sensitive bunch of misfits who try to
care about our brothers. Most of the time.
One-Eye appeared and invited himself into the conversation,
ignoring Wheezer even though the old lunger was from his own
homeland. “Hey, Kid, I just saw the Troll trundling along
Glimmers Like Dewdrops Street. You sure you don’t know where
Goblin is? I got to get those two together.”
The Troll is what her own people call Mother Gota behind her
back. She is even nastier to them than to us outsiders. We have an
excuse. We were not born Nyueng Bao.
I told One-Eye, “They made real good time considering the
way she walks.” My mother-in-law walks like she is terminally
bowlegged and has no joints in her legs, rolling like a fat
merchantman in heavy seas.
The little black man slipped a glance sidelong at Thai Dei, who
was handy as always when not specifically told to stay away. Thai
Dei showed signs of actual emotion. One-Eye was hoping he was not
offended to the point where he was going to go flailing
around . . .
I whispered, “Even he calls her the Troll sometimes. But
do be more circumspect.” Louder, I asked, “What about
Uncle Doj?”
“Didn’t see him.”
“Thai Dei. You’d better find your mother.”
Uncle Doj would find us. When it suited him.
Everybody watched Thai Dei go. When he was out of earshot I
murmured, “I never missed her for an instant.” I hoped
Thai Dei would find some way to prolong my joy.
One-Eye snickered.
I said, “You ask me, she’s the perfect woman for
you, not Goblin.”
“Bite your tongue, Kid.”
“I mean it.”
“You got a sick sense of humor. And you got the Old Man
aggravated.”
“Huh? How?”
“Way he told it, you’re a couple days overdue with
your standard reports.”
“Oh oh.” That was not entirely true but it was
close. “I’ll get on it right away.”
“Still wearing your bracelet?”
“Uh . . . ” I got it.
“Yeah.”
“Good. You’ll need it.”
Candles and Wheezer had no idea what we were talking about. But
Candles did offer a good bit of advice as I departed. “Mind
the crows,” he told me.
The crows did seem to be interested in me lately. I did not like
that, but it did make sense from a viewpoint other than my own. I
was very close to Croaker. Soulcatcher would want to keep an eye on
me, too.
The old saw applied. Forewarned was forearmed.
I needed to catch up on events since last I had had time to
spend with Smoke. I should have been surveying the front instead of
checking up on Goblin. Croaker did not want to know about Goblin.
Whatever the little shit was doing, it was so secret nobody was
supposed to know.
The string on my wrist allowed me to approach One-Eye’s
wagon without becoming disoriented or distracted, just as it had
done in the maze of the Palace. The crows following me, though,
began to get confused while we were still a quarter mile away. They
lost me.
I wondered if that was all good. That sort of thing was sure to
arouse Soulcatcher’s curiosity if she had time free from her
other schemes.
I wondered if Smoke’s attitude toward Soulcatcher would be
different out here, if I could get him to stalk her now that he was
away from the Palace. Always, while we were there, his soul
stubbornly refused to play along whenever I tried to spy on
Lady’s mad sister.
I climbed into the wagon and made myself comfortable. It looked
as though One-Eye had been doing a little ghostwalking of his own.
Food and water were available in large quantities. I have to eat
and drink a lot when I go out a lot. Ghostwalking sucks the fluid
and energy out of you fast. I can see the trap there. The world
Smoke walks is so comforting you could easily forget that you have
to come back to eat. You could end up just like Smoke.
After a long drink and a sugar bun I lay down on the smelly mat
and closed my eyes, reached out and took hold of Smoke’s
soul. He seemed vaguely troubled. Usually he is blandly empty.
I could find no proximate cause for
care about our brothers. Most of the time.
One-Eye appeared and invited himself into the conversation,
ignoring Wheezer even though the old lunger was from his own
homeland. “Hey, Kid, I just saw the Troll trundling along
Glimmers Like Dewdrops Street. You sure you don’t know where
Goblin is? I got to get those two together.”
The Troll is what her own people call Mother Gota behind her
back. She is even nastier to them than to us outsiders. We have an
excuse. We were not born Nyueng Bao.
I told One-Eye, “They made real good time considering the
way she walks.” My mother-in-law walks like she is terminally
bowlegged and has no joints in her legs, rolling like a fat
merchantman in heavy seas.
The little black man slipped a glance sidelong at Thai Dei, who
was handy as always when not specifically told to stay away. Thai
Dei showed signs of actual emotion. One-Eye was hoping he was not
offended to the point where he was going to go flailing
around . . .
I whispered, “Even he calls her the Troll sometimes. But
do be more circumspect.” Louder, I asked, “What about
Uncle Doj?”
“Didn’t see him.”
“Thai Dei. You’d better find your mother.”
Uncle Doj would find us. When it suited him.
Everybody watched Thai Dei go. When he was out of earshot I
murmured, “I never missed her for an instant.” I hoped
Thai Dei would find some way to prolong my joy.
One-Eye snickered.
I said, “You ask me, she’s the perfect woman for
you, not Goblin.”
“Bite your tongue, Kid.”
“I mean it.”
“You got a sick sense of humor. And you got the Old Man
aggravated.”
“Huh? How?”
“Way he told it, you’re a couple days overdue with
your standard reports.”
“Oh oh.” That was not entirely true but it was
close. “I’ll get on it right away.”
“Still wearing your bracelet?”
“Uh . . . ” I got it.
“Yeah.”
“Good. You’ll need it.”
Candles and Wheezer had no idea what we were talking about. But
Candles did offer a good bit of advice as I departed. “Mind
the crows,” he told me.
The crows did seem to be interested in me lately. I did not like
that, but it did make sense from a viewpoint other than my own. I
was very close to Croaker. Soulcatcher would want to keep an eye on
me, too.
The old saw applied. Forewarned was forearmed.
I needed to catch up on events since last I had had time to
spend with Smoke. I should have been surveying the front instead of
checking up on Goblin. Croaker did not want to know about Goblin.
Whatever the little shit was doing, it was so secret nobody was
supposed to know.
The string on my wrist allowed me to approach One-Eye’s
wagon without becoming disoriented or distracted, just as it had
done in the maze of the Palace. The crows following me, though,
began to get confused while we were still a quarter mile away. They
lost me.
I wondered if that was all good. That sort of thing was sure to
arouse Soulcatcher’s curiosity if she had time free from her
other schemes.
I wondered if Smoke’s attitude toward Soulcatcher would be
different out here, if I could get him to stalk her now that he was
away from the Palace. Always, while we were there, his soul
stubbornly refused to play along whenever I tried to spy on
Lady’s mad sister.
I climbed into the wagon and made myself comfortable. It looked
as though One-Eye had been doing a little ghostwalking of his own.
Food and water were available in large quantities. I have to eat
and drink a lot when I go out a lot. Ghostwalking sucks the fluid
and energy out of you fast. I can see the trap there. The world
Smoke walks is so comforting you could easily forget that you have
to come back to eat. You could end up just like Smoke.
After a long drink and a sugar bun I lay down on the smelly mat
and closed my eyes, reached out and took hold of Smoke’s
soul. He seemed vaguely troubled. Usually he is blandly empty.
I could find no proximate cause for
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