gc.shadowslinger-第22章

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was　stretching　the　facts　slightly。　Bullock's　interest　had　not　been　intense。　But　it　had　to　have　something　to　do　with　the　Catabs。　Bullock　and　his　sidekick　were　in　the　Buskin　almost　every　day；　asking；　asking；　asking　questions。　He　didn't　need　Asa　meeting　Bullock　face…to…face。　Asa　would　either　panic　or　crumble　under　questioning。　Either　way；　Marron　Shed　would　get　into　the　heat　damned　fast。　〃Asa；　if　they　catch　you；　we're　all　dead。〃
　　〃Why？〃
　　〃You　were　spending　those　old　coins。　They're　looking　for　somebody　with　a　lot　of　old　money。〃
　　〃Damn　that　Raven！〃
　　〃What？〃
　　〃He　gave　me　the　passage　money。　As　my　share。　I'm　rich。　And　now　you　tell　me　I　can't　spend　it　without　getting　grabbed。〃
　　〃He　probably　figured　you'd　hold　off　till　the　excitement　died　down。　He'd　be　gone　by　then。〃
　　〃Gone？〃
　　〃He's　leaving　as　soon　as　the　harbor　opens。〃
　　〃Where's　he　headed？〃
　　〃South　somewhere。　He　won't　talk　about　it。〃
　　〃So　what　do　I　do？　Keep　scrambling　for　a　living？　Damn　it；　Shed；　that's　not　fair。〃
　　〃Look　on　the　bright　side；　Asa。　Nobody　wants　to　kill　you　anymore。〃
　　〃So？　Now　Bullock　is　after　me。　Maybe　I　could　have　made　a　deal　with　Krage。　Bullock　don't　deal。　It　ain't　fair！　All　my　life。　。　。　。〃
　　Shed　did　not　listen。　He　sang　the　same　song　all　too　often。
　　〃What　can　I　do；　Shed？〃
　　〃I　don't　know。　Stay　holed　up；　I　guess。〃　He　had　a　glimmer　of　a　notion。　〃How　about　you　get　out　of　Juniper　for　a　while？〃
　　〃Yeah。　You　might　have　something。　That　money　would　spend　just　fine　somewhere　else；　wouldn't　it？〃
　　〃I　don't　know。　I've　never　traveled。〃
　　〃Get　Raven　up　here　when　he　shows　up。〃
　　〃Asa。　。　。　。〃
　　〃Hey；　Shed；　e　on。　It　won't　hurt　to　ask。　All　he　can　do　is　say　no。〃
　　〃Whatever　you　want；　Asa。　I　hate　to　see　you　go。〃
　　〃Sure　you　do；　Shed。　Sure　you　do。〃　As　Shed　ducked　out　the　doorway；　Asa　called；　〃Wait　a　second。〃
　　〃Yeah？〃
　　〃Uh。　。　。　。　It's　kind　of　hard。　I　never　did　thank　you。〃
　　〃Thank　me　for　what？〃
　　〃You　saved　my　life。　You　brought　me　back；　didn't　you？〃
　　Shed　shrugged；　nodded。　〃No　big　thing；　Asa。〃
　　〃Sure　it　is；　Shed。　And　I'll　remember　it。　I　owe　you　the　big　one。〃
　　Shed　went　downstairs　before　he　could　be　embarrassed　further。　He　discovered　that　Raven　had　returned。　The　man　was　in　one　of　his　animated　discussions　with　Darling。　Arguing　again。　They　had　to　be　lovers。　Damn　it　all。　He　waited　till　Raven　noticed　him　watching。　〃Asa　wants　to　see　you。　I　think　he　wants　to　go　with　you　when　you　leave。〃　Raven　chuckled。　〃That　would　solve　your　problem；　wouldn't　it？〃
　　Shed　did　not　deny　that　he　would　be　more　fortable　with　Asa　out　of　Juniper。　〃What　do　you　think？〃
　　〃Not　a　bad　idea；　actually。　Asa　isn't　much；　but　I　need　men。　I　have　a　hold　on　him。　And　him　being　gone　would　help　cover　my　backtrail。〃
　　〃Take　him　with　my　blessing。〃
　　Raven　started　upstairs。　Shed　said；　〃Wait。〃　He　didn't　know　how　to　approach　this；　because　he　didn't　know　if　it　was　important。　But　he'd　better　tell　Raven。　〃Bullock's　been　hanging　around　the　Buskin　a　lot　lately。　Him　and　a　sidekick。〃
　　〃So？〃
　　〃So　maybe　he's　closer　than　we　think。　For　one　thing；　he　was　in　here　looking　for　Asa。　For　another；　he's　been　asking　about　you。〃
　　Raven's　face　went　empty。　〃About　me？　How　so？〃
　　〃On　the　quiet。　My　cousin　Wally's　wife　Sal；　her　brother　is　married　to　one　of　Bullock's　cousins。　Anyway；　Bullock　still　knows　people　down　here；　from　when　before　he　got　on　the　Custodians。　He　helps　them　out　sometimes；　so　some　of　them　tell　him　things　he　wants　to　know。　。。。〃
　　〃I　get　the　picture。　Get　to　the　point。〃
　　〃Bullock　was　asking　about　you。　Who　you　are；　where　you　e　from；　who　your　friends　are…things　like　that。〃
　　〃Why？〃
　　Shed　could　only　shrug。
　　〃All　right。　Thanks。　I'll　check　it　out。〃
　　
　　　Chapter　Eighteen：　JUNIPER：　BLOWING　SMOKE
　　
　　Goblin　stood　across　the　street；　leaning　against　a　building；　staring　intently。　I　frowned　angrily。　What　the　hell　was　he　doing　on　the　street？　Bullock　might　recognize　him　and　realize　we　were　playing　games。
　　Obviously；　he　wanted　to　tell　me　something。
　　Bullock　was　about　to　enter　another　of　countless　dives。　I　told　him；　〃Got　to　see　a　man　about　a　horse　in　the　alley。〃
　　〃Yeah。〃　He　went　inside。　I　slipped　into　the　alley　and　made　water。　Goblin　joined　me　there。　〃What　is　it？〃　I　asked。
　　〃What　it　is；　Croaker；　is　it's　him。　Raven。　Our　Raven。　Not　only　him；　but　Darling。　She's　a　barmaid　in　a　place　called　the　Iron　Lily。〃
　　〃Holy　shit；〃　I　murmured。
　　〃Raven　lives　there。　They're　doing　a　show　like　they　don't　know　each　other　that　well。　But　Raven　looks　out　for　her。〃
　　〃Damnit！　It　had　to　be；　didn't　it？　What　do　we　do　now？〃
　　〃Maybe　bend　over　and　kiss　our　asses　good…bye。　The　bastard　could　be　smack　in　the　middle　of　the　body…selling　racket。　Everything　we　found　could　add　up　that　way。〃
　　〃How　e　you　could　find　that　when　Bullock　couldn't？〃
　　〃I　got　resources　Bullock　doesn't。〃
　　I　nodded。　He　did。　Sometimes　it's　handy；　having　a　wizard　around。　Sometimes　it's　not；　if　it's　one　of　those　bitches　up　in　Duretile。　〃Hurry　it　up；〃　I　said。　〃He'll　wonder　where　I　am。〃
　　〃Raven　has　his　own　wagon　and　team。　Keeps　it　way　across　town。　Usually　only　takes　it　out　late　at　night。〃　I　nodded。　We'd　already　determined　that　body…runners　worked　the　night　shift。　〃But。　。　。　。〃　he　said；　〃and　you're　going　to　love　this　but；　Croaker。　He　took　it　out　in　the　daytime；　once；　a　while　back。　Coincidentally；　the　day　somebody　hit　the　Catabs。〃
　　〃Oh　boy。〃
　　〃I　looked　that　wagon　over；　Croaker。　There　was　blood　in　it。　Fairly　fresh。　I　date　it　about　when　that　moneylender　and　his　pals　disappeared。〃
　　〃Oh　boy。　Shit。　We're　in　for　it　now。　Better　get。　Going　to　have　to　think　of　a　story　for　Bullock　now。〃
　　〃Later。〃
　　〃Yeah。〃
　　At　that　moment　I　was　ready　to　give　up。　Despair　overwhelmed　me。　That　damned　fool　Raven　…　I　knew　exactly　what　he　was　doing。　Getting　together　a　fat　bunch　of　running　money　by　selling　bodies　and　plundering　graves。　His　conscience　wouldn't　bother　him。　In　his　part　of　the　world；　such　things　were　of　much　less　consequence。　And　he　had　a　cause：　Darling。　I　couldn't　get　away　from　Bullock。　I　wanted　desperately　to　run　to　Elmo；　but　I　had　to　trudge　hither　and　yon　asking　questions。
　　I　looked　up　the　northern　slope；　at　the　black　castle；　and　thought　of　it　as　the　fortress　Raven　had　built。
　　I　was　going　off　the　deep　end。　I　told　myself　that。　The　evidence　wasn't　yet　conclusive。　。　。　。　But　it　was。　Enough。　My　employers　did　not　wait　on　legal　niceties　or　absolute　evidence。
　　Elmo　was　rattled；　too。　〃We　could　kill　him。　No　risk　him　giving　anything　away　then。〃
　　〃Really；　Elmo！〃
　　〃I　didn't　mean　it。　But　you　know　I'd　do　it　if　the　choice　got　narrow　enough。〃
　　〃Yeah。〃　We　all　would。　Or　we'd　try。　Raven　might　not　let　us。　He　was　the　toughest　son…of…a…bitch　I'd　ever　known。　〃If　you　ask　me；　we　ought　to　find　him　and　just　tell　him　to　get　the　hell　out　of　Juniper。〃
　　Elmo　gave　me　a　disgusted　look。　〃Haven't　you　been　paying　attention？　Right　now　the　only　way　in　or　out　is　the　one　we　took。　The　harbor　is　frozen。　The　passes　are　snowed　in。　You　think　we　could　get　Whisper　to　fly　some　civilian　out　for　us？〃
　　〃Civilians。　Goblin　says　Darling　is　still　with　him。〃
　　Elmo　looked　thoughtful。　I　started　to　say　something　else。　He　waved　a　hand　for　silence。　I　waited。　He　finally　asked；　〃What　would　he　do　if　he　saw　you？　If　he's　been　hanging　around　with　the　Crater　bunch？〃
　　I　clicked　my　tongue。　〃Yeah。　I　didn't　think　of　that。　Let　me　go　check　something。〃
　　I　hunted　Bullock　up。　〃You　or　the　Duke　got　somebody　inside　the　Crater　bunch？''
　　He　looked　puzzled。　〃Maybe？　Why？〃
　　〃Let's　have　a　sit…down　with　them。　An　idea。　It　might　help　us　break　our　thing　here。〃
　　He　looked　at　me　a　long　moment。　Maybe　he　was　sharper　than　he　pretended。　〃All　right。　Not　that　they　would've　learned　much。　The　only　reason　they　haven't　run　our　guys　off　is　we　don't　bother　them。　They　just　get　together　and　talk　about　the　old　days。　They　don't　have　any　fight　left。〃
　　〃Let's　give　it　a　look　anyway。　Maybe　they're　less　innocent　than　they　look。〃
　　〃Give　me　a　half…hour。〃
　　I　did。　And　when　that　time　was　up；　he　and　I　sat　down　with　two　secret　policemen。　He　and　I　took　turns　asking　questions；　each　ing　from　his　own　private　slant。
　　Neither　knew　Raven；　at　least　not　by　that　name。　That　was　a　relief。　But　there　w