Glen Cook Starfishers 01 Shadowline

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That I don t know yet. I can see just a little of the edge. We ve spread out
plenty of money and eyes. Something will shake loose pretty soon.
Speaking of eyes. Your friend the Captain has been watching us. Through the
window and from next door. He doesn t look happy.
A hint of frown wrinkled Cassius s brow. He turned, gazed into the crystal
shop connected with the toy store. His gaze met the policeman s. The officer
took a deep breath, shrugged, and came through the connecting doorway. He
seemed both angry and defensive.
You might as well join us, Cassius said. Easier to stay with us. What s
the problem, Karl? Why do I suddenly need shadowing? Cassius squatted, pushed
a knobby plastic disk into the back of a caricature of a railroad train
engine. The toy began chugging around the floor, tooting an old-time
children s tune. The only thing wrong with collecting these things is, if you
want to do anything but sit and look at them, you have to special order the
energy cells from an outfit on Old Earth. They re not even remotely like
anything we use today. Russell! You sure this isn t a reproduction? Do you
have a certificate?
The waiter/clerk brought Mouse s coffee. He brought a cup for the policeman,
who turned it slowly between his fingers before saying, Maybe I m watching
you for your own protection. What re you up to, Cassius? A favor for a friend,
that s what you told me. I owed you one. I didn t figure on getting caught in
a crossfire.
Something has happened.
Something has happened, he says. You re so goddamned right. You ve stirred
up something I didn t count on.
What s wrong, Karl?
We picked up five bodies this morning, my friend. Five. That s what s wrong.
And I don t like it. The Mountain is a quiet place. People come here to get
away from it all. They lease little houses in the outback, guaranteed to be
fifty klicks from the nearest neighbor. Once a month they fly maybe halfway
around the world to come in and pick up groceries or meet a buddy for a beer.
If they wanted gang wars they could stay home.
Karl, you d better back it up. I missed something.
Mouse shook his head vigorously. Sleep had snuck up on him again.
The word in the street is, you asked Clementine to do some poking around for
you. Somebody took exception. Violent exception. Four of his boys went down
this morning. We don t know who the hell the other guy is. An offworlder. No
ID. Took a slug behind the ear. Clementine s old-time autograph.
Curious, Cassius said.
Curious, my ass. We ve got a little unofficial kind of deal here, friend. We
don t bother Clementine. He behaves himself and doesn t scare the tourists. We
pick up enough hookers and gamers to pacify the straight-lacers, and the
judges release them on their own recognizance. Clementine pays their fines.
They re part of what brings the tourists in, so everybody comes up happy. He
stays away from the stardust and windowpane and other heavy stuff and we stay
away from him.
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A civilized arrangement. Cassius puttered with a toy steam shovel. Don t
you think so, Mouse?
Mouse shrugged.
Cassius, the officer said, it s been four years since we ve had a gang
killing. There s no competition. Clementine keeps his people satisfied. So I
get a friend come in doing a favor for a friend, and all of a sudden I ve got
bodies all over town.
I m sorry, Karl. Honestly. I didn t expect it. I don t understand it. You re
sure it s because of me?
That s the feedback I get. Some high-powered out-worlders don t like
questions being asked. They re sending Clementine a message.
Who?
We don t know. Somebody important, I d guess. From the Big Outfit. Maybe
there s a meet on neutral ground. Nobody local would have the balls to push
Clementine. He don t push.
Yeah. I see what you mean. Russell? How much for the shovel?
I m scared, friend, said the policeman. Clementine is a peaceful guy. But
when he gets riled he doesn t have sense enough to keep his head down. He ll
fight. If it s the Big Outfit . . . Well, let s just say I like our
arrangement. We get along. We don t have any trouble. We all know where we
stand. If they move in . . .
Something buzzed. The officer removed a handcomm from his pocket. Heller.
He pressed the device to his ear. His face became grave.
He put the comm away, considered Cassius momentarily. That s three more
down, friend. Two of theirs and one of Clementine s. It s got to be the Big
Outfit. One looked Sangaree.
Cassius frowned. Mouse lost all interest in sleep. Baffled, he asked,
Sangaree? Cassius? Did we walk into something?
Sure as hell starting to look like it. Karl, I don t know what the hell is
coming down. This isn t what we expected. We came looking for one thing and
found something else. I ll talk to Clementine. I ll try to calm him down.
You do that. And keep in touch. I don t like this. I don t want those people
in here. Heller downed his coffee in a single gulp, started away. Look out [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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