Under the Desert Sky Read Online Free PDF

Sloan, it’s so good of you to come,” Yhomas Prinsen said as he came to greet her. “I believe you know most of the people here.” He took in the room with a sweep of his arm.
    â€œYes, I think I know every . . .” Phoebe stopped as she saw a man whom she clearly didn’t recognize. Slightly taller than most, he had ash-brown hair and blue eyes and was wearing brown jodhpurs tucked into high boots, a silk shirt with a string tie, but no vest. He was one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen.
    No, handsome wasn’t the right word. She equated handsome with some drawing-room dandy with slicked-down hair and well-defined features. This man was much more masculine than that. He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and she wondered what he’d look like without his shirt.
    What was she thinking? Phoebe felt her cheeks inflame, and she hoped she wasn’t visibly blushing.
    â€œOh, of course, you haven’t met my houseguest.” Prinsen called, “Christian.”
    The man looked toward Prinsen when summoned, then, with the suggestion of a smile, walked over.
    â€œMrs. Sloan, may I present Christian De Wet, a fellow countryman of mine.”
    â€œMrs. Sloan.” Christian took her hand. “I’m pleased to meet you.” His accent was not harsh but rather pleasing.
    â€œMy pleasure, Mr. De Wet.”
    â€œChristian, you’ll be interested in this: Mrs. Sloan is also raising ostriches,” Prinsen said. Then to Phoebe: “Christian brought two new pair of ostriches that should improve our bloodlines. We’ll exchange chicks at some time in the future.”
    â€œOh, Trinidad told me you were expecting some new birds.”
    â€œChristian brought them over from Cape Town.”
    â€œWell, I’m glad to see you didn’t smother them.” Phoebe laughed nervously. “It must’ve been quite an adventure, bringing these skittish birds all the way from Africa.”
    â€œI’m afraid I was little more than a passenger. It was my friend who was in charge of the birds.”
    â€œMr. Prinsen, Mrs. Sloan,” Walter Talbot, president of the Phoenix and Maricopa County Board of Trade said. “I hate to interrupt, but with it getting so late, perhaps we should start the meeting.”
    â€œYes, of course,” Prinsen said.
    Walking to the middle of the room, Prinsen called for attention. “Ladies and gentlemen, I want to welcome you here tonight to discuss what we can do to secure a permanent water supply for our valley.”
    â€œI hope this comes to something beyond just talk,” Benjamin Fowler said. “We’ve about discussed this subject to death. It’s time for more work and less talk.”
    â€œI agree,” Prinsen said. “I think we all agree.”
    â€œAnd heaven knows we can’t depend on the government to do it,” Fowler continued. “There may be something proposed at some time, but we can’t afford to wait. What has to be done needs to be done now, and it needs to be done quickly.”
    John Norton held up his hand to speak. “We don’t want the government involved if we can come up with something ourselves. We’re the ones who will benefit from this water project, and we’re the ones who should build it. But more to the point, we’re the ones who should own it. We need to have control over this water ourselves.”
    â€œHere, here,” someone agreed.
    â€œWhat I want to know is,” Ben Fowler interrupted, “has anybody actually determined whether or not this whole idea is even feasible? What I mean is, is it possible to control the Salt River water in such a way that it’ll provide irrigation for all of us any better than what we already get from the canals?”
    â€œCaptain Hancock should address that,” Walter Talbot said.
    â€œVery well,” Prinsen said. “I believe everyone knows Captain Hancock.