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“What was in the box in that alley?”
Singe opined, “The same thing that was in our box here.”
Air. Yes. Almost certainly. Somewhere a ship’s master lies dead, murdered for nothing. Rock Truck and Miss Grünstrasse are chasing a phantom. The Shadow never came to TunFaire.
“Is Ingra Mah dead?”
Whether she tricked the child into killing someone in her place or she was killed herself after being robbed by a third party does not matter here. I do, however, fear that dreadful times will soon commence somewhere between Ryzna and Liefmold. Someone will try to use the Shadow and it will begin using him. Or her.
YOU MAY TURN IN, GARRETT. WE ARE DONE FOR THE DAY.
“Not till Penny gets home, we aren’t.”
Diffuse amusement.
The Dead Man began to commune with Singe. I visited Dean. That old boy was sleeping normally. He had a magnificent shiner but looked likely to be back in the saddle tomorrow.
PENNY TURNED UP SOONER THAN I EXPECTED. SHE WAS LIVID. “I WANT YOU to stomp that Bottle into meat jam!” she snarled. “That . . . ! That . . . !” Her language failed the gentility test.
“What happened?”
“We got to the place he wanted to go, and suddenly he didn’t have no money! Suddenly he did have four hungry friends, one of them a bimbo named Tami.”
“Life’s a bitch.”
“You think it’s funny.”
I did. But she wouldn’t get the joke. Hell, I wouldn’t hear the real punch line for eight more hours.
“Go see the Dead Man.”
“He already sucked everything out of my head. I’m gonna go cry myself to sleep.”
ROCK TRUCK TURNED UP SO EARLY THAT NOBODY BUT SINGE AND THE DEAD Man were awake. The Rose Purple was on the run. He was wet, filthy, terrified, and
exhausted. Singe let him in, planted him in a chair, and told him, “Don’t move.” She went back to the front door, went outside, and waved.
Dollar Dan wasn’t there but another ratman did ooze out of a shadow. She gave him instructions. Then she came upstairs to roust me, like the whole thing couldn’t wait till a civilized hour.
While she was charging back and forth, up and down, Rock from Ryzna learned that her word was law. Hard as he tried, he could not get out of that chair.
Singe had heavy black tea steeping when I got to the kitchen, still crosseyed sleepy. “Not ready, Garrett. My office. See the man. I’ll bring it.”
I was still trundling those hallway miles when the Dead Man sent, Answer the door. Disconcerted.
The knock happened as I freed the first bolt. I opened. Scithe boggled. I said, “You got here fast.”
“Huh?”
He did not get our message.
“Serendipity?”
Scithe stepped back. Big word. Might be dangerous.
“Singe sent a runner. We caught a bad guy.”
That just baffled him more. I stepped aside. Scithe and his henchman entered. Singe came out of the kitchen with a tray, half a dozen cups and tea still steeping. Scithe said, “We came about . . .” His eyes glazed.
