money. Little had been said publicly, but Bullock being on the case told Shed just how seriously they were taking the case up the hill. He’d nearly had a stroke when Bullock walked into the Lily.
What had become of the passage money? Shed hadn’t seen any of it. He supposed Raven still had it. He and Raven were partners now.…
“What did Krage say?” Raven asked when Shed reached the Lily.
“Wants me to help kill you.”
“I thought so. Shed, it’s late in the season. It’s time to send Krage up the hill. Which way are you leaning, partner? Him or me?”
“I.… Uh.…”
“In the long run you’re better off getting rid of Krage. He’d find a way to get the Lily eventually.”
True, Shed reflected. “All right. What do we do?”
“Tomorrow, go tell him you think I’ve been selling bodies. That you think Asa was my partner. That you think I did Asa in. Asa was your friend and you’re upset. It’ll all be just near enough reality to confuse him.… What’s the matter?”
Always a trap. Raven was right. Krage would believe the story. But Shed had hoped for a less direct role. If Raven screwed up, Marron Shed would be found in a gutter with his throat cut.
“Nothing.”
“All right. Night after tomorrow night, I’ll go out. You run to tell Krage. I’ll let his men track me. Krage will want to be in at the kill. I’ll ambush him.”
“You did that before, didn’t you?”
“He’ll come anyway. He’s stupid.”
Shed swallowed. “That isn’t a plan that does much for my nerves.”
“Your nerves aren’t my problem, Shed. They’re yours. You lost them. Only you can find them again.”
* * *
Krage bought Shed’s story. He was ecstatic because Raven was such a villain. “If I didn’t want him myself, I’d yell for the Custodians. You did good, Shed. I should have suspected Asa. He never brought no news worth hearing.”
Shed whined, “Who would buy bodies, Krage?”
Krage grinned. “Don’t worry your ugly head. Let me know next time he goes on one of his jaunts. We’ll rig up a little surprise.”
Next night Shed reported according to plan. And suffered all the disappointment he expected of life. Krage insisted he join the hunt.
“What good would I be, Krage? I’m not even armed. And he’s one tough nut. You won’t take him without a fight.”
“I don’t expect to. You’re coming along just in case.”
“In case?”
“In case there’s a trap in this and I want to lay hands on you fast.”
Shed shuddered, whined, “I done right by you. Don’t I always do right by you?”
“You always do what a coward would. Which is why I don’t trust you. Anybody can scare you. And you had all that money. It occurs to me you might be in the racket with Raven.”
Shed went cold. Krage donned his coat. “Let’s go, Shed. Stay right beside me. You try to wander off, I’ll kill you.”
Shed started shaking. He was dead. All he had gone through to get Krage off his back.… It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t fair. Nothing ever worked for him. He stumbled into the street, wondering what he could do and knowing there was no escape. Tears froze on his cheeks.
No exit. If he fled, Krage would be warned. If he did not, Krage would kill him when Raven sprang his ambush. What was his mother going to do?
He had to do something. Had to find some guts, make a decision, act. He couldn’t surrender to fate and hope for luck. That meant the Catacombs or black castle before dawn.
He had lied to Krage. He had a butcher knife up his left sleeve. He had put it there out of sheer bravado. Krage hadn’t searched him. Old Shed armed? Ha! Not likely. He might get himself hurt.
Old Shed did go armed sometimes, but he never advertised the fact. The knife did wonders for his confidence. He could tell himself he would use it, and he’d believe the lie long enough to get by, but in any tight spot he would let fate run its course.
His fate was sealed.… Unless he whipped it
What had become of the passage money? Shed hadn’t seen any of it. He supposed Raven still had it. He and Raven were partners now.…
“What did Krage say?” Raven asked when Shed reached the Lily.
“Wants me to help kill you.”
“I thought so. Shed, it’s late in the season. It’s time to send Krage up the hill. Which way are you leaning, partner? Him or me?”
“I.… Uh.…”
“In the long run you’re better off getting rid of Krage. He’d find a way to get the Lily eventually.”
True, Shed reflected. “All right. What do we do?”
“Tomorrow, go tell him you think I’ve been selling bodies. That you think Asa was my partner. That you think I did Asa in. Asa was your friend and you’re upset. It’ll all be just near enough reality to confuse him.… What’s the matter?”
Always a trap. Raven was right. Krage would believe the story. But Shed had hoped for a less direct role. If Raven screwed up, Marron Shed would be found in a gutter with his throat cut.
“Nothing.”
“All right. Night after tomorrow night, I’ll go out. You run to tell Krage. I’ll let his men track me. Krage will want to be in at the kill. I’ll ambush him.”
“You did that before, didn’t you?”
“He’ll come anyway. He’s stupid.”
Shed swallowed. “That isn’t a plan that does much for my nerves.”
“Your nerves aren’t my problem, Shed. They’re yours. You lost them. Only you can find them again.”
* * *
Krage bought Shed’s story. He was ecstatic because Raven was such a villain. “If I didn’t want him myself, I’d yell for the Custodians. You did good, Shed. I should have suspected Asa. He never brought no news worth hearing.”
Shed whined, “Who would buy bodies, Krage?”
Krage grinned. “Don’t worry your ugly head. Let me know next time he goes on one of his jaunts. We’ll rig up a little surprise.”
Next night Shed reported according to plan. And suffered all the disappointment he expected of life. Krage insisted he join the hunt.
“What good would I be, Krage? I’m not even armed. And he’s one tough nut. You won’t take him without a fight.”
“I don’t expect to. You’re coming along just in case.”
“In case?”
“In case there’s a trap in this and I want to lay hands on you fast.”
Shed shuddered, whined, “I done right by you. Don’t I always do right by you?”
“You always do what a coward would. Which is why I don’t trust you. Anybody can scare you. And you had all that money. It occurs to me you might be in the racket with Raven.”
Shed went cold. Krage donned his coat. “Let’s go, Shed. Stay right beside me. You try to wander off, I’ll kill you.”
Shed started shaking. He was dead. All he had gone through to get Krage off his back.… It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t fair. Nothing ever worked for him. He stumbled into the street, wondering what he could do and knowing there was no escape. Tears froze on his cheeks.
No exit. If he fled, Krage would be warned. If he did not, Krage would kill him when Raven sprang his ambush. What was his mother going to do?
He had to do something. Had to find some guts, make a decision, act. He couldn’t surrender to fate and hope for luck. That meant the Catacombs or black castle before dawn.
He had lied to Krage. He had a butcher knife up his left sleeve. He had put it there out of sheer bravado. Krage hadn’t searched him. Old Shed armed? Ha! Not likely. He might get himself hurt.
Old Shed did go armed sometimes, but he never advertised the fact. The knife did wonders for his confidence. He could tell himself he would use it, and he’d believe the lie long enough to get by, but in any tight spot he would let fate run its course.
His fate was sealed.… Unless he whipped it
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