Summer of Fire - Linda Jacobs [146]
When she came out of the bedroom, it was dim and quiet in Steve’s living room. She checked her watch and found it half past four, too early for it to be so dark.
She switched on a lamp. Polished ebony glowed, but when she smoothed the piano’s top her finger came away dusty. A closer examination made her suspect the dust contained some soot.
After brushing off the piano bench, she sat and poised her hands, the way Miss Bryan had taught her when she was nine. She played, the perfect ivory making it possible to find the way without stumbling. She hadn’t known she remembered, but as she progressed from a soft opening to a more confident tone, she recalled that it was one of Chopin’s Preludes. Music poured into her from the keys, rather than from her mind down a system of nerves. Heedless of Devon’s sleeping, she made her way toward the end of the work, a triumphant crescendo.
The final notes lingered like a subtle mix of fine spices. When the last vibrations died, Clare dropped her head and leaned her forehead against the cool wood of the music rack.
One way or another, Devon had said she’d be moving from under Clare’s roof. She wasn’t yet comfortable with that, but Steve had tried to tell her that Devon had to make her own way. Ranger Butler Meyers had made it clear that even a seventeen and eleven-twelfths runaway wouldn’t be tracked down by law enforcement.
Clare recalled her own youth. A faded shadow of her eighteen-year-old self faced her mother with Jay’s arm around her. “I’m old enough to do what I want.” Constance had folded her hand even as she would have to. She could only hope that college would work out, rather than a job in fast food. Or getting some man to pay the bills, the insult that had made Devon knock her on the floor.
The yearning ache that had centered in her chest wasn’t unpleasant, but she wanted Steve to come back.
The faint vibration of an approaching vehicle resolved into the guttural growl of a diesel coming into Mammoth from the east. Clare got to the kitchen in time to see a red ladder unit pass behind the house. Wind tossed the treetops and moaned around the ancient wooden window frames, driving the smell of char inside.
She frowned. Mammoth’s natural bowl shape was probably collecting smoke from miles away, but she’d not seen a fire extents’ map since Wednesday morning. Black Saturday and the siege of Old Faithful had shown how much could happen in a short time.
A sedan bearing the insignia of the Boise Interagency Fire Center drove in and parked beside the row of firefighting equipment. When Garrett Anderson climbed out and headed with swift purpose toward the Fire Cache, Clare left the house and followed.
YELLOWSTONE FIRES
September 9, 8:00 a.m.
Here is a list of the fires and approximate perimeter acreages. To date, over 816,225 acres in Yellowstone National Park (and over 1,198,00 acres in the Greater Yellowstone Area) have been affected by fire. However, only about half of the vegetation has burned within many fire perimeters. Throughout the summer, 52 different fires have been started by lightning. Of those 52, eight are still burning inside the park. Fire fighters are working to control them. Any new fires will be suppressed as quickly as possible.
* * * * *
Clover-Mist Fire: 304,100 acres. Mist Fire started July 9. Clover started July 11. They joined on July 22. Shallow Fire started July 31. Fern Fire started August 5. These two fires joined Clover-Mist August 13. Clover-Mist fire camp was not evacuated as reported earlier. Structure protection in Crandell area is still a priority. Twenty buildings, trailers, and shed were lost, although many vehicles were saved. Pahaska Tepee is reported as being OK. Mop-up continues in the Squaw Ck. area. Acreage increases were in the Jones Ck., Papoose Ck., and Squaw Ck. drainages. 1700 firefighters, 69 engines, 12 bulldozers, and 3 helicopters