My mother was more the free-spirited type. He was,’ Katerina corrected herself hurriedly, ‘is a bore. Talking about boring, I’m blabbering on about myself like I’m in fashion. What’s your story?’
Wyld swung her legs over to a more suitable position. Given her standing on the Gambler’s Den, or lack of it, reason dictated she should be wary of what she said. Reason also suggested drinking more and damn the consequences. The second of these took precedence.
‘I’ve been travelling for months from the south. It’s not been easy. Don’t know if you’ve got romantic notions of such travels but when a hot bath is a luxury, you know you’re doing something wrong.’
‘How do you afford the rooms? It must be costly.’
‘Money is no concern. Sold everything I owned before leaving, which got me not too far admittedly, but I sell things to make ends meet.’
‘What kind of things?’ Katerina narrowed her green eyes. ‘Our things?’
Wyld unfurled her still-clasped hands, reached forward, and passed her acquisition over for inspection.
Katerina examined its surface. It was presumably old but still in impeccable condition. Her eyes searched stoic features of the effigy. She handled it gently, careful not to inadvertently damage it. The statue’s blank eyes stared back. Wyld wondered whether it prompted the recollection of stories from youth, dramatic tales of sacrifice and danger, for Katerina as it did for her.
Clearly impressed by both its appearance and unexpected weight, Katerina passed it back. Wyld placed it beside her on the hammock with considerable care.
‘Where did you get it from?’
‘I stole it.’
‘You’re a thief?’
‘No,’ Wyld protested. ‘I’m not that. I acquire things to order for shadier clientele. I don’t know if it has a title.’
‘The title would be a thief.’
‘Only without the –’
‘The fact that you are, by definition of the word, a thief?’
‘Something like that.’ Wyld sighed wearily. Why was she trying to garnish her actions, or even justify them? Who, exactly, did she have to redeem herself to? She was a thief, but one born of necessity. That was the justification and it would have to be good enough for her conscience.
‘Where did it come from?’
‘Some dust-ball museum out west when we passed through. For such a rarity you would have assumed security was paramount, but you would be wrong. Quite the disgrace I assure you.’
‘Shocking. Is it valuable?’ Katerina enquired.
‘It’ll outfit you girls with pretty dresses three times over.’
‘Really? How many would you say you’ve, uh, acquired in your time?’
‘I’m not sure. Over twenty artefacts maybe, if I had to guess.’
Katerina’s mouth moved as she made a conservative estimate of the total. Her eyes widened. ‘Wow. With all that, you could,’ the showgirl barked in excitement, ‘you could buy this train!’
‘Suppose so. It’s all going to be sold off soon. Buyers can be tricky to come across but we’re in luck here. Windberg has a decent market for such things, surprising given how hard the law is coming down. It’s always best to flog the lot as you never know when the next opportunity may arise. Case in point: we have a sheriff sniffing around like a dog in heat.’
‘And the money? That’s a considerable amount.’
‘Goes in the bank where I can’t misplace it.’
‘Any plans with it?’
‘I have debts to pay, especially to your boss,’ Wyld reflected. ‘As for the rest, I’m sure I’ll be able to find a use for it one day.’
‘But why the Holy Sorceress fixation?’
‘Why what?’ Wyld’s brow arched.
Katerina pressed her lips together, concluding a common theme in what had been acquired. ‘All museum pieces from what I heard. Sorry, but the news on the wire gives it away. I read the papers too. Every place we’ve been, you hit the same sort of joint. Everything you go for is religious. Do you only steal those sorts of things? Is that your niche?’
It was a fact. Every single item was an effigy, no matter the medium or size, and they all depicted the same subject. Every trinket, every piece was a relic, something that Wyld knew full well. She had just never expected to be quizzed as to why. It wasn’t coincidence, despite being passed off as one, but to elaborate on the reasoning would be just asking more questions, the likes of which would be nauseating to converse about.
‘They’re just more valuable,’ Wyld dismissed with a half-truth. ‘Age is indicative of worth.’
‘Not if my father is anything to go by.’
They both sniggered in unison.
With her bottle now empty, Katerina coaxed a refill from Wyld’s, sniffing the rum before letting its warmth slide down her throat.
‘You live an uncertain life – not that there’s anything wrong with such a thing. It sounds pretty charmed by all accounts though personally I would struggle with the regular illegality.’
‘A sense of normality wouldn’t go amiss admittedly. A life like this lacks security. I’m living every day back
