I shrugged in turn. ‘‘If it can’t be done, it can’t. You guys get going.’’

I went back to where Git and Bank were managing the removal of the body. I dug a usable gunnysack out of the mess the dead man had used as bedding. Nobody found any gang sign. Nor any evidence that the derelict had suffered any violence other than the attack of the bugs.

15

Hector wasn’t excited by my return. But he did let me in. ‘‘Wait here.’’ He had a voice like a bucket of rocks being shaken. He went to announce my petition for an audience.

People from the back stairs popped out to get a look while I waited. Remarkable things had happened back there a while ago, with me deeply involved. These folks would have been hired since.

I suppressed my theatrical urge. I didn’t do a buck and wing.

Manvil Gilbey came. ‘‘So you’ve done your usual marvelous job and have it wrapped up already?’’

‘‘Not quite. Actually, just the opposite.’’

‘‘Ah. So. Your usual marvelous job.’’

‘‘And you’re gonna love it.’’

A minute later I dumped the gunnysack in front of Max and Gilbey. I was forthright about what I’d done. I even mentioned John Stretch’s special talent without naming his name. ‘‘Also, we got a murder of a security guard, with gang sign. The way those things work, that’ll be the source of your vandalism and theft. Setting you up for protection payoffs.’’

Max considered the bug corpses. He considered me. He said, ‘‘They told me they were big bugs. I was thinking woods roaches. Those flying cockroaches the size of your finger. Not something the size of your mutant feet.’’

‘‘Even bigger ones down below, Boss. So I’m told.’’

‘‘This ratman can command the rodents? He could get rich calling the rats out of places like the brewery.’’

‘‘I suggested that. He wasn’t interested.’’

«He’d see the problems better than we could. So what do you need?»

‘‘I just want you to be aware. Ghosts may not be a real problem. Nobody I talked to admitted seeing any. There was some muttering about weird music. They all seemed to think somebody was faking in order to force a slowdown. Maybe as part of the coming shakedown.’’

‘‘Not a surprise. What about the murder?’’

‘‘We actually found two bodies. The guard was an old guy called Handsome. The other was a squatter. It looked like he was attacked in his sleep by bugs. Bugs chewed Handsome up pretty bad, too. Singe couldn’t get a track on the bad guys but he was definitely murdered.’’

‘‘Not good, that. Did Handsome work for me?’’

‘‘He told me his boss was Lego Bunk when I saw him yesterday.’’

‘‘Bunk works for me. He used to, anyway. He’ll be looking for work after this. Find out what you can about Handsome. If he has people we’ll have to do something for them. Take care of his funeral arrangements, for sure. Now that Lego Bunk is gone, what’re you going to do about taking care of the World?’’

He wasn’t that interested, though. He’d delegated the work. His direct involvement ended there. Unless I screwed up and had to go the way of Lego Bunk.

‘‘Escalate. Bring in more rats. A lot more, if my ratman is right. Do the stuff for Handsome that you said. And let the tin whistles take care of the murder. The killers really want to work protection, they’ll turn up.’’

‘‘Do what you have to,’’ Max growled. ‘‘Don’t come back here bothering me unless you get grief from somebody who thinks they’re more important than they really are.’’

Never before had he so blatantly admitted how loudly wealth talks.

When you’re the god of beer in a city the size of TunFaire, you’ve got more money than the King himself.

‘‘Then I’m free to do whatever needs doing? And you’ll back me up? I want to be clear on this.’’

‘‘I’ll back you one hundred percent as long as you keep your hot ham hands off the rest of my daughters.’’

I’d broken Morley’s First Commandment, about messing with crazy women, and had a fling with Kittyjo Weider. She was marginally crazy then. She’d become a howling lunatic by the time she was murdered.

‘‘No problem.’’

‘‘I do believe in your good intentions. And I know Tinnie. But I know Alyx, too. She gets an idea in her head, she gets as damned single-minded as her old man.’’

‘‘I’ve managed so far. She’s all talk, anyway. She just wants the reaction. From you and me both.’’

That should give Max a chance to relax. And it might even be true.

Maybe I ought to call her bluff.

Only, Tinnie would slice off some of my favorite limbs.

And Alyx would callmy bluff. Guaranteed.

Then Max would hear.

‘‘Manpower,’’ I said.

‘‘Excuse me?’’

‘‘If ratpower isn’t enough to solve the trouble at the World . . . Never mind. I have resources.’’ If I needed twenty swinging dicks to clear the World, I could round them up in a couple hours.

‘‘Come back when they’re after you for killing somebody.’’

Gilbey hadn’t said anything for a while. He spoke up now. ‘‘Or when you find yourself in some demonstrable fiscal difficulty.’’

He was the practical one.

Max suggested, ‘‘How about you have something interesting to report next time you come around?’’

I exchanged glances with Gilbey. Manvil said, ‘‘Some days Max isn’t so enthusiastic about the new challenges. Even dead bodies don’t fire him up.’’

It’s nice to have the kind of friendship that lets you talk about your pal that way right in front of him.

16

Playmate’s stable was quiet when I went by. I didn’t stop in. His brother-in-law was covering for him while he was away. I’d only met the man once. That was once more than I’d needed.

Play was turning the other one like a self-flagellation machine with that villain. But he loves his baby sister.

We tolerate crap from family that we’d butcher strangers over.

I couldn’t resist taking a turn past The Palms. I didn’t drop in, though. I stayed across the street. Morley’s henchman, Sarge, came out to dump a bucket of filthy water. He scowled my way. I waved and kept going. Sarge scowled a whole lot more.

Morley didn’t run after me. Not that I expected he would. Sarge probably didn’t mention that he’d seen me.

No problem. No pain. I’d decided to continue giving Morley Dotes a rest.

Then I saw Playmate, heading home from my place. He waved but didn’t stop. His business and life were at the mercy of a brother-in-law who should’ve been drowned at birth.

The people of TunFaire were still out enjoying the weather. Several stopped me and wanted to talk, usually about something I couldn’t have found less interesting.

We all have our quirks and special passions. Mine are beer and beautiful women. Lately, beer and beautiful woman, redheaded and blessed with a surfeit of attitude.

One of whom was waiting in ambush. She overran me when I got home.

When I got a chance to come up for air, I gasped, ‘‘Hunh! Hunh! Hunh!’’ When my heart slowed down and the rest of me stopped shaking, I just had to check the gift horse’s teeth. ‘‘What’re you doing here?’’

‘‘I thought I made that obvious.’’

‘‘You know how my head works. If it looks too good to be true, I figure it is.’’

‘‘Should I be flattered or offended?’’ Tinnie asked.

‘‘You’ll decide that no matter what I say. I’m in the camp that figures you’re too good to be true.’’

‘‘Ah. You sweet talker. Too bad you have all these other people around here.’’

Singe could not stay away. She turned up to ask, ‘‘What did the principal have to say?’’

‘‘He said do the job. Stop coming round getting underfoot. Come back when it’s done. Go have a beer. I’m busy here.’’

‘‘You have a room. You do not have to mate in the hallway.’’

Tinnie snickered into my neck.