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I pounced. I clapped a hand over her mouth. She wiggled a little a not
unpleasant experience. I wanted to talk about the book somebody stole from
you. Was it a first edition ofThe Raging Blades?
She managed to stop wiggling and started listening. She shook her head.
Startled, I growled, Damn it! I really thought I had it locked. I turned
her loose.
It was a first ofThe Steel-Game . The library has had it since early
imperial times. She went on about some ancient emperor having wanted to
assemble a set so he could seek Eagle s fabulous horde, about how no outsider
could have known the book existed.
I expelled some remarks of my own. Ha! Iwas right! Wrong book but right
idea. I produced the fragment of vellum I d lifted from Maggie Jenn s place,
a solitary page fromThe Metal-Storm , edition uncertain, but people had died
trying to protect it from other people who hadn t cared about it at all. The
intensity of that encounter had set the tone for the atrocities that followed.
Linda Lee asked, What aboutThe Raging Blades? We ve never had a first of
that one.
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Because I saw a copy the other day. Somewhere where it shouldn t have been.
But I didn t realize that until today. Then I thought I could solve your
troubles.
I d begun developing troubles of my own. Linda Lee wouldn t stay still. I
couldn t stay focused. She was too close and too warm and had begun purring
like she really appreciated my thinking of her.
You just come on down here, Jack! I ll show you. You wouldn t believe me,
but I ll show you.
A voice muttered, I wouldn t believe you if you told me the sky was up, old
woman.
You fell asleep. You go ahead and lie, but we all know you fell asleep at
your post and let an outsider get in. You re too old.
I hated that woman s voice almost as much as I hated the voice of the Goddamn
Parrot despite having heard it only a few times. Those few were a few too
many. It was nails on slate, whined through the nose, always complaining.
Talking about old, you been dead three years but too damned stupid to
realize it. Still got people to make miserable, too. Old Jack didn t care if
he hurt her feelings, but it wasn t likely he would. She was two-thirds deaf.
You were sound asleep when I came to get you.
I was resting my eyes, you impossible hag. Clump! Old Jack collapsed. His
fingers weren t too nimble anymore. When he got in a hurry, he sometimes
failed to get his wooden leg strapped on right.
I gave Linda Lee a peck on the forehead. I d better run.
Later. She winked fetchingly. I ve always had a soft spot for women who
wink. Promise, she breathed, then went to help Old Jack. She ignored the old
woman, who didn t miss the attention. She was doing just fine carrying two
sides of an argument herself.
I ducked out of sight. The old man hadn t seen me, so he started spouting off
about frustrated old maids who imagine men lurking behind every stack.
61
A long, hard day, and not yet done. I had aches where plenty of people don t
have places. I d walked too many miles and had been thumped too many times.
Hell, this was like the bad old days when the Dead Man made sure I got no rest
at all.
I told myself I would make one last stop, then I would hang it up for the
day. Then I groaned. I recalled my arrangement with Morley.
Not Winger on top of everything else. Why had I done that?
Good soldier, I soldiered on.
I wondered what bean-brained civilian had come up with that one. Every
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soldier I ever knew never moved a muscle unless that was the final option.
I sensed trouble long before I hove in sight of Wixon and White. That end of
town was silent with the silence that bubbles around immediate, terrible
violence.
The moment passed. The ghouls were gathering when I reached the storefront,
panting over the bloody wreckage.
One look and I knew smart money would choose putting one set of toes in front
of the other and repeating the process briskly. In my case, while facing in a
southeasterly direction. But I just had to take a fast look around the shop.
Colonel Block banished his henchmen with a wave. Cheer up, Garrett. It s all
straightened out now.
Must be an echo in here. Not to mention way too much sunlight. The stuff
flooded in through an open, eastern window casement at gale force. It was way
too early for any reasonable man to be upright. Block obviously wasn t
reasonable. Tell the truth, I wasn t feeling real reasonable myself. We ve
got to stop meeting like this.
Wasn t my idea, Garrett. You enjoy your accommodations?
I d spent a too-short night on a straw pallet in a stinking cell in the
Al-Khar, charged with being a possible witness. The fleas and lice and
bedbugs enjoyed my visit. They should feel right at home. Block was a dirty
dog.
This is where you tell me why my men found you right in the middle of
another massacre.
Somebody yelled for help and your gang actually showed up. I was amazed.
The old Watch would have headed the other direction, just to make sure nobody
got hurt that didn t need hurting. Thought you said it was all straightened
out.
I meant I know you didn t slice anybody into cold cuts. Witness says you
showed after the screaming stopped. I want to know why what happened happened.
And how come you were there.
Grange Cleaver.
That s it? He waited for me to say more. I didn t. I see no connection.
Maybe you ll enlighten me. Meantime, you should know it looks like some really
nasty black magic did the killing.
I nodded, but I didn t believe it. That s what doesn t make sense. Someone
made it look like magical murder. I was willing to bet Robin and Penny had
kept their appointment with doom through the agency of a devil named Cleaver,
once again trying to point a false finger at Marengo North English. Made me
think Emerald Jenn was holed up with North English and Cleaver wanted to bust
her loose.
Why do I got a feeling you re being too cooperative, Garrett?
What? Now what the hell do you want? I answer your questions, you get
aggravated. I don t answer them, you get aggravated. If I wanted aggravation,
I d stay home and argue with the Dead Man.
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You re answering questions, but I got a hunch you aren t telling me what I
want to know.
I took a deep breath. We were about set for one of those ferocious
head-butting sessions so gratifying to men of our respective professions. I
exhaled . . .
An ugly little breed stormed in. He scowled at me like I had no right to be
cluttering up Block s office. I nodded. Relway. He didn t respond.
It s started, he told Block.
Damn them. Block lost all interest in bugs as small as me. Must be fatter
victims available somewhere else. He glared at me, though. The Call. He
stalked after his secret police chief, who was gone already. Get out of here.
And try not to stumble over any more bodies.
Good advice all. Maybe he wasn t a complete dunce.
What was that about The Call?
Didn t take long to find out. I hit the street. Off east, looking like it
might not be rooted far from my place, was a growing tree of smoke. I caught
snatches of news from people rushing through the streets.
A bar brawl had turned into major racial trouble. Humans were going after
centaurs. Apparently, it hadn t gotten out of hand till somebody in The Call
had served up an inflammatory diatribe and people had responded by firing the
homes of centaur immigrants. Other species were becoming involved. There had [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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I pounced. I clapped a hand over her mouth. She wiggled a little a not
unpleasant experience. I wanted to talk about the book somebody stole from
you. Was it a first edition ofThe Raging Blades?
She managed to stop wiggling and started listening. She shook her head.
Startled, I growled, Damn it! I really thought I had it locked. I turned
her loose.
It was a first ofThe Steel-Game . The library has had it since early
imperial times. She went on about some ancient emperor having wanted to
assemble a set so he could seek Eagle s fabulous horde, about how no outsider
could have known the book existed.
I expelled some remarks of my own. Ha! Iwas right! Wrong book but right
idea. I produced the fragment of vellum I d lifted from Maggie Jenn s place,
a solitary page fromThe Metal-Storm , edition uncertain, but people had died
trying to protect it from other people who hadn t cared about it at all. The
intensity of that encounter had set the tone for the atrocities that followed.
Linda Lee asked, What aboutThe Raging Blades? We ve never had a first of
that one.
Page 158
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Because I saw a copy the other day. Somewhere where it shouldn t have been.
But I didn t realize that until today. Then I thought I could solve your
troubles.
I d begun developing troubles of my own. Linda Lee wouldn t stay still. I
couldn t stay focused. She was too close and too warm and had begun purring
like she really appreciated my thinking of her.
You just come on down here, Jack! I ll show you. You wouldn t believe me,
but I ll show you.
A voice muttered, I wouldn t believe you if you told me the sky was up, old
woman.
You fell asleep. You go ahead and lie, but we all know you fell asleep at
your post and let an outsider get in. You re too old.
I hated that woman s voice almost as much as I hated the voice of the Goddamn
Parrot despite having heard it only a few times. Those few were a few too
many. It was nails on slate, whined through the nose, always complaining.
Talking about old, you been dead three years but too damned stupid to
realize it. Still got people to make miserable, too. Old Jack didn t care if
he hurt her feelings, but it wasn t likely he would. She was two-thirds deaf.
You were sound asleep when I came to get you.
I was resting my eyes, you impossible hag. Clump! Old Jack collapsed. His
fingers weren t too nimble anymore. When he got in a hurry, he sometimes
failed to get his wooden leg strapped on right.
I gave Linda Lee a peck on the forehead. I d better run.
Later. She winked fetchingly. I ve always had a soft spot for women who
wink. Promise, she breathed, then went to help Old Jack. She ignored the old
woman, who didn t miss the attention. She was doing just fine carrying two
sides of an argument herself.
I ducked out of sight. The old man hadn t seen me, so he started spouting off
about frustrated old maids who imagine men lurking behind every stack.
61
A long, hard day, and not yet done. I had aches where plenty of people don t
have places. I d walked too many miles and had been thumped too many times.
Hell, this was like the bad old days when the Dead Man made sure I got no rest
at all.
I told myself I would make one last stop, then I would hang it up for the
day. Then I groaned. I recalled my arrangement with Morley.
Not Winger on top of everything else. Why had I done that?
Good soldier, I soldiered on.
I wondered what bean-brained civilian had come up with that one. Every
Page 159
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
soldier I ever knew never moved a muscle unless that was the final option.
I sensed trouble long before I hove in sight of Wixon and White. That end of
town was silent with the silence that bubbles around immediate, terrible
violence.
The moment passed. The ghouls were gathering when I reached the storefront,
panting over the bloody wreckage.
One look and I knew smart money would choose putting one set of toes in front
of the other and repeating the process briskly. In my case, while facing in a
southeasterly direction. But I just had to take a fast look around the shop.
Colonel Block banished his henchmen with a wave. Cheer up, Garrett. It s all
straightened out now.
Must be an echo in here. Not to mention way too much sunlight. The stuff
flooded in through an open, eastern window casement at gale force. It was way
too early for any reasonable man to be upright. Block obviously wasn t
reasonable. Tell the truth, I wasn t feeling real reasonable myself. We ve
got to stop meeting like this.
Wasn t my idea, Garrett. You enjoy your accommodations?
I d spent a too-short night on a straw pallet in a stinking cell in the
Al-Khar, charged with being a possible witness. The fleas and lice and
bedbugs enjoyed my visit. They should feel right at home. Block was a dirty
dog.
This is where you tell me why my men found you right in the middle of
another massacre.
Somebody yelled for help and your gang actually showed up. I was amazed.
The old Watch would have headed the other direction, just to make sure nobody
got hurt that didn t need hurting. Thought you said it was all straightened
out.
I meant I know you didn t slice anybody into cold cuts. Witness says you
showed after the screaming stopped. I want to know why what happened happened.
And how come you were there.
Grange Cleaver.
That s it? He waited for me to say more. I didn t. I see no connection.
Maybe you ll enlighten me. Meantime, you should know it looks like some really
nasty black magic did the killing.
I nodded, but I didn t believe it. That s what doesn t make sense. Someone
made it look like magical murder. I was willing to bet Robin and Penny had
kept their appointment with doom through the agency of a devil named Cleaver,
once again trying to point a false finger at Marengo North English. Made me
think Emerald Jenn was holed up with North English and Cleaver wanted to bust
her loose.
Why do I got a feeling you re being too cooperative, Garrett?
What? Now what the hell do you want? I answer your questions, you get
aggravated. I don t answer them, you get aggravated. If I wanted aggravation,
I d stay home and argue with the Dead Man.
Page 160
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
You re answering questions, but I got a hunch you aren t telling me what I
want to know.
I took a deep breath. We were about set for one of those ferocious
head-butting sessions so gratifying to men of our respective professions. I
exhaled . . .
An ugly little breed stormed in. He scowled at me like I had no right to be
cluttering up Block s office. I nodded. Relway. He didn t respond.
It s started, he told Block.
Damn them. Block lost all interest in bugs as small as me. Must be fatter
victims available somewhere else. He glared at me, though. The Call. He
stalked after his secret police chief, who was gone already. Get out of here.
And try not to stumble over any more bodies.
Good advice all. Maybe he wasn t a complete dunce.
What was that about The Call?
Didn t take long to find out. I hit the street. Off east, looking like it
might not be rooted far from my place, was a growing tree of smoke. I caught
snatches of news from people rushing through the streets.
A bar brawl had turned into major racial trouble. Humans were going after
centaurs. Apparently, it hadn t gotten out of hand till somebody in The Call
had served up an inflammatory diatribe and people had responded by firing the
homes of centaur immigrants. Other species were becoming involved. There had [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]