bottle by now quite drained.
“Everyone healthy?” Val asked, setting the cup down.
“Healthy enough.”
“They’re escaped slaves!” Long Luke whined. He sat huddled against the wall. “Aren’t they, Seixas? Seixas says they are. You lot can’t take them. You
can’t.
Prigg versus Pennsylvania—
”
“It’s entirely illegal,” Varker managed to hiss from his chair. “Monstrous, on my word it is. You can’t just steal a pair of reclaimed runaways from their legitimate captors.”
“How legal is it to attempt to rape a New York citizen, would you say?” I shot back.
Varker’s lip curled, half pretended outrage and half hot shame. “I never—of all the
revolting—
”
“
Attempt
, you said?” Valentine asked me darkly. I nodded. “That’s flash, then. Because frankly, this talking shit sack rubs me a bit wrongways, and if it wasn’t
attempt
—”
“You subject me to the basest of slanders!” Varker squealed. “I—a man has to check, doesn’t he, see that he’s collared the right—”
“I have an idea.” My brother set the toe of his boot on Varker’s chair seat between the Southerner’s ample thighs. “Give the useless bit of meat between your teeth a holiday before I feed it to the nearest stray pig along with the useless bit of meat between your legs. How does that suit you? Because it suits me right down to the ground.”
Silence gathered around us. Thick and hostile as the snow without. Long Luke subsided into a furious quiet like a kettle just turned off, while Varker directed his eyes to the floor.
About ten seconds later, the Committee men appeared with the stony-eyed captives. Jonas in my coat, and Delia in George Higgins’s far superior one. She’d lifted her nephew into her arms. The five traveled around the desk, giving the slave catchers a wide berth but paying them not a single dram of attention otherwise. It was admirably done.
Only Delia looked back at Varker. But that glance seared the air like a lightning bolt. I found myself shocked the expression hadn’t blasted a hole square through his skull.
“Right, then,” I said to the slave agents. “The pair of you are under ar—”
“Finish that sentence and I will rearrange your teeth,” Val growled. “They’ll say they misidentified their captives by accident and be out of the Tombs in jig time, and the Party will have our bollocks.”
“Or worse,” the Reverend said quietly, “they’ll put up a fight for them and these folk will starve in a Tombs cell until they’re subjected to an identity trial.”
“She’s the victim of assault,” I spluttered, “and—”
“Attempted assault,” Val corrected me. “Get that to stick in court, why don’t you.”
Buzzing with outrage, I slowly realized, was accomplishing nothing. And when I looked to Higgins standing next to Delia, expecting to find him an ally, he remained silent. Only glared back with the sort of long-suppressed fury that could wear a fellow’s bones down to silt. Forcibly calming myself once more, I turned away.
“It’s your decision. Are we through here?” I asked Julius.
“We’re through,” he agreed.
“Bully. Tim, return the maggot’s pistol,” Val ordered. That made not an ounce of sense to me. When I didn’t oblige quick enough, he added, “It’s
stealing.
Hell if I care, but I know you do. Toss it in the road if you like.”
My brother was right, so I walked to the entryway and opened the door, throwing the Colt into the snow. A chill like the hand of sudden death swept into the room. Julius led Delia and Jonas out, followed by Higgins and Brown. We copper stars filed more slowly toward the exit, eyes locked on Long Luke and Varker.
“I’d get that hand looked at if I were you,” Valentine suggested as he motioned me and Piest outside, standing in the threshold with his fingers on the knob. “I’d also forget we paid you a visit. Evening, all.”
The breath of relief I sucked in when we dove into
“Everyone healthy?” Val asked, setting the cup down.
“Healthy enough.”
“They’re escaped slaves!” Long Luke whined. He sat huddled against the wall. “Aren’t they, Seixas? Seixas says they are. You lot can’t take them. You
can’t.
Prigg versus Pennsylvania—
”
“It’s entirely illegal,” Varker managed to hiss from his chair. “Monstrous, on my word it is. You can’t just steal a pair of reclaimed runaways from their legitimate captors.”
“How legal is it to attempt to rape a New York citizen, would you say?” I shot back.
Varker’s lip curled, half pretended outrage and half hot shame. “I never—of all the
revolting—
”
“
Attempt
, you said?” Valentine asked me darkly. I nodded. “That’s flash, then. Because frankly, this talking shit sack rubs me a bit wrongways, and if it wasn’t
attempt
—”
“You subject me to the basest of slanders!” Varker squealed. “I—a man has to check, doesn’t he, see that he’s collared the right—”
“I have an idea.” My brother set the toe of his boot on Varker’s chair seat between the Southerner’s ample thighs. “Give the useless bit of meat between your teeth a holiday before I feed it to the nearest stray pig along with the useless bit of meat between your legs. How does that suit you? Because it suits me right down to the ground.”
Silence gathered around us. Thick and hostile as the snow without. Long Luke subsided into a furious quiet like a kettle just turned off, while Varker directed his eyes to the floor.
About ten seconds later, the Committee men appeared with the stony-eyed captives. Jonas in my coat, and Delia in George Higgins’s far superior one. She’d lifted her nephew into her arms. The five traveled around the desk, giving the slave catchers a wide berth but paying them not a single dram of attention otherwise. It was admirably done.
Only Delia looked back at Varker. But that glance seared the air like a lightning bolt. I found myself shocked the expression hadn’t blasted a hole square through his skull.
“Right, then,” I said to the slave agents. “The pair of you are under ar—”
“Finish that sentence and I will rearrange your teeth,” Val growled. “They’ll say they misidentified their captives by accident and be out of the Tombs in jig time, and the Party will have our bollocks.”
“Or worse,” the Reverend said quietly, “they’ll put up a fight for them and these folk will starve in a Tombs cell until they’re subjected to an identity trial.”
“She’s the victim of assault,” I spluttered, “and—”
“Attempted assault,” Val corrected me. “Get that to stick in court, why don’t you.”
Buzzing with outrage, I slowly realized, was accomplishing nothing. And when I looked to Higgins standing next to Delia, expecting to find him an ally, he remained silent. Only glared back with the sort of long-suppressed fury that could wear a fellow’s bones down to silt. Forcibly calming myself once more, I turned away.
“It’s your decision. Are we through here?” I asked Julius.
“We’re through,” he agreed.
“Bully. Tim, return the maggot’s pistol,” Val ordered. That made not an ounce of sense to me. When I didn’t oblige quick enough, he added, “It’s
stealing.
Hell if I care, but I know you do. Toss it in the road if you like.”
My brother was right, so I walked to the entryway and opened the door, throwing the Colt into the snow. A chill like the hand of sudden death swept into the room. Julius led Delia and Jonas out, followed by Higgins and Brown. We copper stars filed more slowly toward the exit, eyes locked on Long Luke and Varker.
“I’d get that hand looked at if I were you,” Valentine suggested as he motioned me and Piest outside, standing in the threshold with his fingers on the knob. “I’d also forget we paid you a visit. Evening, all.”
The breath of relief I sucked in when we dove into
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