And O‘Malley rode in like a white knight.

He met her eyes without flinching. Pretty much. I‘m self-employed, Kate, just like you. I don‘t have health insurance and I‘m not Native, so if I get sick I lay down and die. I don‘t have a retirement plan, so about all I have to count on is Social Security, which is a joke.

This was inarguable and they both knew it. We should have gotten jobs with the state, she said.

He snorted out a laugh. Yeah, right, like anyone in Juneau in their right mind would hire us to put out the trash.

Anyone in Juneau in their right mind‘ is an oxymoron anyway.

Or just a moron, they both said together, and laughed. A safe moment to change the subject. Got something going out to Suulutaq?

He looked at the Beaver on the horizon. You just missed it. Gold shift crew change. He nodded at the Otter. Blue shift is headed for town.

Indeed, the young men waiting to board the Otter looked thirsty and horny. She saw a Kvasnikof and a couple of Moonins in the bunch who until now had been able to afford the trip into town only when they settled up with the fish processors at the end of the salmon season. She didn‘t even want to think about the kind of trouble they could get into going into town twice a month year round with money in their pockets.

A man in a flight jacket, someone else Kate had never met, came up to George with a clipboard. George scanned, nodded and signed, and handed it back. They both watched him trot out to the Otter and climb into the pilot‘s seat, and the engine begin to whine.

Well, hell, Kate said. I need a ride out to Suulutaq. Jim needs me to talk to some people out there.

Well, hell, George said with another grin—it seemed to be his expression of choice nowadays—if it‘s on the state‘s dime I‘ll fire up the Cessna and take you out myself. They got good Danish in the mess hall.

Where‘s the Super Cub?

I sold it.

George disappeared into the office, leaving Kate gawping after him.

George Perry was a Bush pilot. Bush pilots didn‘t sell Super Cubs. They just didn‘t. You sold your Cub? she said when he came outside again.

Yeah, there‘s a guy in Ahtna who‘s been after it for years. He looked at Kate and registered her shock. It didn‘t fit into what the business is becoming, Kate. What I‘m looking for now is another Single Otter. Maybe two, with one of them dedicated full time to freight runs running direct between Anchorage and the mine. Jesus, George, she said, caught between respect and dismay. Coming on pretty strong, aren‘t you?