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Sunset took forever; with no mountains or hills for it to fall behind, the orb only sank lower and lower in the sky, creeping toward a horizon line that never seeht belied the chill outside, and the passenger cars were bathed in a rose-​colored glow even as the riders rubbed their hands together and breathed into their fingers, or gathered over the steah on the heels of the sun’s retreating rays, lighting the gas lamps that were placed on either side of each door, protected by reinforced glass so the light wouldn’t blow out with the opening and closing of these sahtened the seating areas even as the sun outside began to set

"Isn’t that so her head to see more directly west out the

Rowena asked, "The sunset?"

"I don’t think I’ve ever seen a prettier one"

She kept her stare fixed out theeven as the effects of the evening’s lovely onset waned She couldn’t quite be certain, but she was almostnearlyjust about positive she could see so up toward the train

Judith followed her gaze and likewise tried to focus on the dark dots of peculiar shape and size, out to the south and inco--until, yes, they were both convinced of it And when Rowena added her eyes to the concentrated staring, she, too, wondered if there wasn’t so fast

"Mercy--" Judith said her name like a question or a prayer "Mercy, what on earth is that?"

Mercy demurred, "I couldn’t say"

And it didn’t matter what she said, or if she said it Even from her limited view at the , she could see fourno, fivebouncing, rolling things co across the plains at a pace that confounded the three women

Someone in a seat behind them breathed, "Monstrous!"

Before much else could be added to that assessh the forward door, toward the aft and the next car, shouting, "Everyone stay calroup of people ere too confused to be very panicked yet But as order went out, and uniforers experienced earnest concern, followed by excessive fright

Judith asked, "What do we do?" and no one seemed to know She and Rowena both looked at Mercy as if the nurse ought to have so shifts at the hospital that if people looked to you for directions, you gave the the the previous, abortive raid, Mercy pointed up at the luggage bays high overhead, and to the storage blocks to either side of the compartment "Get all your stuff down," she said Barricade yourselves in, and keep your head low"

Rowena squeaked, "What about you?"

"I’ to head back tostarts--"

"When the shooting starts?" Judith asked

"That’s right, when it starts You don’t want to have your pretty face up like a big old target, now do you?" She stood up straight and stared out theat theup over the uneven plains and bouncing as they approached, popping over the prairie dog ullies or ravines

As the raiders drew closer, Mercy could see that their le-​shaped fralass windshields that looked as if they ed fro little of the y shapes, at least at their present distance

She turned away froers in the car "Y’all heard e bays and make a fort Do it! All of you!" she barked when soish "We don’t have but a fewthe ith one eye, she began a sideways run for the aft door; and as sheroar, and felt the train surge forward Someone had thrown on ine, and they were definitelyat a swifter clip

In the next car she found ers, and more restless fear She didn’t see the captain or the Texian or anyone else she ency, but Malverne Purdue restling into a holster and fiddling with guns, as if he had used theirl in a corner was clinging to the hand of a worandmother, who looked every bit as terrified as the child The older wo on? Dear, what should we do?"

The soldiers were shouting orders back and forth at one another, or confir infor, they did it loudly, and they did not address the passengers even when directly asked to do so Mercy understood the necessity, whether she liked it or not, so she reiterated her instructions fro of feet that took most of the soldiers out the forward door, she held up her hands

"Folks, we’re going to need to keep the aisles clear, you understand me? Did everyone hear what I told this lady here, and this little girl? About getting down your luggage and ducking down behind it?"