tail I’ve ever seen.”
I picked up a brown-paper shopping bag, rolled up and dangling its broken rope handle. “This rat?”
Joe made a show of dusting himself off. “It was dark.”
I tossed at him. “What the hell were you doing in there anyway?”
He straightened with dignity. “Looking for you.”
“In a trash barrel? What would make you think . . . never mind.” It took me a second, but I saw the setup.
Joe fluttered to the stool and sat down. “What are you doing here?”
“Pondering the meaning of life and the Wheel of the World,” I said.
He peered off at the dark bar. “Really? The beer’s that cheap here?”
“Yeah,” I said.
Joe banged his fists against his forehead. “Can’t you get drunk like a normal crazy person?”
I righted the barrel and glanced around. After the initial noise, the bar patrons had gone back to staring into space. “I don’t think I’d fit in this barrel.”
Joe pouted, letting his eyes grow wide with sadness. “I wish I could ponder life, too, but my hands are empty.”
“Would you like a beer, Joe?”
He grinned. “Why, yes, I would love to discuss philosophy with you, kind sir.”
A strange vibe swept the room, an air of tension that prompted people to look toward the exit. Drinkers at the bar shifted in their seats, leaning toward each other to whisper. Joe flinched and squeezed his eyes shut. “Ow! People need to tone down their sendings.”
“I’m not getting anything,” I said. I couldn’t do sendings anymore, but I could receive them. Whatever was happening, no one thought I’d be interested.
Joe shook his head. “Another fire. Big one over on the haul road.”
Ever since a quarter of the neighborhood had burned down the night of the riots, people had been jumpy. The bar was on the edge of the burn zone, and while some might argue not much was left to burn, that wasn’t a joke to people who lived and worked nearby.
“Is the fire department responding?” I asked.
“Lots. It’s a big one. Do they have nuts here?” Joe asked.
“Just one. Let’s go check out the fire,” I said.
Joe gave me a horrified look. “But the beer is here.” “We’ll get some later. Promise,” I said.
Outside, a muddy orange light smeared across the night sky, never a good sign when it came to fires. I hurried down the sidewalk, dodging puddles and broken cement and made it to the haul road in two short blocks. Thick smoke plumed off the top of a warehouse. From the number of units on the scene, the fire had gone to at least six alarms. On the corner, an elf in a green uniform stopped us. “This is a secure area. You need to move on.”
“I’m here on business for Eorla Elvendottir,” I said. It wasn’t quite true, but he didn’t need to know that.
“No one gets in. Move on,” he said.
I stepped around him, while Joe circled my head. “I’m Connor Grey. I work for Eorla. You can check with her or Rand.”
My body shield flickered on as I sensed the elf charging his hand with essence. In a blur, Joe had his sword out and in the guy’s face. “He said you can check with someone, got it? Or do I have to play tic-tac-toe on your face?”
The elf glared but dropped his hand. “I will remember this.”
“Good,” said Joe.
Flits were not to be underestimated, to be sure, but seeing such a large being back away from Joe was damned funny. We left the guard on the corner, glaring at us. “Tic-tac-toe?” I asked.
He nudged me with an elbow and winked as his sword vanished behind its cloaking glamour. “Yeah, good one, huh?”
“As always, buddy.” Joe liked movies. His taste showed in the lines of dialogue he picked up.
As I picked my way over thick yellowed fire hoses, I spotted Murdock next to an EMT truck. “Hey, Leo. I didn’t expect to see you down here.”
The fire lit his intent face in harsh yellow. “A call went out about a break-in. We’re still shorthanded, so I thought I’d back up uniforms if they needed
I picked up a brown-paper shopping bag, rolled up and dangling its broken rope handle. “This rat?”
Joe made a show of dusting himself off. “It was dark.”
I tossed at him. “What the hell were you doing in there anyway?”
He straightened with dignity. “Looking for you.”
“In a trash barrel? What would make you think . . . never mind.” It took me a second, but I saw the setup.
Joe fluttered to the stool and sat down. “What are you doing here?”
“Pondering the meaning of life and the Wheel of the World,” I said.
He peered off at the dark bar. “Really? The beer’s that cheap here?”
“Yeah,” I said.
Joe banged his fists against his forehead. “Can’t you get drunk like a normal crazy person?”
I righted the barrel and glanced around. After the initial noise, the bar patrons had gone back to staring into space. “I don’t think I’d fit in this barrel.”
Joe pouted, letting his eyes grow wide with sadness. “I wish I could ponder life, too, but my hands are empty.”
“Would you like a beer, Joe?”
He grinned. “Why, yes, I would love to discuss philosophy with you, kind sir.”
A strange vibe swept the room, an air of tension that prompted people to look toward the exit. Drinkers at the bar shifted in their seats, leaning toward each other to whisper. Joe flinched and squeezed his eyes shut. “Ow! People need to tone down their sendings.”
“I’m not getting anything,” I said. I couldn’t do sendings anymore, but I could receive them. Whatever was happening, no one thought I’d be interested.
Joe shook his head. “Another fire. Big one over on the haul road.”
Ever since a quarter of the neighborhood had burned down the night of the riots, people had been jumpy. The bar was on the edge of the burn zone, and while some might argue not much was left to burn, that wasn’t a joke to people who lived and worked nearby.
“Is the fire department responding?” I asked.
“Lots. It’s a big one. Do they have nuts here?” Joe asked.
“Just one. Let’s go check out the fire,” I said.
Joe gave me a horrified look. “But the beer is here.” “We’ll get some later. Promise,” I said.
Outside, a muddy orange light smeared across the night sky, never a good sign when it came to fires. I hurried down the sidewalk, dodging puddles and broken cement and made it to the haul road in two short blocks. Thick smoke plumed off the top of a warehouse. From the number of units on the scene, the fire had gone to at least six alarms. On the corner, an elf in a green uniform stopped us. “This is a secure area. You need to move on.”
“I’m here on business for Eorla Elvendottir,” I said. It wasn’t quite true, but he didn’t need to know that.
“No one gets in. Move on,” he said.
I stepped around him, while Joe circled my head. “I’m Connor Grey. I work for Eorla. You can check with her or Rand.”
My body shield flickered on as I sensed the elf charging his hand with essence. In a blur, Joe had his sword out and in the guy’s face. “He said you can check with someone, got it? Or do I have to play tic-tac-toe on your face?”
The elf glared but dropped his hand. “I will remember this.”
“Good,” said Joe.
Flits were not to be underestimated, to be sure, but seeing such a large being back away from Joe was damned funny. We left the guard on the corner, glaring at us. “Tic-tac-toe?” I asked.
He nudged me with an elbow and winked as his sword vanished behind its cloaking glamour. “Yeah, good one, huh?”
“As always, buddy.” Joe liked movies. His taste showed in the lines of dialogue he picked up.
As I picked my way over thick yellowed fire hoses, I spotted Murdock next to an EMT truck. “Hey, Leo. I didn’t expect to see you down here.”
The fire lit his intent face in harsh yellow. “A call went out about a break-in. We’re still shorthanded, so I thought I’d back up uniforms if they needed
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