swineherder and settling in Rannit, she’s made an amazing transformation. Blonde hair, green eyes, trim figure—I’m always surprised she’s able to go unnoticed in a crowd like she does.
“I’m afraid so. She’s not the lady from the bank, either. It’s his wife’s younger sister.”
I grimaced. “You’re sure?”
“They took a room at the hotel. I took the next one. The walls are thin. I’m sure.”
Rannit rolled past my window, happy and unfaithful and well fed and warm.
“Hell of a way to make a living.”
“Boss, what’s wrong? And where have you been? You’re filthy. Where did you find red dust?”
I followed Gertriss’s gaze down to my shoes and my knees. Both were dusty, with that strange red earth from the Battery.
“Never mind that right now. Have you been home yet? Talked to Mama?”
Her eyes flashed. “No. Why? Something happen?”
“The Sprangs happened. All the way from Pot Lockney. Showed up at the office early this morning, looking for you.”
She went pale, licked her lips, measured her words.
“Oh no. Boss, I’m sorry. Were they rude?”
“You could say that. But don’t worry. I’m sure their manners are much improved. They’ll be spending some time in the Old Ruth for assaulting one of Rannit’s most beloved citizens.”
“Assaulted? They went after you? Why would they do that?”
“It seems Mama has been her usual helpful self. She let word get back to Pot Lockney that you and I share more than just an office.”
Gertriss reddened.
I waved it off. “Look. What’s done is done. You had nothing to do with it. The Sprangs are locked up. We have plenty of time to figure out what to do with them when they get off the work crew. If you cry you’ll ruin that mascara. Anyway, it could be worse.”
“Worse? Boss, you don’t know them like I do. If they think you and I…if they, um…what could be worse?”
I put my hat back on. “Not the time or the place, Miss. Tell me about the errant Mr. Smithy. That’s an order.”
I put my head back and suffered the bumps and didn’t listen to a single word Gertriss said.
Chapter Five
I fell asleep again halfway back to Cambrit. Gertriss says I dreamed, and they must have been troubling dreams, because I clenched my fists and mumbled. If she caught any of the words she had the good grace to pretend otherwise.
I stumbled out onto the sidewalk while Gertriss counted coins. The cabman made a pass at her, which she ignored, and when I saw he meant to repeat it, I glared and he snapped his reins and took his leave.
I had just enough time to thank my errant guardian Angel that Mama wasn’t outside on her stoop waiting for us when Mama flew out of her door and stomped toward us, her grizzled old face set into a wrinkled scowl that would have turned Trolls, had any been lingering nearby. She had Buttercup by the hand, and though the tiny banshee tried to resist Mama’s pulling, she was dragged along anyway, blinking in the light, her false wings sagging and drooping.
I ushered Gertriss inside and said the magic word—beer.
I have an icebox in the back now. It’s a tiny one, barely big enough to hold a chunk of sawdust-covered ice and eight tall, dark glasses of Biltot’s best, but it will keep them chilled for a week.
“Boss? Now?”
“Two. One for me, one for you. If Mama doesn’t like that, tough. Go. I’m in a mood.”
Gertriss went, vanishing about the time Mama came stomping through my door.
“Where the Hell you been, boy? And where is that niece of mine? I reckon we all got to have a talk.”
She let Buttercup go. Buttercup did a little hop-skip and hugged my knees, looking up at me with something like worry on her fragile little face.
“Your dolls are in the back, honey,” I said. “Go play while the grownups talk. Scoot.”
Buttercup nodded and vanished.
I could see Gertriss’s shadow under my backroom door. I knew she had the beers, and I knew she was lingering, probably giving Buttercup a
“I’m afraid so. She’s not the lady from the bank, either. It’s his wife’s younger sister.”
I grimaced. “You’re sure?”
“They took a room at the hotel. I took the next one. The walls are thin. I’m sure.”
Rannit rolled past my window, happy and unfaithful and well fed and warm.
“Hell of a way to make a living.”
“Boss, what’s wrong? And where have you been? You’re filthy. Where did you find red dust?”
I followed Gertriss’s gaze down to my shoes and my knees. Both were dusty, with that strange red earth from the Battery.
“Never mind that right now. Have you been home yet? Talked to Mama?”
Her eyes flashed. “No. Why? Something happen?”
“The Sprangs happened. All the way from Pot Lockney. Showed up at the office early this morning, looking for you.”
She went pale, licked her lips, measured her words.
“Oh no. Boss, I’m sorry. Were they rude?”
“You could say that. But don’t worry. I’m sure their manners are much improved. They’ll be spending some time in the Old Ruth for assaulting one of Rannit’s most beloved citizens.”
“Assaulted? They went after you? Why would they do that?”
“It seems Mama has been her usual helpful self. She let word get back to Pot Lockney that you and I share more than just an office.”
Gertriss reddened.
I waved it off. “Look. What’s done is done. You had nothing to do with it. The Sprangs are locked up. We have plenty of time to figure out what to do with them when they get off the work crew. If you cry you’ll ruin that mascara. Anyway, it could be worse.”
“Worse? Boss, you don’t know them like I do. If they think you and I…if they, um…what could be worse?”
I put my hat back on. “Not the time or the place, Miss. Tell me about the errant Mr. Smithy. That’s an order.”
I put my head back and suffered the bumps and didn’t listen to a single word Gertriss said.
Chapter Five
I fell asleep again halfway back to Cambrit. Gertriss says I dreamed, and they must have been troubling dreams, because I clenched my fists and mumbled. If she caught any of the words she had the good grace to pretend otherwise.
I stumbled out onto the sidewalk while Gertriss counted coins. The cabman made a pass at her, which she ignored, and when I saw he meant to repeat it, I glared and he snapped his reins and took his leave.
I had just enough time to thank my errant guardian Angel that Mama wasn’t outside on her stoop waiting for us when Mama flew out of her door and stomped toward us, her grizzled old face set into a wrinkled scowl that would have turned Trolls, had any been lingering nearby. She had Buttercup by the hand, and though the tiny banshee tried to resist Mama’s pulling, she was dragged along anyway, blinking in the light, her false wings sagging and drooping.
I ushered Gertriss inside and said the magic word—beer.
I have an icebox in the back now. It’s a tiny one, barely big enough to hold a chunk of sawdust-covered ice and eight tall, dark glasses of Biltot’s best, but it will keep them chilled for a week.
“Boss? Now?”
“Two. One for me, one for you. If Mama doesn’t like that, tough. Go. I’m in a mood.”
Gertriss went, vanishing about the time Mama came stomping through my door.
“Where the Hell you been, boy? And where is that niece of mine? I reckon we all got to have a talk.”
She let Buttercup go. Buttercup did a little hop-skip and hugged my knees, looking up at me with something like worry on her fragile little face.
“Your dolls are in the back, honey,” I said. “Go play while the grownups talk. Scoot.”
Buttercup nodded and vanished.
I could see Gertriss’s shadow under my backroom door. I knew she had the beers, and I knew she was lingering, probably giving Buttercup a
Similar Books
