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 either way he would be off the hook.
He was in the middle now. He hated Krage. Krage had humiliated him for years, keeping him in debt, stealing food from his mouth with ridiculous interest rates. On the other hand, Raven could connect him with the black castle and crimes in the Enclosure.
The Custodians were on the hunt, looking for somebody spending a lot of old
“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 either way he would be off the hook.
He was in the middle now. He hated Krage. Krage had humiliated him for years, keeping him in debt, stealing food from his mouth with ridiculous interest rates. On the other hand, Raven could connect him with the black castle and crimes in the Enclosure.
The Custodians were on the hunt, looking for somebody spending a lot of old
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