[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
goes." He gave her five gersh. "Another five when you get back, if it's worth
it. "Lisa zipped out in a whirl of skirts. "He wandered around a lot," Lisa
reported. "Like he was killing time. Then he headed down by the Sailmakers'.
To see that one-eyed moneylender.'' "Gilbert?" "Yeah. Gilbert." "Thank you,"
Shed said thoughtfully. "Thanks a bunch. That casts light on the problem."
"Five gersh worth?" "Sure. You're a good girl." He made a suggestive offer as
he counted. "I don't need money that bad, Mr. Shed." He retreated to his
kitchen, began preparing supper. So Gilbert was behind the extortionist. Did
Gilbert want him financially pressed? Why? The Lily. Why else? The renovations
made the place that much more attractive a steal. So. Assume Gilbert was
opening a campaign to snatch the Lily. He had to fight. But this time nobody
could help him. He was on his own. Three days later Shed visited an
acquaintance who operated on the nether edge of the Buskin. For a
consideration he received a name. He visited the man attached, and left him
with two pieces of silver. Back at the Lily, he asked Lisa to tell her
favorite customers that Gilbert was trying to force them out by spreading lies
and making threats. He wanted the Magistrate suspicious of accusations leveled
against him later. The morning of the next payoff, Shed told Lisa, "I'll be
gone all day. Anybody comes looking for me, tell them to come back after
supper." "The man I followed?" "Him especially." At first Shed just roamed,
killing time. His nerve worsened with time. Something would go wrong. Gilbert
would come back rough.... But he wouldn't dare, would he? That would tarnish
his reputation. Shed's rumors had him on the defensive now. People would make
their loans elsewhere if he pressed. Shed found himself a woman. She cost too
much, but she made him forget. For a while. He returned to the Lily at sunset.
"He came by?" he asked Lisa. "Be back, too. He looked put out. I don't think
he's going to be nice, Mr. Shed." "That's the way it goes. I'll be out back
working on the woodpile." Shed glanced at a customer he'd never before seen.
The man nodded, departed through the front door. Shed chopped wood by
lanternlight. Now and again he searched the shadows, saw nothing. He prayed
nothing would go wrong. The extortionist stormed out the kitchen doorway. "You
trying to duck me, Shed? You know what happens if you mess with me?" "Duck
you? What do you mean? I'm right here." "You weren't this afternoon. Now that
girl of yours gives me a hard way to go, trying to steer me away. I like to
had to pound her before she'd tell me where you were." Very creative. Shed
Page 46
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
wondered how much Lisa suspected. "Save the dramatics. You want your money. I
want your ugly face away from my place. Let's get on with it." The
extortionist looked puzzled. "You talking tough? They told me you were the
biggest coward in the Buskin." "Who told you? You working for somebody? This
not a freelance play?" The man's eyes narrowed as he realized his mistake.
Shed produced a handful of copper. He counted, counted, counted again, put a
few coins away. "Hold out your hands." The extortionist extended cupped hands.
Shed had not expected it to be this easy. He dumped the coins, grabbed the
man's wrists. "Hey! What the hell?" A hand clamped over the man's mouth. A
face appeared over his shoulder, mouth stretched in a grimace of effort. The
extortionist rose to his toes, arching backward. His eyes widened in fear and
pain, then rolled up. He slumped forward. "All right. Perfect. Get out of
here," Shed said. Hastening footsteps faded quickly. Shed dragged the body
into shadow, quickly covered it with wood scraps, then dropped to hands and
knees and began collecting coins. He found all but two. "What are you doing,
Mr. Shed?" He jumped. "What're you doing?" "I came to see if you were all
right." "I'm fine. We had an argument. He knocked some coins out of my hand. I
can't find them all." "Need help?" "Mind the counter, girl. Or they'll steal
us blind." "Oh. Sure." She ducked back inside. Shed gave it up a few minutes
later. He would search again tomorrow. He got antsy waiting for closing time.
Lisa was too curious. He was afraid she would look for the missing coins and
find the body. He did not want her disappearance on his conscience, too. Two
minutes after he closed, he was out his back door and heading for his wagon
and team. The tall being was back on duty. He paid Shed thirty pieces of
silver. As he was maneuvering to leave, though, the thing demanded, "Why do
you come so seldom?" "I'm not as skilled as my partner." "What has become of
him? We have missed him." "He's out of town." Shed could have sworn he heard
the thing chuckle as he went out the gate.
Chapter Twenty-Two: JUNIPER: RUNNING SCARED
A long time had passed and nothing had happened. The Taken were not pleased.
Neither was Elmo. He dragged me into his quarters. "Were the hell did Raven
go,Croaker?" "I don't know," I told him. As if he were the only one disturbed.
I was scared and getting more so by the day. "I want to know. Soon." "Look,
man. Goblin's done everything but torture people trying to pick up his trail.
He flat vanished. He got wind of us somehow." "How? Will you tell me how?
We've been here half our lives, it seems like. And nobody else down there has
noticed. Why should Raven be any different?" "Because we were around looking
for him. He must have spotted one of us." "If he did, I want to know that. You
hike on down there and light a fire under Goblin's ass. Hear?" "Right.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]