you
didn’t respect me and Lil, but I figured even you would know
better’n to get between a man and the man who killed his kin…”
Gunner drew one of his pistols and pushed it
into Coop’s ribs. “Coop, you put that gun away or Butch is going to
have a hell of a time finding enough pieces of you to stitch
together into something fit for a coffin.”
“That’s enough, boys,” the captain said, as
though they were nothing more than two disobedient children who
wouldn’t put away their toys before dinner. “No one’s killing
anybody for anything right now, because Lil and Nita ain’t dead. At
least, not from the explosion.”
“How do you know that?” Coop said, dropping
Gunner with a thump.
The drop caused Gunner to whack his head on
the ground. It also caused him to fire the gun, fortunately after
it was pointed harmlessly over the city rather than at Coop’s
chest. The sudden sound startled Coop, who in turn fired his own
gun, in his case into the pier beside Gunner’s head.
“You boys want to put your guns away before
we do the fuggers’ job for them?” Captain Mack said wearily.
“Sorry, Cap’n,” Coop said, holstering his
weapon and helping Gunner to his feet. “You sure the girls are
alive?”
“No. But I’m sure the boiler, or whatever
else blew that mine to hell, didn’t do them in. The rescue crews
have got the place cleared out pretty good. Didn’t find a drop of
blood or a shred of clothing. But they did find plenty of rope and
climbing equipment.”
“… You reckon the girls went climbing?” Coop
said, anger replaced by confusion.
“No, Coop, I reckon someone climbed up and
got them,” the captain said.
“And if Matthews was getting paid off by the
fuggers, no doubt they’re the ones who got them,” Gunner said.
“That seems about right,” the captain said.
“Anyone come sniffing around the pier while we were gone?”
“Nope, but I fired some shots all the same.
Wanted folks to know I was serious.”
“If you were firing shots at nothing, I’d be
more inclined to assume you are insane,” Gunner said.
“Either way, it’ll make folks think twice
about getting too close,” Coop countered.
“Fair enough.”
They all stepped into the gig while Coop
scrambled up the chain and activated the winch to haul them up into
the ship.
“So what do we do now?” Gunner asked.
“I’m still chewing that one over, but I know
for sure we’re not doing it here. This whole town’s got the stink
of fug on it now. The mayor seems straight and narrow enough, but
he’s got the wool over his eyes when it comes to who in his staff
is trying to romance the fuggers into giving them back the right to
pay an arm and a leg to get their ship fixed up. We’re good and
stocked when it comes to food, fuel, and phlogiston, so I say we
get moving. Sitting in port is making my skin crawl.”
“Why do I have the feeling that as soon as we
get away from the city some ship or another is going to open fire
on us?” Gunner said.
“Because you been at this long enough to know
what to expect, that’s why. But roundabout now I could use a little
ship-to-ship shooting. Feel like I got my hands tied not knowing
where them girls are at.”
“We can’t afford to take any serious damage
without Nita on the crew,” Gunner said. “And there wasn’t much ammo
to be had in town, so we’re still low on fléchettes.”
“Well then, that means three things, doesn’t
it?” the captain said. “You better make sure we take out any
attackers before they do any damage, we better make every shot
count, and you better start explaining why after four months
neither of you know how to fix us up. I know for a fact Nita’s been
putting you through the paces.”
“I tried, Cap’n,” Coop said. “That stuff just
don’t fit in my head too easy. Takes a lot of tosses before it
sticks good and tight. I could slap a patch on the envelope if
needs be, and I’m pretty fair at fiddling with the
didn’t respect me and Lil, but I figured even you would know
better’n to get between a man and the man who killed his kin…”
Gunner drew one of his pistols and pushed it
into Coop’s ribs. “Coop, you put that gun away or Butch is going to
have a hell of a time finding enough pieces of you to stitch
together into something fit for a coffin.”
“That’s enough, boys,” the captain said, as
though they were nothing more than two disobedient children who
wouldn’t put away their toys before dinner. “No one’s killing
anybody for anything right now, because Lil and Nita ain’t dead. At
least, not from the explosion.”
“How do you know that?” Coop said, dropping
Gunner with a thump.
The drop caused Gunner to whack his head on
the ground. It also caused him to fire the gun, fortunately after
it was pointed harmlessly over the city rather than at Coop’s
chest. The sudden sound startled Coop, who in turn fired his own
gun, in his case into the pier beside Gunner’s head.
“You boys want to put your guns away before
we do the fuggers’ job for them?” Captain Mack said wearily.
“Sorry, Cap’n,” Coop said, holstering his
weapon and helping Gunner to his feet. “You sure the girls are
alive?”
“No. But I’m sure the boiler, or whatever
else blew that mine to hell, didn’t do them in. The rescue crews
have got the place cleared out pretty good. Didn’t find a drop of
blood or a shred of clothing. But they did find plenty of rope and
climbing equipment.”
“… You reckon the girls went climbing?” Coop
said, anger replaced by confusion.
“No, Coop, I reckon someone climbed up and
got them,” the captain said.
“And if Matthews was getting paid off by the
fuggers, no doubt they’re the ones who got them,” Gunner said.
“That seems about right,” the captain said.
“Anyone come sniffing around the pier while we were gone?”
“Nope, but I fired some shots all the same.
Wanted folks to know I was serious.”
“If you were firing shots at nothing, I’d be
more inclined to assume you are insane,” Gunner said.
“Either way, it’ll make folks think twice
about getting too close,” Coop countered.
“Fair enough.”
They all stepped into the gig while Coop
scrambled up the chain and activated the winch to haul them up into
the ship.
“So what do we do now?” Gunner asked.
“I’m still chewing that one over, but I know
for sure we’re not doing it here. This whole town’s got the stink
of fug on it now. The mayor seems straight and narrow enough, but
he’s got the wool over his eyes when it comes to who in his staff
is trying to romance the fuggers into giving them back the right to
pay an arm and a leg to get their ship fixed up. We’re good and
stocked when it comes to food, fuel, and phlogiston, so I say we
get moving. Sitting in port is making my skin crawl.”
“Why do I have the feeling that as soon as we
get away from the city some ship or another is going to open fire
on us?” Gunner said.
“Because you been at this long enough to know
what to expect, that’s why. But roundabout now I could use a little
ship-to-ship shooting. Feel like I got my hands tied not knowing
where them girls are at.”
“We can’t afford to take any serious damage
without Nita on the crew,” Gunner said. “And there wasn’t much ammo
to be had in town, so we’re still low on fléchettes.”
“Well then, that means three things, doesn’t
it?” the captain said. “You better make sure we take out any
attackers before they do any damage, we better make every shot
count, and you better start explaining why after four months
neither of you know how to fix us up. I know for a fact Nita’s been
putting you through the paces.”
“I tried, Cap’n,” Coop said. “That stuff just
don’t fit in my head too easy. Takes a lot of tosses before it
sticks good and tight. I could slap a patch on the envelope if
needs be, and I’m pretty fair at fiddling with the
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