party. He didn’t care about the fires, the
riot, or the dead men.”
“Belinda better take care of Chodo. We’re picking up storm warnings.
Some of the underbosses are getting ambitious.”
“Rory Sculdyte?”
“Teacher White, too.”
That wasn’t good. Though they do tend to kill only each other. Which
Relway would encourage wherever he could. “Figures. They got out alive.”
“You said the Green Pants Gang hit your place again?”
“Yes.” Stupid me, I’d been too excited about being able to get out.
I hadn’t gotten the promised reports from John Stretch and Melondie
Kadare. “Block’s gang has them. He claims he has all but two locked up
now. One of those two is following me right now.”
“We can take care of that.”
“You might want to be better prepared than yesterday.”
“Same guy?”
“I think so.”
“Not to worry. Help is on its way. About last night. What happened?”
“You were there.”
“I was kitchen help, Garrett. I didn’t see anything.”
“You saw as much as I did. Probably more. You had a whole crew in
there and none of them were blind.”
“I’m sure it was your fault everything turned weird. Weird things
happen when you’re around.”
“Only because of my unfortunate taste in friends.”
“You’re a misfortune for anyone who gets close to you. What’s the
thing with Block and Chodo?”
I explained.
He said, “There was a lot of confusion. Somebody might’ve grabbed
Chodo.
But you
would’ve
heard
about that from Belinda. She’d
want Daddy Garrett to save her again.”
“Maybe.”
“Want some advice, Garrett? Stay away from Belinda. No telling how
hairy it might get, but she isn’t likely to be the winner.”
I drank the tea Skif brought. “They’ll be that knee-jerk?”
Of course they would. The Outfit includes the most old-fashioned
people alive. They don’t want a girl running the show.
I mused, “I wonder, though. Last night fell apart on Belinda, but it
didn’t go the way anybody else expected, either. She’s no dummy. And
she’s got a big head start.”
“She remains, still, just a woman.”
“I’m telling you, don’t underestimate her. Especially if you
suddenly notice yourself between her and somebody giving her a hard
time.”
He nodded. I doubt that he meant it. He asked, “Where are you headed
from here?”
“Harvester Temisk’s place. Then the Bledsoe.”
“You can stand that place?”
“I don’t hold any grudges.”
“I mean, it’s the antechamber of one of your most pedestrian human
hells. I get the wet-spine creeps just thinking about it. Let alone
getting close enough to smell it.“
I held my tongue. TunFaire’s poor depend entirely on that nightmare
establishment for what little medical attention they receive.
“I know what you’re thinking, Garrett. And I don’t care. You know
perfectly well where the road paved with good intentions leads.”
21
I was being followed. As I’d reported. But now I had an entourage.
The guy in the green pants was only the closest and most obvious
tagalong. And the least skilled or most naive. He seemed to think I
wouldn’t notice him. He didn’t notice the parade behind him. Which, at
first, I thought was Morley’s crew.
Using a few tricks meant to look like accidents, I decided I was
wrong. One was a man who worked for Relway. And Spider Webb, an
enforcer for Teacher White, who was a small-time renaissance crook
Chodo never liked but who’d always avoided giving offense enough to get
his run canceled.
Why would Webb and Teacher be interested in me? White wasn’t big
enough to try for Chodo’s spot.
Were my fans aware of one another?
They all knew about Ugly Pants. Webb didn’t seem to notice Relway’s
people, maybe because half a dozen were taking turns.
I decided to forget Harvester Temisk. I angled off toward the
Bledsoe. I took a stroll through a tight neighborhood, turned a few
corners quickly, ducked into a church. I scampered up into its
riot, or the dead men.”
“Belinda better take care of Chodo. We’re picking up storm warnings.
Some of the underbosses are getting ambitious.”
“Rory Sculdyte?”
“Teacher White, too.”
That wasn’t good. Though they do tend to kill only each other. Which
Relway would encourage wherever he could. “Figures. They got out alive.”
“You said the Green Pants Gang hit your place again?”
“Yes.” Stupid me, I’d been too excited about being able to get out.
I hadn’t gotten the promised reports from John Stretch and Melondie
Kadare. “Block’s gang has them. He claims he has all but two locked up
now. One of those two is following me right now.”
“We can take care of that.”
“You might want to be better prepared than yesterday.”
“Same guy?”
“I think so.”
“Not to worry. Help is on its way. About last night. What happened?”
“You were there.”
“I was kitchen help, Garrett. I didn’t see anything.”
“You saw as much as I did. Probably more. You had a whole crew in
there and none of them were blind.”
“I’m sure it was your fault everything turned weird. Weird things
happen when you’re around.”
“Only because of my unfortunate taste in friends.”
“You’re a misfortune for anyone who gets close to you. What’s the
thing with Block and Chodo?”
I explained.
He said, “There was a lot of confusion. Somebody might’ve grabbed
Chodo.
But you
would’ve
heard
about that from Belinda. She’d
want Daddy Garrett to save her again.”
“Maybe.”
“Want some advice, Garrett? Stay away from Belinda. No telling how
hairy it might get, but she isn’t likely to be the winner.”
I drank the tea Skif brought. “They’ll be that knee-jerk?”
Of course they would. The Outfit includes the most old-fashioned
people alive. They don’t want a girl running the show.
I mused, “I wonder, though. Last night fell apart on Belinda, but it
didn’t go the way anybody else expected, either. She’s no dummy. And
she’s got a big head start.”
“She remains, still, just a woman.”
“I’m telling you, don’t underestimate her. Especially if you
suddenly notice yourself between her and somebody giving her a hard
time.”
He nodded. I doubt that he meant it. He asked, “Where are you headed
from here?”
“Harvester Temisk’s place. Then the Bledsoe.”
“You can stand that place?”
“I don’t hold any grudges.”
“I mean, it’s the antechamber of one of your most pedestrian human
hells. I get the wet-spine creeps just thinking about it. Let alone
getting close enough to smell it.“
I held my tongue. TunFaire’s poor depend entirely on that nightmare
establishment for what little medical attention they receive.
“I know what you’re thinking, Garrett. And I don’t care. You know
perfectly well where the road paved with good intentions leads.”
21
I was being followed. As I’d reported. But now I had an entourage.
The guy in the green pants was only the closest and most obvious
tagalong. And the least skilled or most naive. He seemed to think I
wouldn’t notice him. He didn’t notice the parade behind him. Which, at
first, I thought was Morley’s crew.
Using a few tricks meant to look like accidents, I decided I was
wrong. One was a man who worked for Relway. And Spider Webb, an
enforcer for Teacher White, who was a small-time renaissance crook
Chodo never liked but who’d always avoided giving offense enough to get
his run canceled.
Why would Webb and Teacher be interested in me? White wasn’t big
enough to try for Chodo’s spot.
Were my fans aware of one another?
They all knew about Ugly Pants. Webb didn’t seem to notice Relway’s
people, maybe because half a dozen were taking turns.
I decided to forget Harvester Temisk. I angled off toward the
Bledsoe. I took a stroll through a tight neighborhood, turned a few
corners quickly, ducked into a church. I scampered up into its
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