Book 12 - Cruel Zinc Melodies by Glen Cook Page B

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 call my 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