The Gabble and Other Stories by Neal Asher

officers.

    ‘She was a hack,’ said Salind. ‘But this is excessive punishment.’

    ‘The Tronad don’t know the meaning of the word excess,’ said Geoff, as they both stepped out onto the gravel.

    ‘So this is how they hit people?’ Salind gazed slowly from side to side, making sure Argus was getting everything here and transmitting it.

    ‘This was how traitors were killed by the underground before the civil war, and it’s now how the Tronad kill people when they want to make a point. The holes were made by whoever nailed her there. The treels have to be pushed inside before they try to feed. They just keep grinding away and pushing through in search of banoak flesh. She probably died when one of them hit an artery. It can take anything from ten minutes to an hour.’

    ‘You’re very well informed.’

    ‘We all are here. This is what happens to you if you go piss-off the Tronad. This is why very few people will turn out to vote next Moonday.’

    They moved away from the car and closer to the crucified reporter. Salind felt sorry for Merril and a little sad, but nothing more than that. She wouldn’t have suffered. Were they so primitive here they didn’t realize she could have shut off the pain with her aug?

    ‘Alright there. Keep back,’ said one of the uniformed cops as he strolled over.

    Salind turned to him. ‘What’s happened here, officer?’

    ‘You got eyes ain’t you?’

    ‘A murder I take it. I think you should be aware that I know the victim.’

    ‘Who don’t? We know whose toes she stepped on,’ said the cop, turning to inspect the corpse.

    ‘So we can be expecting an arrest soon then?’ said Salind.

    The cop snorted then glanced over as another car pulled up. ‘Yeah, there’ll be an arrest.
    Some other toe-stepper’ll get shat on. And here comes the biggest shitter of ‘em all.’

    Salind also watched as Callus and two of his thugs climbed from the car. Behind the car a van pulled up. He supposed that this must be Banjer’s equivalent of a medical examiner or some such. He started to move in their direction, but Geoff caught hold of his shoulder.

    ‘Not a good idea. Best to just watch,’ he said.

    ‘I only want to ask a reasonable question or two,’ said Salind.

    ‘Don’t,’ said Geoff. ‘Callus is never in his best mood when he’s clearing up after Soper. It won’t just be a slap next time. It’ll be a stiletto in your back followed by polite enquiries after your health for the benefit of your aug recording.’

    Salind desisted. He turned to the uniformed cop. ‘You realize her augmentation will have recorded everything she saw?’

    The cop glanced at him and shook his head. ‘That won’t be much then.’

    The man walked back to join his companions. On closer inspection Salind saw Merril’s eyes had been gouged out. A treel worked its way out of one socket. Salind took out his pill container, clicked out a pill, and swallowed it dry.

    From the van, two overalled figures bearing a stretcher approached the banoak. They conducted no forensic examination of the area, no careful search for evidence. After they deposited the stretcher on the ground, one of them took a crowbar from his belt and levered out the nails pinning the corpse to the tree. When it slid to the ground the two rolled it in a plastic sheet then passed a heating unit over this wrapping to shrink and seal it. As they carried the neat parcel back to the van Salind could still see treels moving about inside. While they loaded into the van he noted Callus spot him and start walking over with his thugs and two uniformed policemen in tow.

    ‘We better be leaving,’ said Geoff.

    ‘I don’t think so,’ said Salind.

    ‘I’ve warned you. That’s all I can do.’

    ‘Fine,’ said Salind, but he did step back to put himself up against the car.

    Callus came up before him and his two thugs moved round to either side of the inspector.
    They stood with their hands clasped before them.