"Don't thank me. You've done me numerous good turns. This may be my chance to pay some back. Maybe to lay a little good karma on my soul."

Another surprise. That old boy is full of them. I thanked him again, climbed out of the coach. It rolled away immediately. Most of Chodo's bodyguards went with it.

16

Morley's place was deserted. I stepped into half the usual light and none of the usual uproar. I looked across the desert at Puddle, behind the serving counter, polishing glassware. "What the hell?"

"Not open tonight, buddy. Come back some other time."

"Hey! It's me. Garrett."

He squinted. Maybe his eyes weren't so good anymore. He was going to flab fast, but that didn't keep him from being a bad man. "Oh. Yeah. Maybe I ought to say we're double not open for you, pal. But it's too late. You done got Morley dragged in."

"Where is everybody?"

"Morley shut the place down. You think anybody's going to come in here with that circus parked out front?"

"He here?"

"Nope." He didn't volunteer any information. Most of Morley's people think I take advantage of his good nature. They're wrong. He doesn't have a good nature. And he owes me for a couple stunts he pulled on me back when he was hooked on gambling and he had to cut things fine to keep from taking that long swim in the river. "What you want him for?"

"Just talk."

"Right." His tone said I was full of it.

"He leave any word for me?"

"Yeah. Have a beer. Hang in there till he gets back."

"Beer?" Morley never has anything drinkable around except a little brandy upstairs for special guests of the female persuasion. The kind that always scurry for cover when I show up, afraid I work for their husbands.

Puddle swung a pony keg onto the bar, grabbed the biggest mug he had, drew me one. I arrived as he topped it off. I noted that the keg had been tapped already. I noted that Puddle had brew breath. I grinned. Another of Morley's bunch who didn't share his boss's religion. Puddle pretended he didn't know why I was showing my teeth

"Seen Saucerhead?"

"Nope"

"Morley supposed to be back soon?"

"I don't know."

"Know where he went?"

He shook his head, probably afraid he was going to get a sore throat with all this yammer. A real heavyweight conversationalist, Puddle. Always ready with a lightning riposte. Rather than subject myself to any more abuse, I went to work on my beer.

It went down smooth. Almost too smooth. I let him draw me another and finished half before I thought about all I'd put away already today. Where was the point of the running if I was going to fix myself up to look like Puddle anyway?

"You got anything back there ready to eat?"

A big, wicked grin grew on Puddle's homely face. Before he turned toward the kitchen, I was sorry I'd asked. He was about to make me pay for my sins.

He came back with something cold smeared on a bed of soggy noodles. "Chef's surprise." It looked like death and didn't taste much better

"Now I know why all those breeds are so damned mean. Can't help it, eating like this."

Puddle chuckled, pleased with himself.

I ate. To get through a mess like that, all I have to do is recall what I'd had to eat as a Marine. I could dig in and feel pampered.

Saucerhead ambled in. "Where you been, Garrett?"

I filled him in

"I heard about Squirrel. Can't figure it."

"What about the redhead?"

He frowned. "She went home meek. And disappeared." He shook his head. "Went in the place where she stayed. Wanted to ask her a question. I looked all over. She wasn't in there no more. And I know she never come out. Only two people ever did and she wasn't one of them. And she never came back." He shrugged and forgot it. Not his problem anymore. "They tried to ice you, eh?"

"Yeah."

He sighed. "Hey. Puddle. Whup me up a double load of whatever this glop is Garrett's got." He asked me, "Where's Morley?"

"I don't know. Puddle ain't saying."

"Hmm. Chodo's in it now. Account of Squirrel. What you going to do?"

"I don't know. I have a couple grudges. And like Chodo told me, letting them slide isn't good for business."

"You think that Winger smoked Squirrel?"

"Maybe. I think Chodo's going to find out."

"Pretty pissed, eh?"

"Yeah. Probably hasn't had a good excuse to off somebody for days."

Saucerhead drank about a quart of beer, inhaled the food Puddle brought him, shoved back, said, "Well, it's been an interesting day. I got to get on home. Got a little gal waiting." Off he went.

I sat quietly for a while. It got dark outside. I waited some more. I asked Puddle, "You sure Morley didn't say when he'd be back?"

"Nope."

Puddle seemed to be the only body in the place. Where were all the help? Where was Sadler, who was supposed to set up his headquarters? Where the hell was Morley Dotes?

I waited some more. Then I waited some. And when I didn't have anything else to do, I waited. Then I got up and said, "I'm going home."

"See ya." Puddle grinned me out the door. He locked it behind me in case I had a change of heart.

The morCartha were zooming around, trying to undress the night. I recalled Dean saying we were going to have cobbler for dessert. I cussed. I'd eaten that sludge at Morley's place and now I wouldn't have room for decent cooking.

Story of my life.

17

I almost made it home without getting distracted.

I'd just crossed Wizard's Reach. I was beginning to feel optimistic. I'd decided I was going to wrap myself around another gallon of beer, then throw myself in bed and sleep till noon. The hell with running and everything else. I justified future loafing the old-fashioned way. I told me I'd earned it.

Somebody hissed at me from the shadows beside a neighbor's stoop.

I took a deep breath, sighed, looked for signs of trouble, looked at that shadow, didn't go any closer. I couldn't make out whoever was there. Mama Garrett didn't raise many fools who lived to be thirty. I didn't go over there. "Come out, come out, whoever you are. Allee allee in free."

"I can't. They might be watching."

"Too bad." Very too bad.

My mood had plunged. I didn't bother asking who might be watching.

The voice sounded a tad familiar. I couldn't place it, though.

I laid a hand on my belt. No headknocker. Still down somewhere near Dwarf Fort. I resumed walking, wondering if I'd see that billy again. I wasn't ready to go looking. Too many dwarves down there and I can't tell one from another. I don't think they'd accept a kill-them-all-and-let-the-gods-sort-them-out approach.

My egg might be scrambled some but it does me just fine, thank you.

The dark behind me moaned. Feet pitty-patted toward me, I eyed the house, wondered if I'd have lime to get Dean's attention before somebody did something unpleasant and maybe left the old boy a mess to clean up.

That's the power of positive thinking there. After having had my head redesigned—it was throbbing and pounding—I saw no dawn on any horizon. Funny how one little thing can cause your mood to change so fast.

I sidestepped, dropped into a crouch, and came around with a fist meant to drive right through somebody's ribs and let me get hold of his backbone from the front. Then, if I was feeling mean, I'd shake him till his ears fell off

I tried pulling it. I fell on my face, rearranged my nose into an even less appealing mess, and still folded the little darling up around my fist

I got myself up, wobbled around a little, wiped the fuzz out of my eyes. The girl stayed down, holding herself and making strangling noises. Moo, boy. What a lady-killer, Garrett. It wasn't my week for women If it kept up, it wasn't going to be my year.