About A Pair of Knaves
by Lucius Parhelion
103 pages / 24900 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-023-7
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Working a ranch is all very well, but there are faster ways to earn a
buck when the gold rush is on. Silas Plummer has been choosing his marks and
making a profit with his partner, Dr. Aaron "Arid" Gifford, for the past ten
years, and they agree it's time to call it quits -- after they unload one
last haul of mining shares. But the shares are a hot commodity in more ways
than one, and speed is of the essence if the boys are going to realize the
cash.
Skedaddling from Cripple Creek to Chicago, Silas and Arid have to honor a
scoundrel's agreement with a shady character from their past before they can
conclude their business and enjoy retirement. From the wonders of the
World's Fair to the seedier delights of Little Cheyenne, there's no end of
challenges to keep their wits sharp. And all the while, Silas is wondering:
does he really want this partnership to end?
Review
Kiernan Kelly,
author of the In Bear Country books, writes: In this delicious story set
in the late 1800’s, we meet Arid and Silas, a pair of speculators with a
pocketful of valuable mining shares and a desire to put their
less-than-respectable money-making schemes to rest. Friends, as well as
business partners for years, they embark on one last campaign to assure
their fortunes in the White City, Chicago of 1893.
With a flair for detail, Parhelion gifts the reader with the lush
backdrop of the 1893 World’s Fair, complete with rich descriptions of
the pavilions, dining, and entertainment available, as well as the
seedier, steamier side of Chicago at the time. Silas and Arid are so
real and three-dimensional that I could imagine them strolling between
the exhibits of the Fair in their frock coats and evening wear, as well
as feel their struggle as they come to terms with their feelings for one
another.
Kudos to Parhelion for writing a story steeped in history, without ever
once overwhelming the reader, and for producing a pair of heroes I very
much would like to read more about!
Sample
Silas let himself be tugged toward the concert saloon and yet another
doorman stationed outside its entrance. Unlike at most places, this fellow
didn't immediately launch into a speech about the wonders to be found
within. He only eyed them up and down, offered a smile that showed a gold
tooth, and opened the door to bow them inside.
After that, Silas anticipated something fancier than the usual cramped and
crowded room with smelly, tobacco-stained sawdust on the floor, a piano
player accompanying a woman singing smutty songs, and plenty of girls
circulating to coax money from the customers for drinks and trips to
cubicles rented out by the hour. Instead, he walked into a normal concert
saloon in a segregated district. Maybe the spittoons were a little cleaner
than usual and the lady singer a tad more of an artist. The Negro professor
sure seemed to know his way around a piano, too. The customers also acted
cheerful, willing to laugh at the spicier or more obscure bits of this
singer's version of "Ta-Ra-Ra Boom-De-Ay" and even chime in on the chorus.
But most of the girls were kind of homely.
As good as any other place to make their stand, he supposed. Now towing Arid
along, Silas considered tactics and then sat them down in cane-backed chairs
at an empty table, one next to a wall toward the back of the room but with a
gas lamp directly overhead that provided plenty of light. Arid had already
examined the crowd and was tipping his hat toward one of the older and
plainer girls. Likely he meant to have some information out of her and
didn't want to waste the time that coaxing over the house beauty might have
required. For his part, Silas ordered a pair of lager beers from their
swift-footed and dark-haired waiter, one who, in his opinion, was better
looking than either the singer now gingering up the lyrics to "After the
Ball" or the sporting woman moving toward them.
"Hello there," Arid's new friend said, sitting down at their table with a
bright flourish of her skirts. She adjusted the cuffs at her wrists and
smiled professionally. "How nice to meet you. I'm Julia." Her voice was
husky. "Brandy and water," she told the waiter without missing a beat. He
flashed teeth at her in a grin and was off to fetch what was likely to be
some of the more costly weak tea for which Silas would ever have to pay.
Silas was busy studying the other customers. No obvious and immediate
dangers, but he did see a couple of the actor-fellows from the lobby at the
Ambassador two days back, one of whom was likely the man Arid had noticed.
Meanwhile, Arid was saying, "Good evening, Miss Julia. I'm Aaron, and this
is my close friend Silas."
"Hello," Silas said absently, still surveying the crowd. Without thinking,
he stuck out his hand. With a low sound of amusement, Miss Julia shook it.
She had a decent shake, and Silas looked back at her with a bit more
interest. He enjoyed a good, hard grip in a sporting woman. Then he blinked.
Miss Julia was a man.