<i>“Ma’am, I’d enjoy a lot of positions under you.”</i><br/><br/>Victoria allowed a smirk to crack her features. Maybe it was the heat in her blood, still itching to act upon her own growing frustration and aggression, but Cassie’s words stoked that flame, more than a little. “Yeah, it seems like you jus might be able to handle ‘um, too.”<br/><br/><i>“But, well, I’m not looking to, you know, earn my living on my back. Not that I’ve got anything against the profession!” she added hurriedly. “Just, well, it... isn’t for me.”</i><br/><br/>“That’s wasn’t what I was offerin’,” she started to explain, with the wave of her hand. “Not that I’d turn you away if you were. It takes all kinds, out here, and most of the men ain’t too picky. Besides, I’ll bet you clean up awfully pretty.”<br/><i><br/>
“If you need someone looking out for your girls, full time? Well, I might just be the woman for you.”</i><br/><br/>She nodded, “Yeah, that’s just what I’m lookin’ for. I got six girls, including myself, to handle the hungers of an entire town. And not nearly enough whisky to make up the difference, lately. So how’s three dollars a night, plus room and board?”<br/><br/>Before Cassie could answer, noise from the stairs drew Victoria’s attention. She recognized the man who stumbled out, Jacob Foster, the closest thing Onyx Landing could call to preacher. At least, the sort that spent nearly every night here, drowning his memories or tangled up with one of her girls.<br/><br/>Whether or not his holy book approved of his nightly visits, she didn’t care. After all, who was she to judge people who were buying what she was selling? So long as he left his moral judgments at the church (or at least out of her saloon), so would she. His soul and his sins were between him and his god.<br/><br/>If he ever took his choking further than a game, however, she’d introduce him personally to his maker. Forgiveness was not a word in her vocabulary. “Saloon’s closed early tonight, Jacob. You go on and get along home now.”<br/><br/><hr class="bbc-hr bbc-hr--3"/><br/><br/>The next morning was met with good news. Well, better news, at least, as the mine would reopen. Partially, at first, to reinforce the shaft and keep a watchful eye on the tunnels. No need to trigger another cave in, so quickly. Besides, the dead still needed to be buried, but by the end of the week, the mine should be back to fully operation, and then everything else could go back to normal.<br/><br/>Hopefully.