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despise Alfred Forsythe and won’t do business with him. I would rather scuttle the deal than let Forsythe use my technology.”
    “Are you sure about that, lad?” Ian Carr’s lilting Scottish accent was gentle, and Daniel felt a twinge of remorse. Ian was more than just his partner; Ian was the person who gave Daniel his first leg up in the world by hiring the penniless nineteen-year-old to work the timing devices on his fledgling railroad. Within six months, Daniel had figured out a way to alter a standard timing device into one which could operate without human intervention, making the timer not only cheaper to operate but safer by removing the danger of human error. The thousands of dollars that poured into their company from licensing that invention had allowed for more innovations that helped to revolutionize the railroad industry.
    The reason their company worked was because Ian let Daniel run the technical side of development without interference, and Daniel deferred to Ian’s natural business acumen to license, market, and promote their inventions. Together they controlled the railroad industry’s best timing devices, rails, and routing systems.
    Daniel met his partner’s eyes. “Ian, I’ll defer every business decision in the company to you, except for this. I can’t license those patents to Forsythe. Even if it scraps the Wall Street deal, I won’t do it.”
    Mr. Hammond cleared his throat. “Now, Daniel, it is no secret that you are a brilliant innovator—”
    “Stop, you will make me cry,” Daniel said dryly.
    His attorney held up his hand. “The reputation of Carr & Tremain will suffer if we use the company to carry out a personal vendetta. Negative financial consequences will result.”
    “We’ve been paying negative financial consequences for almost a decade,” Daniel said, “but it doesn’t amount to a fraction of what Forsythe has lost. He has to replace his rails twice as often as the companies who use my technology. Every time he has to commission another set, he thinks of my father and regrets what he did. That’s exactly how I want it.” By all that was holy, it felt good to have Alfred Forsythe by the throat, and never, never would he relax that grip.
    Jamie Carr, his partner’s son, shifted in his chair. “That accident was more than ten years ago,” Jamie said. “Can’t you just accept the man’s apology and be done with it?”
    A silence fell over the group and tension rippled through the men assembled in the railcar. Nervous glances flew among the men, all of whom knew of Daniel’s temper when it came to Forsythe. Daniel stiffened, but he wouldn’t rebuke the boy. After all, Jamie was only nineteen years old and knew nothing of the stench of burned skin or the agony of being scalded to death. He had never witnessed the eyes of a widow turn hollow until suicide was the only way out of her despair.
    Daniel forced his voice to remain calm. “But, Jamie, Mr. Forsythe has failed to offer any sort of apology, and I am convinced he never will.”
    Alfred Forsythe planned on running for governor of Maryland next year, and filling his resume with charitable works and publicly funded hospitals was the sort of thing he excelled at. Taking responsibility for the careless death of his workers would not fit into the public image he had created for himself.
    Daniel turned his attention back to Ian. “I am aware that my issue with Forsythe has cost you, as well, and I’m sorry for that. Do whatever you need to structure this deal, so long as it stops short of licensing to Forsythe.” Daniel knew Ian was utterly trustworthy to protect the business affairs of their company, and he would find a way to honor Daniel’s request.

    Kerosene lanterns were lit as the sun dropped below the horizon. The business meeting was long over, and a few men played cards at one table, while the gentle rocking of the railcar had prompted others to nod off to sleep in the plush, overstuffed chairs. It