Clint Faraday Collection C: Murder in Motion Collector's Edition by CD Moulton

found a sword cane blade against
his throat. “I’m quite capable of defending myself against
riff-raff of your type. Sit down, put out the cigar and keep your
hands off the employees here.”
    He looked uncertain. Clint slightly increased
the pressure on the blade, drawing a drop of blood.
    Ivan sat. He put out the cigar. Clint sat
opposite him and studied him.
    “ So. Now
we understand one another. We may act like we’re
civilized.
    “ I spent
many years in Europe and in the field of protection of certain
parts of the population. I met many of our type there. I learned
how to act like I am also civilized. I managed to retain the skills
such occupation requires. I have had more confrontations than I
care to remember where only one was able to walk away. I am still
here.
    “ You are
Czeck?”
    “ Siberia.”
    “ Ah! A
very cold and forbidding place. I was there only three ... four
times. Some years ago. It is a hard life there.”
    Ivan cocked his head to the said. “I can’t
figure you at all! Who sent you? Taylor?”
    “ I know
no Taylor. I am merely here on a small vacation and am looking for
a place to retire. I wish to establish a reputation, for the first
time in my life, of being a good person to know and one who is
sensitive to others. You are merely a convenient person to use in
that pursuit. It isn’t personal. I do feel I am, at last, gaining a
more reasonable perspective on life. I find that I actually like
some of the people here. I have never liked anyone before. It is a
confusing and good feeling.”
    “ You
would have cut my throat if I’d come after you, wouldn’t
you?”
    “ A very
small flick of the wrist. All these people noted that you
physically had attacked me when I simply asked you to abide by the
laws here and put out that cigar. I even, another first time, have
a permit for the cane as a personal defense weapon.”
    He nodded. “You want to move here?”
    “ I begin
to believe that would be a good move.”
    “ Looking
for work?”
    “ I have
more wealth than anyone reasonably needs. I think not, when I
consider the lines of work at which I am adept.”
    He laughed. “I think I like you! No
horseshit, just tell it like it is!
    “ Girl!
Bring my friend a drink!
    “ I’m Ivan
Gregor.”
    “ Which is
not your name, but quite possibly part is. I am called Generoso
Morales here.”
    “ Which is
not your name, but possibly part is.”
    “ It is
what my present passport says.”
    “ Yeah. My
passport says that’s my name, but reversed.”
    “ What is
your line of work, if you don’t object to my asking?”
    “ I’m a
mining engineer. We’ve found a lode of, uh, silver near
here.”
    “ Toward
the north and west? A taxi took me there as a point of interest in
an area where I might come to live.”
    “ Yeah.
Indio people live there. It’s their farm where we found the silver
mine. They’re people I like. Good people. I don’t think they like
me too much. We’re too different.”
    “ Yes. I
spoke with the family. They would make no judgements about you. If
you haven’t had much congress with them, they probably only have a
very slight feeling, one way or the other.”
    The girl brought Clint a Scotch and soda
(which he didn’t like) and a vodka straight for Ivan. They chatted
awhile. Clint learned, indirectly, that the uranium was very close
to the silver, which he suspected.
    He went back to the hotel to go on the
wireless with his laptop. He wanted to learn something about the
extraction of uranium.
     
    The taxi was waiting. Clint took the driver
to breakfast, saying he arose a bit later than usual. He was quite
tired last night.
    “ Not
tired enough to keep from telling our local pain in the ass Russian
where he gets off!” he replied. “I would liked to have been
there!”
    “ Oh, he’s
a rather common type in Europe in the worse areas. He watches too
much telly and thinks he can make the world into that drivel. He
merely needed it explained to him that