people. “He might
know something. Thought I saw a glint in his eye a couple
times.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Let him stew.”
“Maybe if you’d told him
why . . . ”
“No! That doesn’t get out. Not even a rumor. If
people thought we couldn’t protect their dead or them after
they kick off, all hell would break loose.” He made a
downward gesture with one hand. “Juniper like that.
Crunch.” We walked on. He muttered, “All hell would
break loose.” And after another half-block:
“That’s why we’ve got to get these guys. Not so
much to punish them. To shut them up.”
“I see.” We strolled back the direction we had come,
planning to resume tavern-hopping and to see a moneylender named
Gilbert when we reached his territory. “Hey?”
Bullock stopped. “What?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. Thought I saw a ghost. Guy down
the street . . . Walked like somebody I used to
know.”
“Maybe it was.”
“Nah. Long ago and far away. Long dead now. Just because I
was thinking about him a little bit ago.”
“I figure we got time for half a dozen more visits. Then
we head uphill. Don’t want to hang around here after
dark.”
I looked at him, one eyebrow raised.
“Hell, man, it gets dangerous down here when the sun goes
down.” He chuckled and gave me one of his rare smiles. It was
the genuine article. For one moment then, I liked him.
----
----
Chapter Fifteen:
JUNIPER: DEATH OF A GANGSTER
Shed had long, violent arguments with his mother. She never
accused him directly, but she left little doubt she suspected him
of hideous crimes.
He and Raven took turns nursing Asa.
Then it was time to face Krage. He did not want to go. He was
afraid Krage might have lumped him with Raven and Asa. But if he
didn’t go, Krage would come to him. And Krage was looking for
people to hurt . . . Shaky, Shed trudged up the
frozen street. Snow fell in lazy, fat flakes.
One of Krage’s men ushered him into the presence. There
was no sign of Count, but word was out that the big man was
recovering. Too damned stupid to die, Shed thought.
“Ah, Shed,” Krage said from the deeps of a huge
chair. “How are you?”
“Cold. How’re you keeping?” Krage worried him
when he was affable.
“Be all right.” Krage plucked at his bandages.
“Close call. I was lucky. Come to make your
payment?”
“How much do I owe, all told? You buying up my debts, I
couldn’t keep track.”
“You can pay out?” Krage’s eyes narrowed.
“I don’t know. I have ten leva.”
Krage sighed dramatically. “You got enough. Didn’t
think you had it in you, Shed. Well. You win some and you lose
some. It’s eight and some change.”
Shed counted out nine coins. Krage made change.
“You’ve had a run of luck this winter, Shed.”
“Sure have.”
“You seen Asa?” Krage’s voice tautened.
“Not since three days ago. Why?”
“Nothing important. We’re even, Shed. But it’s
time I collected that favor. Raven. I want him.”
“Krage, I don’t want to tell you your business, but
that’s one man you’d better leave alone. He’s
crazy. He’s nasty and he’s tough. He’d as soon
kill you as say hi. I don’t mean no disrespect, but he acts
like you’re a big joke.”
“The joke will be on him, Shed.” Krage dragged
himself out of his chair, wincing. He grabbed his wound. “The
joke will be on him.”
“Maybe next time he won’t let you get away,
Krage.”
Fear crossed Krage’s features. “Shed,
it’s him or me. If I don’t kill him, my business will
fall apart.”
“Where will it be if he kills you?”
Again that
flicker of fear. “I don’t have any choice. Be ready
when I need you, Shed. Soon now.”
Shed bobbed his head and retreated. He ought to get out of the
Buskin, he thought. He could afford it. But where would he go?
Krage could find him anywhere in Juniper. Running didn’t
appeal, anyway. The Lily was home. He had to weather this. One or
the other would die, and
know something. Thought I saw a glint in his eye a couple
times.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Let him stew.”
“Maybe if you’d told him
why . . . ”
“No! That doesn’t get out. Not even a rumor. If
people thought we couldn’t protect their dead or them after
they kick off, all hell would break loose.” He made a
downward gesture with one hand. “Juniper like that.
Crunch.” We walked on. He muttered, “All hell would
break loose.” And after another half-block:
“That’s why we’ve got to get these guys. Not so
much to punish them. To shut them up.”
“I see.” We strolled back the direction we had come,
planning to resume tavern-hopping and to see a moneylender named
Gilbert when we reached his territory. “Hey?”
Bullock stopped. “What?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. Thought I saw a ghost. Guy down
the street . . . Walked like somebody I used to
know.”
“Maybe it was.”
“Nah. Long ago and far away. Long dead now. Just because I
was thinking about him a little bit ago.”
“I figure we got time for half a dozen more visits. Then
we head uphill. Don’t want to hang around here after
dark.”
I looked at him, one eyebrow raised.
“Hell, man, it gets dangerous down here when the sun goes
down.” He chuckled and gave me one of his rare smiles. It was
the genuine article. For one moment then, I liked him.
----
----
Chapter Fifteen:
JUNIPER: DEATH OF A GANGSTER
Shed had long, violent arguments with his mother. She never
accused him directly, but she left little doubt she suspected him
of hideous crimes.
He and Raven took turns nursing Asa.
Then it was time to face Krage. He did not want to go. He was
afraid Krage might have lumped him with Raven and Asa. But if he
didn’t go, Krage would come to him. And Krage was looking for
people to hurt . . . Shaky, Shed trudged up the
frozen street. Snow fell in lazy, fat flakes.
One of Krage’s men ushered him into the presence. There
was no sign of Count, but word was out that the big man was
recovering. Too damned stupid to die, Shed thought.
“Ah, Shed,” Krage said from the deeps of a huge
chair. “How are you?”
“Cold. How’re you keeping?” Krage worried him
when he was affable.
“Be all right.” Krage plucked at his bandages.
“Close call. I was lucky. Come to make your
payment?”
“How much do I owe, all told? You buying up my debts, I
couldn’t keep track.”
“You can pay out?” Krage’s eyes narrowed.
“I don’t know. I have ten leva.”
Krage sighed dramatically. “You got enough. Didn’t
think you had it in you, Shed. Well. You win some and you lose
some. It’s eight and some change.”
Shed counted out nine coins. Krage made change.
“You’ve had a run of luck this winter, Shed.”
“Sure have.”
“You seen Asa?” Krage’s voice tautened.
“Not since three days ago. Why?”
“Nothing important. We’re even, Shed. But it’s
time I collected that favor. Raven. I want him.”
“Krage, I don’t want to tell you your business, but
that’s one man you’d better leave alone. He’s
crazy. He’s nasty and he’s tough. He’d as soon
kill you as say hi. I don’t mean no disrespect, but he acts
like you’re a big joke.”
“The joke will be on him, Shed.” Krage dragged
himself out of his chair, wincing. He grabbed his wound. “The
joke will be on him.”
“Maybe next time he won’t let you get away,
Krage.”
Fear crossed Krage’s features. “Shed,
it’s him or me. If I don’t kill him, my business will
fall apart.”
“Where will it be if he kills you?”
Again that
flicker of fear. “I don’t have any choice. Be ready
when I need you, Shed. Soon now.”
Shed bobbed his head and retreated. He ought to get out of the
Buskin, he thought. He could afford it. But where would he go?
Krage could find him anywhere in Juniper. Running didn’t
appeal, anyway. The Lily was home. He had to weather this. One or
the other would die, and
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