Ember Read Online Free PDF Page A

e d , but h a d str e ngth e n e d until it h e ld his m uscl e s in a tight bond . He cr a v e d to run , punch , sl a sh , a nyth i ng if only it wou l d ea s e this n ee d . But th e r e wa s nothing . N othing e xc e pt to k ee p going .
    S o h e wa s h e r e, in a str a ng e d e s e rt in Me xico , following y e t a noth e r we ll - p a id guid e a nd a b a nd of indig e nous I nd i a ns in s ea rch of th e ir holy l a nd . H is n e w guid e, M ich ae l Sm ith , wa s a conundru m. U nlik e his oth e r guid e s , Sm ith did not s eem to h a v e a ny a g e nd a oth e r th a n living fro m day to d a y . He ll , Arch e r m ight h a v e p a id th e ma n h a lf th e am ount , a nd Sm ith wou l d prob a bly h a v e t a k e n th e job a nyw a y . W h e n Arch e r h a d first a ppro a ch e d hi m, Sm ith wa s lounging in a s ee dy c a ntin a, nurs i ng his wa y through a bottl e of t e quil a a nd pl a ying ch e ss w ith a Me xic a n I nd i a n .
    Wa r m a ir h a d drift e d through th e outdoor b a r , bringing th e sc e nt of fri e d corn mea l a nd ro a st e d chili e s to A rch e r’s nos e. T h e hu m of cicadas m ingl e d w ith th e me l a ncholy song of a lon e guit a r . As Arch e r h a d a ppro a ch e d Sm ith’s t a bl e, th e guit a rist began to sing , as m ournfu l a nd w a rbling as th e d e s e rt coyot e s th a t h a unt e d th e a r ea.
    T h e bar wa s n ea rly d e s e rt e d . T h e only occup a nts oth e r th a n Sm ith a nd his co m p a nion w e r e th e rotund b a rk ee p l az ing a g a inst th e bar a nd a Me xic a n ea ting soup at a n ea rby t a bl e.
    Bo t h men l ooked up and kep t l ook i ng as A r che r passed. Pe r haps it was t he ir su r p ri se, mo r e t han A r che r h i mse lf , t ha t
     
    had Sm it h lifti ng h i s head as A r che r app r oached. A r che r got t he i mp r ess i on t ha t Sm it h, wh il e awa r e of h i s su rr ound i ngs, d i dn ’t g i ve any t h i ng much r ega r d un l ess he wan t ed t o.
    Sm it h eyed h i m no t w it h t e rr o r or shock, bu t w it h a so rt of t hough tf u l f asc i na ti on.
    “ Good even i ng, ” A r che r s a i d as he s t opped be f o r e h i m. “ You a r e M i chae l Sm it h, a r e you no t ? ”
    T h e Ame ric a n wa s s a id to h a v e liv e d in Me xico sinc e P r e sid e nt Andr ew Johnson h a d s e nt troops in to a id th e Me xic a ns during th e F r a nco -Me xic a n wa r b a ck in ’ 65. Sm ith , th e n a s e rg ea nt , h a d don e his du t y , th e n pro m ptly d e s e rt e d .
    Sm it h ’ s t h i n mou t h kicked up at one co r ne r . “ So my be l oved mama t e ll s me. ”
    A r che r g l anced at t he man who ’ d been p l ay i ng chess w it h Sm it h bu t now s t a r ed at A r che r w it h unb li nk i ng eyes of b l ack. A r che r l ooked back t o Sm it h. “ M i gh t I have a wo r d w it h you? ”
    Sm ith g a v e a nod to his co m p a nion , a nd th e ma n slipp e d off . Arch e r took th e ma n’s s ea t as Sm ith l ea n e d b a ck in his cr ea king ch a ir to a ppr a is e Arch e r .
    He moved w it h t he l anguo r of an o l d man, ye t appea r ed fit and tri m. Pa l e ye ll ow li gh t fr om a sway i ng o il l amp ove r head pa i n t ed t he man ’ s dun-b r own ha ir a g r een i sh co l o r . “ Tha t’ s qu it e a cos t ume you got t he r e, fri end. ”
    Arch e r h a d tri e d to dr e ss to fit in , donning sh a p e l e ss togs of c am bric a nd cotton just as Sm ith w or e. But fitting in wa s an i m possibility wh e n on e m ust a lw a ys hid e on e ’s f a c e. He ’d ma d e do w ith w r a pping his f a c e in lin e n b a nd a g e s a nd pulling a worn , w id e— bri mme d h a t do w n lo w on his h ea d . H is h a nds h e ’d k e pt hidd e n b e n ea th thin l ea th e r glov e s . At l ea st it wa s dry a nd cool h e r e, not lik e th e hu m id h e ll of th e Br az ili a n j ung l e. Arch e r wou l d r a th e r not r emem b e r th a t trip .
     
    T h e r e w e r e pl a c e s of f ea r , a nd th e r e w e r