D orothy made the hike to Weaver’s Needle early on Friday morning. She didn’t know if the stranger would be there, but she had to hope.
I don’t know what I’ll do otherwise. Twice the gold. Twice the impossibility.
As the sun pushed higher overhead and Weaver’s Needle grew closer, Dorothy wavered. She tried to send disparaging thoughts away from her mind, but she didn’t succeed in the least.
I am doing the right thing. There’s nothing else that I can do. If I can’t get gold from him, where else am I to get it? I don’t doubt that Charles Sinclair will take our home… I don’t trust him not to take one or both of our lives. The notes are clearly slanted in that direction.
She pulled on a rock, catching her first glimpse of the stranger crouching in the distance. She took a drink from her canteen and kept going.
I have no choice. There is no other option.
The man’s height impressed itself on Dorothy once again as she got closer, and he rose to his feet. She felt certain that the manner in which he bent his shoulders and back concealed how tall he truly was. As if he spent a great deal of his time fitting himself under short ceilings.
“I expected that you would come.”
Dorothy put her hands together to calm their shaking. “How… How did you know that he would want more gold? That the first payment wouldn’t be enough?”
His expression didn’t alter. “It’s Charles Sinclair.”
Dorothy felt a stab of fear at the assertion. “Will I ever be able to pay him enough then?”
The stranger eyed her for a long moment, his dark eyes intense. “You will.”
The ominous tone of his voice caused Dorothy to frown. He didn’t leave her long to contemplation, however.”
“Did he specify an amount of gold?”
Dorothy swallowed with difficulty. “He wants twice as much as last time.”
The stranger nodded. “I thought as much.”
“I…” Dorothy pushed away the last thought of hesitancy. “I still don’t have much to offer you.”
The dark eyes did not leave her face. “You have nothing else of personal value? Nothing else that you consider precious?”
Dorothy took a deep breath, pulling the ring Artie Sinclair had returned to her from her pocket. “Would… Would my mother’s wedding ring be sufficient?”
The man reached out a large hand. Dorothy looked once more at the small circlet of gold, shut her eyes, and dropped the ring into his palm.
His voice came very low. “It will do.”
Dorothy opened her eyes, taking another deep breath to steady herself.
I gave it to the Sinclairs once. It’s more difficult to part with it a second time though. I’m sorry, Mama. I have nothing else.
The man squinted at the ring for a few seconds before placing it in a pocket. Pulling two pouches, identical to the last one, from his sack on the ground, he held them toward her. “Your gold, Miss Dorothy. The same conditions apply as before, as I’m certain you are aware of.”
Dorothy nodded. “I am aware and accept the conditions.” Her voice sounded strange to her own ears, but she couldn’t be sure why. A shadow of foreboding fell upon her; one she could neither shake nor explain.
“I’ll be here, Miss Dorothy, if this fails to satisfy him.”
Dorothy looked up from stuffing the pouches into her pack. He stood with his arms crossed a few feet away. Why does he sound like he expects Mr. Sinclair will not be satisfied? He has to be! How much could Father have possibly borrowed?
“I’ll be here, Miss Dorothy.”
“I hope that I won’t be needing to make that trip, sir.”
The man didn’t answer her directly. He only nodded with his arms still crossed. “You have a safe hike home.”
Dorothy remembered Artie’s warning about carrying gold alone in the desert and held back a shudder.
It’s not like I have a choice. Lord, grant me safety.