gc.shadowslinger-第2章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Madle！ Where the hell are you？〃
The tavern…keeper looked at Candy； agonized。 Candy cued him。 The taverner called； 〃Out here； Neat。〃
Candy whispered； 〃Keep playing。〃 I started dealing。
A man of forty came from the kitchen。 Several others followed。 All wore dappled green。 They had bows across their backs。 Neat said； 〃They must've got the kids。 I don't know how； but。 。 。 。〃He saw something in Madle's eyes。 〃What's the matter？〃
We had Madle sufficiently intimidated。 He did not give us away。
Staring at my cards； I drew my spring tube。 My panions did likewise。 Pawnbroker discarded the card he had drawn； a deuce。 He usually tries to go low。 His play betrayed his nervousness。
Candy snagged the discard and spread an ace…deuce…trey run。 He discarded an eight。
One of Neat's panions whined； 〃I told you we shouldn't send kids。〃 It sounded like breathing life into an old argument。
〃I don't need any I…told…you…so；〃 Neat growled。 〃Madle； I spread the word for a meeting。 We'll have to scatter the outfit。〃
〃We don't know nothing for sure； Neat；〃 another green man said。 〃You know kids。〃
〃You're fooling yourself。 The Lady's hounds are on our trail。〃
The whiner said； 〃I told you we shouldn't hit those。 。。。〃 He fell silent； realizing； a moment too late； that strangers were present； that the regulars all looked ghastly。
Neat went for his sword。
There were nine of them； if you counted Madle and some customers who got involved。 Candy overturned the card table。 We tripped the catches on our spring tubes。 Four poisoned darts snapped across the mon room。 We drew swords。
It lasted only seconds。
〃Everybody all right？〃 Candy asked。
〃Got a scratch；〃 Otto said。 I checked it。 Nothing to worry about。
〃Back behind the bar； friend；〃 Candy told Madle； whom he had spared。 〃The rest of you； get this place straightened up。 Pawnbroker； watch them。 They even think about getting out of line； kill them。〃
〃What do I do with the bodies？〃
〃Throw them down the well。〃
I righted the table again； sat down； unfolded a sheet of paper。 Sketched upon it was the chain of mand of the insurgents in Tally。 I blacked out NEAT。 It stood at mid…level。 〃Madle；〃 I said。 〃e here。〃
The barkeep approached with the eagerness of a dog to a whipping。
〃Take it easy。 You'll get through this all right。 If you cooperate。 Tell me who those men were。〃
He hemmed and hawed。 Predictably。
〃Just names；〃 I said。 He looked at the paper； frowning。 He could not read。 〃Madle？ Be a tight place to swim； down a well with a bunch of bodies。〃
He gulped； surveyed the room。 I glanced at the man near the fireplace。 He hadn't moved during the encounter。 Even now he watched with apparent indifference。
Madle named names。
Some were on my list and some were not。 Those that were not I assumed to be spear carriers。 Tally had been well and reliably scouted。
The last corpse went out。 I gave Madle a small gold piece。 He goggled。 His customers regarded him with unfriendly eyes。 I grinned。 〃For services rendered。〃
Madle blanched； stared at the coin。 It was a kiss of death。 His patrons would think he had helped set the ambush。 〃Gotcha；〃 I whispered。 〃Want to get out of this alive？〃
He looked at me in fear and hatred。 〃Who the hell are you guys？〃 he demanded in a harsh whisper。
〃The Black pany； Madle。 The Black pany。〃
I don't know how he managed； but he went even whiter。
Chapter Five： JUNIPER： MARRON SHED
The day was cold and grey and damp； still； misty； and sullen。 Conversation in the Iron Lily consisted of surly monosyllables uttered before a puny fire。
Then the drizzle came； drawing the curtains of the world in tight。 Brown and grey shapes hunched dispiritedly along the grubby； muddy street。 It was a day ripped full…grown from the womb of despair。 Inside the Lily； Marron Shed looked up from his mug…wiping。 Keeping the dust off； he called it。 Nobody was using his shoddy stoneware because nobody was buying his cheap； sour wine。 Nobody could afford it。
The Lily stood on the south side of Floral Lane。 Shed's counter faced the doorway； twenty feet deep into the shadows of the mon room。 A herd of tiny tables； each with its brood of rickety stools； presented a perilous maze for the customer ing out of sunlight。 A half…dozen roughly cut support pillars formed additional obstacles。 The ceiling beams were too low for a tall man。 The boards of the floor were cracked and warped and creaky； and anything spilled ran downhill。
The walls were decorated with old…time odds and ends and curios left by customers which had no meaning for anyone entering today。 Marron Shed was too lazy to dust them or take them down。
The mon room Led around the end of his counter； past the fireplace； near which the best tables stood。 Beyond the fireplace； in the deepest shadows； a yard from the kitchen door； lay the base of the stair to the rooming floors。
Into that darksome labyrinth came a small； weasely man。 He carried a bundle of wood scraps。 〃Shed？ Can I？〃
〃Hell。 Why not； Asa？ We'll all benefit。〃 The fire had dwindled to a bank of grey ash。
Asa scuttled to the fireplace。 The group there parted surlily。 Asa settled beside Shed's mother。 Old June was blind。 She could not tell who he was。 He placed his bundle before him and started stirring the coals。
〃Nothing down to the docks today？〃 Shed asked。
Asa shook his head。 〃Nothing came in。 Nothing going out。 They only had five jobs。 Unloading wagons。 People were fighting over them。〃
Shed nodded。 Asa was no fighter。 Asa was not fond of honest labor； either。 〃Darling； one draft for Asa。〃 Shed gestured as he spoke。 His serving girl picked up the battered mug and took it to the fire。
Shed did not like the little man。 He was a sneak； a thief； a liar； a mooch； the sort who would sell his sister for a couple of copper gersh。 He was a whiner and plainer and coward。 But he had bee a project for Shed； who could have used a little charity himself。 Asa was one of the homeless Shed let sleep on the mon room floor whenever they brought wood for the fire。 Letting the homeless have the floor did not put money into the coin box； but it did assure some warmth for June's arthritic bones。
Finding free wood in Juniper in winter was harder than finding work。 Shed was amused by Asa's determination to avoid honest employment。
The fire's crackle killed the stillness。 Shed put his grimy rag aside。 He stood behind his mother； hands to the heat。 His fingernails began aching。 He hadn't realized how cold he was。
It was going to be a long； cold winter。 〃Asa； do you have a regular wood source？〃 Shed could not afford fuel。 Nowadays firewood was barged down the Port from far upstream。 It was expensive。 In his youth。 。 。 。
〃No。〃 Asa stared into the flames。 Piney smells spread through the Lily。 Shed worried about his chimney。 Another pine scrap winter； and he hadn't had the chimney swept。 A chimney fire could destroy him。
Things had to turn around soon。 He was over the edge； in debt to his ears。 He was desperate。
〃Shed。〃
He looked to his tables； to his only real paying customer。
〃Raven？〃
〃Refill； if you please。〃
Shed looked for Darling。 She had disappeared。 He cursed softly。 No point yelling。 The girl was deaf； needed signs to municate。 An asset； he had thought when Raven had suggested he hire her。 Countless secrets were whispered in the Lily。 He had thought more whisperers might e if they could speak without fear of being overheard。
Shed bobbed his head； captured Raven's mug。 He disliked Raven； partially because Raven was successful at Asa's game。 Raven had no visible means of support； yet always had money。 Another reason was because Raven was younger； tougher and healthier than the run of the Lily's customers。 He was an anomaly。 The Lily was on the downhill end of the Buskin； close to the waterfront。 It drew all the drunkards； the worn…out whores； the dopers； the derelicts and human flotsam who eddied into that last backwater before the darkness overhauled them。 Shed sometimes agonized； fearing his precious Lily was but a final way station。
Raven did not belong。 He co
