[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

been using for a bed. I didn t want to touch them, but supposed they d be
harmless as long as Winchell was breathing.
Thank you, Garrett. And I do mean it. I get real sarcastic when I m scared.
Notice how we weren t talking about how she d met Rosie? I didn t.
You must be scared shitless all the time when you re down to Hullars, then.
That was how she was known there. As a sarcastic bitch.
You re going to ruin your chances, Garrett.
I made a sound like a steam whistle. You re beautiful, but I m losing
interest fast. In fact, I m beginning to wonder why I wasted my time here.
Your personality is sabotaging the advantages nature gave you.
Story of my life, Garrett. I make a point of shoving my foot into my mouth
whenever things start going good. I m predetermined to fail, that s what my
mother says. All right. I promise. I ll try. Thank you. You saved my life.
Other than the obvious, what can I do for you?
Block appeared in the doorway and stuck his oar in. What are you up to down
here, Garrett?
Looking for stuff.
Find anything?
Yeah. Those knives. The Dead Man said we should break them.
Block came a couple steps closer, looked at the four naked blades. Is it safe
to mess with them that way?
Winchell and Ripley still healthy?
Yeah.
Then they re safe. Unless you go sticking yourself.
Page 133
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
He made a rude sound, took the knives. I ll bust them up right now. He left.
I told Candy, Other than the obvious, which is less obvious than you think,
you can come to my place and talk to my partner. He s the brains of the
outfit. He wants to see you.
He some kind of freak? Can t come see me?
He s handicapped. I hid my grin. Nobody is handicapped like the Dead Man is
handicapped.
We climbed out of the cellar. Candy never stopped yammering. I did gestures
of defeat, tried to introduce her to Block formally so she d know who got
official credit for her rescue. It didn t sink in. She was chattering at me.
He was interested only in breaking the knives, which he accomplished
thoroughly, cracking each into four pieces. That ought to take care of that.
Block was puffed up and happy.
Pride goeth before, I told myself. Better make sure they don t have anything
else off that bum. We don t know its the knives carrying the curse.
We burned the bum and everything he was wearing. Now well burn these.
. . Yeah. Right. Not before we can do something about the curse.
Later. Candy was still after me. I said, Woman, I m not going to keep on. I
don t do masochism. But do walk along with me, see my partner. My place is
right on your way home.
I paused to stare at the captives. Both were lost inside burlap sacks.
Winchell s seethed. Ripley s did nothing, but left me with an uncertain frown.
A little bitty thing like a clothes moth fluttered away while I was looking.
Meantime, Candy demanded, How do you know your house is on my way home?
I admit I haven t figured out who you really are yet. But I do know you come
off the Hill. Rich girls are the only kind this killer liked. So if you re
going to go home and hide out from the real world and tell yourself how lucky
you were and forget all this and treat the lower&
You an Acmeist? Or an Anarchist?
Huh? You lost me. But I hadn t lost her. I was heading home and she was
tagging right along. The Dead Man would be pleased.
They re crackpot underground groups, Garrett. There are dozens of those.
Pointillists. Deconstructionists. Calibrators. Avatars, Atheists, Realists,
Post Moderns. The way you were going on . . .
I don t have anything to do with politics, mainly in hopes that politics
won t have anything to do with me. It s my considered, cynical opinion that,
no matter how much were overdue for a change, any human directed change will
be for the worse, to the benefit of a smaller and more corrupt ruling class.
At that moment I saw the face of the next fad: revolution. Meantime, do you
have a name? A real name?
All those ists would have as their troops poor little bored rich girls.
Page 134 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]