said Murdoch. He stood too.
The two men were about the same height, although Levin might have been taller if he didn’t stoop. Murdoch weighed at least ten kilos more.
They faced each other with a sense of caution that nobody could have mistaken for politeness.
Grace padded in bare feet to the refrigerator and took out a beer, which she passed to Levin automatically. He took it without looking at her and sat down beside her, opposite Murdoch.
Murdoch and I sat down again. I glanced at the clock— only eight-thirty. Maybe if I pleaded a headache we could go.
“Where are you heading, Mr. McGrath?” Levin often spoke with strange formality. “Nowhere special.” Murdoch stared at Levin around a slow mouthful.
I hoped he wouldn’t antagonize Levin before I had a chance to ask for help procuring a laser. I glanced at Grace to see if she’d noticed the tension, but she was half watching the televid over Levin’s shoulder.
“I just thought I’d drop in and see Maria,” said Murdoch. “Nice bread.”
“It’s from the corner shop,” said Grace. “You gotta support your local businesses, I reckon.”
And she didn’t have to carry it all the way from the markets.
“How did you know Maria was here?” Levin asked Murdoch. “I thought she knew nobody in this country?”
“We met just after she arrived,” said Murdoch smoothly. “She said she was going to Sydney. I asked around when I got here.”
“What is your line of work?”
“This and that. I’ve done a bit of security work in my time.” His eyes rested on the other, considering. “How about you, Mr. Levin?” He hesitated just enough to be noticeable on the name, long enough to hint a challenge.
Cut it out, Bill. I tried to signal him with my eyes.
“I trade,” said Levin. “In hardware.”
“I didn’t notice a warehouse,” said Murdoch.
“Middlemen are necessary in any industry,” said Levin smoothly, and took a long draft of his beer.
I wiped sweaty hands on my trousers and wished for a small hyperspace tunnel to open between now and the end of the night. Then I wouldn’t have to sit through this.
“You hungry?” Grace said to Levin.
He smiled at her, then dropped his gaze to the plate of sausages. A fly had sneaked in and was hovering over them, deterred only by occasional waves of Grace’s hand.
“No,” he said. “I’m not hungry.”
Grace shrugged and picked up her beer again.
Will appeared at her elbow, after playfully punching Murdoch on the way and getting tickled. “C’n I have another sausage?”
“Yeah, go for it,” said Grace. “Bread’s there.”
“Don’t want any bread.” He pulled a conspiratorial face of disgust to me, then bore off two sausages to his place in front of the vidscreen. Cartoon voices kept up a constant flow of inanity.
Levin had ignored Will completely. “Are you staying long, Mr. McGrath?”
“As long as I need to,” said Murdoch. He was leaning back in his chair again, outwardly relaxed, but not tilting the chair like he’d done before Levin came in. His feet were now firmly on the ground, ready.
Ready for what, I wasn’t sure. Could Murdoch see something in Levin I’d missed, or was this some kind of male rivalry thing?
“Hear the news about the airport closing?” Grace said.
“No,” I said. “Which airport?”
“Are you planning a trip, then?” Levin’s lip curled.
The sarcasm reached Grace. She flushed and put her can down with a crunch. “Course not. Just making conversation. No need to get shitty.”
“Which airport?” I said.
“It does not affect us directly,” said Levin. “Who cares?”
“You sure?” Murdoch said slowly. “The newspaper said police suspected some of the guns came from inner-city gangs. Like around here.”
“What news?” I raised my voice.
Grace leaned over, as though she was ducking the almost palpable waves of hostility that crossed the table between Levin and Murdoch.
“They found some guns at the airport,
The two men were about the same height, although Levin might have been taller if he didn’t stoop. Murdoch weighed at least ten kilos more.
They faced each other with a sense of caution that nobody could have mistaken for politeness.
Grace padded in bare feet to the refrigerator and took out a beer, which she passed to Levin automatically. He took it without looking at her and sat down beside her, opposite Murdoch.
Murdoch and I sat down again. I glanced at the clock— only eight-thirty. Maybe if I pleaded a headache we could go.
“Where are you heading, Mr. McGrath?” Levin often spoke with strange formality. “Nowhere special.” Murdoch stared at Levin around a slow mouthful.
I hoped he wouldn’t antagonize Levin before I had a chance to ask for help procuring a laser. I glanced at Grace to see if she’d noticed the tension, but she was half watching the televid over Levin’s shoulder.
“I just thought I’d drop in and see Maria,” said Murdoch. “Nice bread.”
“It’s from the corner shop,” said Grace. “You gotta support your local businesses, I reckon.”
And she didn’t have to carry it all the way from the markets.
“How did you know Maria was here?” Levin asked Murdoch. “I thought she knew nobody in this country?”
“We met just after she arrived,” said Murdoch smoothly. “She said she was going to Sydney. I asked around when I got here.”
“What is your line of work?”
“This and that. I’ve done a bit of security work in my time.” His eyes rested on the other, considering. “How about you, Mr. Levin?” He hesitated just enough to be noticeable on the name, long enough to hint a challenge.
Cut it out, Bill. I tried to signal him with my eyes.
“I trade,” said Levin. “In hardware.”
“I didn’t notice a warehouse,” said Murdoch.
“Middlemen are necessary in any industry,” said Levin smoothly, and took a long draft of his beer.
I wiped sweaty hands on my trousers and wished for a small hyperspace tunnel to open between now and the end of the night. Then I wouldn’t have to sit through this.
“You hungry?” Grace said to Levin.
He smiled at her, then dropped his gaze to the plate of sausages. A fly had sneaked in and was hovering over them, deterred only by occasional waves of Grace’s hand.
“No,” he said. “I’m not hungry.”
Grace shrugged and picked up her beer again.
Will appeared at her elbow, after playfully punching Murdoch on the way and getting tickled. “C’n I have another sausage?”
“Yeah, go for it,” said Grace. “Bread’s there.”
“Don’t want any bread.” He pulled a conspiratorial face of disgust to me, then bore off two sausages to his place in front of the vidscreen. Cartoon voices kept up a constant flow of inanity.
Levin had ignored Will completely. “Are you staying long, Mr. McGrath?”
“As long as I need to,” said Murdoch. He was leaning back in his chair again, outwardly relaxed, but not tilting the chair like he’d done before Levin came in. His feet were now firmly on the ground, ready.
Ready for what, I wasn’t sure. Could Murdoch see something in Levin I’d missed, or was this some kind of male rivalry thing?
“Hear the news about the airport closing?” Grace said.
“No,” I said. “Which airport?”
“Are you planning a trip, then?” Levin’s lip curled.
The sarcasm reached Grace. She flushed and put her can down with a crunch. “Course not. Just making conversation. No need to get shitty.”
“Which airport?” I said.
“It does not affect us directly,” said Levin. “Who cares?”
“You sure?” Murdoch said slowly. “The newspaper said police suspected some of the guns came from inner-city gangs. Like around here.”
“What news?” I raised my voice.
Grace leaned over, as though she was ducking the almost palpable waves of hostility that crossed the table between Levin and Murdoch.
“They found some guns at the airport,
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