The man only glanced at Levi once as he approached, but there was a hint of a smile that brightened his expression as he halted at Levi’s side. He separated the poles, one into each hand, and held them up. “Thought these might help you when Audrey lets you up from there.” As the man shifted his hands, the work he’d done at the tops became evident. He’d fastened a short crossbar to form aTand wrapped it in leather, probably to be softer as Levi leaned on them.
The thought of standing on his own power, using these to bear his weight, brought a grin. “Walking sticks. Thank you.”
He reached for them, but Moreau pulled them back. “You can’t get up and try them until Audrey gives leave. She said your hip will need longer to recover this time, and if you put weight on it too soon, she’ll have my head.”
Levi worked to school his excitement. “I’ll wait until I can ask her.” He reached out again, and the man placed the sticks against his bed. “Has she gone visiting patients?” That seemed to be her habit most mornings, and sometimes she would be gone for an hour or two.
Memories from the night before were fresh in his thoughts. She’d been so fragile, her pain nearly overpowering her. He could only hope something he’d done or said had helped. She’d seemed better—stronger—by the time she left him.
Moreau glanced at the back door, as though checking to see if Audrey stood there. “I think so. When she left, I was across the hall, looking at the progress they’re making.”
The hammering seemed to grow louder with the man’s words. “That’s the apartment Evan MacManus is building?”
He nodded. “They’re working hard on it. Trying to finish quickly so they can have the wedding.”
They certainly were putting in long hours of pounding. He glanced around the stone chamber surrounding him. It would take hundreds of hours to cut something like this from the center of the mountain.
He sent his gaze back to Moreau. “How much progress have they made so far? Will it be as big as this room?”
Moreau shook his head. “Not at first, though I hear Evan plans to expand after a while. He said they’re about halfway done cutting out the rock.”
Something inside Levi trembled. Or maybe notinside...
The walking sticks leaning against his bed shook, then fell to the floor with a clatter. Across the room, a pot hanging over the fire swayed violently.
Another earth tremor? This felt much stronger than before. Like a full-sized quake.
Moreau stumbled, then grabbed a chair. Levi reached out to help steady him, but the man sank down into the seat.
The hammering across the hall silenced, even as another tremor seemed to vibrate the air. Levi clutched the mattress beneath him to find something solid. Even the walls seemed to shake. Somewhere outside their room, a man shouted. A child cried, then was joined by a second.
As quickly as it began, the room stopped trembling. The earthquake hadn’t made a sound, but a hush now spreadaround them, though a baby still cried somewhere in the distance.
Then a new rumble broke through the quiet. Levi gripped the mattress again, preparing for the room to shake once more.
But all remained still, even as the noise grew in intensity. Another man’s shout sounded from outside, this time tipping high with either surprise or fear. Then he yelled again as the rumble turned into thunder.
Levi strained forward on his bed. Something was happening out there. Something instigated by the earthquake, most likely.
Then, like a squeaky cart creaking to a stop, the rumble faded to silence.
Footsteps thundered in the corridor, and more shouts. Frantic calls, though he could only make out a few words of panicked French.
“Lots ... they ... trapped.”
Moreau jumped to his feet and shuffled to the back door faster than Levi had ever seen him move. Everything within Levi wanted to grab the walking sticks and follow him out. But Moreau had left the door open, and Levi could now hear the voices better as he saw people sprinting past the doorway.
Dust clouded in the hallway, spreading into the room and stirring his itch to get up and see with his own eyes what was happening.
It must be some type of rockslide, based on the choking dust and what he was overhearing. Had it been across the hall where MacManus was working? How many people were with him? Was anyone hurt?
He strained to hear more, to decipher answers to his many questions. The chaos outside only increased, voices rising frantically. The situation must be dire. What could he do to help? Surely there was something.
He had to do something.
27
Levi watched for someone to move past the doorway slowly enough for him to catch their attention. He had to learn exactly what had happened and whether anyone was hurt.
