what, sixteen hours? I stay awake, that's do-able. And we've got that extra hour. They're an hour ahead in Palermo, right?'
'They would be,' Mel said, 'if we were still at home. But I think we've caught up with the time-zone now.'
'Shit. Really?'
'I'm not sure. We're still in Germany, right?'
'Long as we're heading in the general direction of up, we're still in Deutschland. Then, we get to where it's all heading down, we're into Italy. Freewheeling all the way to Sicily.'
'Yeah.' Mel nibbled a thumbnail. 'Listen, Gary? There's something you should know.'
'What's that?'
'We're not going to Sicily.'
'No?'
'The cruise, it's leaving from Athens.'
Sleeps digested that. 'So why'd you say Palermo?'
'I thought Rossi might try to dump me, swipe my credit card.'
'Smart thinking, yeah. Perceptive. Except why wouldn't he have dumped you when he heard it was Palermo?'
'It was a test. If he tried, I'd have told him it wasn't Palermo.'
'Makes sense, I guess.'
'You're not mad at me?'
He glanced across. 'I'm here to drive, Mel. All I have to do is point this baby until we get caught or we don't. Athens, Sicily, Outer Banglakazikstan, it's all jake with me.'
'What about Rossi? Y'know, with him being half-Sicilian and all …'
Rossi being as Sicilian as melted igloos, Sleeps just shrugged. 'I won't tell him if you don't.'
'How d'you mean?'
'We get to Athens, there won't be these big signs, "This Is Athens". Right?'
'But they'll be speaking Greek.'
'To Rossi, Italian'd be all Greek.' Sleeps shrugged. 'If he twigs, we just tell him the truth.'
'And then what?'
'He'll vent a bit, sure. Probably mention Napoleon, how the little guy was never backstabbed by his troops, all this. Then he'll have a toke, a dab of crizz, remember something else he's pissed about.' Sleeps made a spiraling gesture with his forefinger. 'And the circle of life will turn again.'
Melody fell silent. Sleeps drove on into the darkness, wondering if driving on the wrong side of the road, the wrong side being actually the right side, was some kind of omen for where his life was headed. Then caught his first glimpse of the Alpine tunnels, brightly lit orange beacons in the blackness, their round mouths putting Sleeps in mind of sawn-off shotguns. So he got off the whole omens thing.
Mel, whispering now, said, 'You ever think about dumping him?'
'Nope.'
'Seriously?'
'Yep.'
'The thought never even occurred to you?'
'Why don't you just put it out there, Mel? Get it off your chest.'
'Well,' she said, 'it makes sense, doesn't it? The guy's a liability. I mean, you're the driver, I know where the cruise is going from. Why do we need him?'
'You just told me where the cruise is going from. So why do I need you?'
'Maybe I lied.'
'I was kind of presuming you did.'
'You don't trust me?'
'Don't take it personal. It's just best all round when no one trusts anyone, keeps everyone on their toes.'
'I thought,' she said, 'back on the ferry, you and me had a connection.'
'No disrespect, Mel, but you're a straight, a civilian.' Sleeps flicked his head in the general direction of the low drone buzzing from the rear. 'Who’s now driving through Europe in a stolen car with two fuckwits and a stash of stamped gak in the trunk. That kind
'They would be,' Mel said, 'if we were still at home. But I think we've caught up with the time-zone now.'
'Shit. Really?'
'I'm not sure. We're still in Germany, right?'
'Long as we're heading in the general direction of up, we're still in Deutschland. Then, we get to where it's all heading down, we're into Italy. Freewheeling all the way to Sicily.'
'Yeah.' Mel nibbled a thumbnail. 'Listen, Gary? There's something you should know.'
'What's that?'
'We're not going to Sicily.'
'No?'
'The cruise, it's leaving from Athens.'
Sleeps digested that. 'So why'd you say Palermo?'
'I thought Rossi might try to dump me, swipe my credit card.'
'Smart thinking, yeah. Perceptive. Except why wouldn't he have dumped you when he heard it was Palermo?'
'It was a test. If he tried, I'd have told him it wasn't Palermo.'
'Makes sense, I guess.'
'You're not mad at me?'
He glanced across. 'I'm here to drive, Mel. All I have to do is point this baby until we get caught or we don't. Athens, Sicily, Outer Banglakazikstan, it's all jake with me.'
'What about Rossi? Y'know, with him being half-Sicilian and all …'
Rossi being as Sicilian as melted igloos, Sleeps just shrugged. 'I won't tell him if you don't.'
'How d'you mean?'
'We get to Athens, there won't be these big signs, "This Is Athens". Right?'
'But they'll be speaking Greek.'
'To Rossi, Italian'd be all Greek.' Sleeps shrugged. 'If he twigs, we just tell him the truth.'
'And then what?'
'He'll vent a bit, sure. Probably mention Napoleon, how the little guy was never backstabbed by his troops, all this. Then he'll have a toke, a dab of crizz, remember something else he's pissed about.' Sleeps made a spiraling gesture with his forefinger. 'And the circle of life will turn again.'
Melody fell silent. Sleeps drove on into the darkness, wondering if driving on the wrong side of the road, the wrong side being actually the right side, was some kind of omen for where his life was headed. Then caught his first glimpse of the Alpine tunnels, brightly lit orange beacons in the blackness, their round mouths putting Sleeps in mind of sawn-off shotguns. So he got off the whole omens thing.
Mel, whispering now, said, 'You ever think about dumping him?'
'Nope.'
'Seriously?'
'Yep.'
'The thought never even occurred to you?'
'Why don't you just put it out there, Mel? Get it off your chest.'
'Well,' she said, 'it makes sense, doesn't it? The guy's a liability. I mean, you're the driver, I know where the cruise is going from. Why do we need him?'
'You just told me where the cruise is going from. So why do I need you?'
'Maybe I lied.'
'I was kind of presuming you did.'
'You don't trust me?'
'Don't take it personal. It's just best all round when no one trusts anyone, keeps everyone on their toes.'
'I thought,' she said, 'back on the ferry, you and me had a connection.'
'No disrespect, Mel, but you're a straight, a civilian.' Sleeps flicked his head in the general direction of the low drone buzzing from the rear. 'Who’s now driving through Europe in a stolen car with two fuckwits and a stash of stamped gak in the trunk. That kind
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