people attending the con are honest, harmless folk. What is to be gained from killing them?”
“God only knows,” said Freddy. “Rednecks pretty much hate anyone who ain’t just like them. Nerds would be an easy target, too.”
“Another tribe by association. Rednecks.” Chelinn gave him a sour look. “I presume you have contacted the authorities with this information?”
Freddy shook his head. “There’s a couple of warrants out for my ass. Nothin’ major, but they’d just throw me in jail and not pay attention to anything I try to tell ‘em.” He matched Chelinn’s sour look. “Cops. Another ‘tribe’ I prefer to avoid.”
“An anonymous tip, then,” said Chuck. “We’d have to call it in from a phone booth to keep it anonymous, or maybe from an auditorium office.”
“But if the police are swarming this auditorium before they bring in their device, wouldn’t that spook the plotters?” Lodrán began chewing his mustache. “Then they could just melt away and wait for a more opportune time, no?”
“Not to mention the authorities prying into our own affairs. As Chuck puts it, we are here illegally by the definition of the law.” Chelinn grinned. “If only they could exile us home, we would simply turn ourselves over!”
“So three of us are afoul of the law, and the fourth might cast suspicion on himself by shedding light on a plot he should know nothing about.” Lodrán now chewed both ends of his mustache. “So we let this happen?”
“They intend to bring their device in tomorrow evening, and commit their mayhem come Sunday afternoon, no?” Chelinn thought for a moment. “If we allow them to bring it in, there would yet be plenty of time to sound the alarm.”
“But what good would that do?” asked Chuck. “They still get away, whether or not their bomb goes off.”
“Perhaps not. Use one of your devices to record an image of their faces.”
“Take a picture?” Chuck stared at the wall for a few moments. “That could work. If we find the right guys.”
“How do we do that?” Lodrán looked skeptical.
“I could spot ‘em,” said Freddy. “Three of ‘em are regulars at the bar. BJ and Terry Lewis, their cousin Sam Gross, and some out of towner, they call him Hunter.” He shook his head. “They’re mostly a bunch of loudmouths. If I hadn’t heard ‘em talking about it like it was a done deal, I’d never believe they’d actually do something like this.”
“You would have to join us, then,” said Chelinn. “Share our hazards. Chuck must attend to his business, so he would be out of harm’s way. But as our spotter, they might recognize you as well.”
“I’ll take that chance. I’ve pissed my life away doing stupid shit. My uncle keeps tellin’ me it’s time to man up. I guess he’s right.”
“You’ll be fine, anyway,” said Lodrán. “Chelinn is one of the best tacticians in all of Termag. He takes it personally if he loses one of his own.”
“Termag?”
Chelinn sighed. “We’ll explain later.”
• • •
“Second lesson,” Lodrán had said, “ act natural . If you’re looking over your shoulder all the time, you’ll attract attention. And for our kind, any attention is unwanted. Part of being unnoticed is to act like you belong.”
Freddy slouched in a dark corner of the loading area, where he could see everything going on. He wore an old, dark grey suit jacket over a black t-shirt. Black jeans and sneakers completed the ensemble. His vendor pass, identifying him as an Age of Heroes employee, dangled from his jacket. If anyone noticed him at all, they saw only a slacker playing with his cellphone. Freddy smiled. When it came to slacking, he needed no coaching.
They’re here , he texted. Sam’s the aud employee. Others have white catering outfits.
“They’re posing as caterers,” Chuck told Chelinn, who was helping to assemble the booth, and muttering curses in the goblin-tongue among others. “I’ll call
“God only knows,” said Freddy. “Rednecks pretty much hate anyone who ain’t just like them. Nerds would be an easy target, too.”
“Another tribe by association. Rednecks.” Chelinn gave him a sour look. “I presume you have contacted the authorities with this information?”
Freddy shook his head. “There’s a couple of warrants out for my ass. Nothin’ major, but they’d just throw me in jail and not pay attention to anything I try to tell ‘em.” He matched Chelinn’s sour look. “Cops. Another ‘tribe’ I prefer to avoid.”
“An anonymous tip, then,” said Chuck. “We’d have to call it in from a phone booth to keep it anonymous, or maybe from an auditorium office.”
“But if the police are swarming this auditorium before they bring in their device, wouldn’t that spook the plotters?” Lodrán began chewing his mustache. “Then they could just melt away and wait for a more opportune time, no?”
“Not to mention the authorities prying into our own affairs. As Chuck puts it, we are here illegally by the definition of the law.” Chelinn grinned. “If only they could exile us home, we would simply turn ourselves over!”
“So three of us are afoul of the law, and the fourth might cast suspicion on himself by shedding light on a plot he should know nothing about.” Lodrán now chewed both ends of his mustache. “So we let this happen?”
“They intend to bring their device in tomorrow evening, and commit their mayhem come Sunday afternoon, no?” Chelinn thought for a moment. “If we allow them to bring it in, there would yet be plenty of time to sound the alarm.”
“But what good would that do?” asked Chuck. “They still get away, whether or not their bomb goes off.”
“Perhaps not. Use one of your devices to record an image of their faces.”
“Take a picture?” Chuck stared at the wall for a few moments. “That could work. If we find the right guys.”
“How do we do that?” Lodrán looked skeptical.
“I could spot ‘em,” said Freddy. “Three of ‘em are regulars at the bar. BJ and Terry Lewis, their cousin Sam Gross, and some out of towner, they call him Hunter.” He shook his head. “They’re mostly a bunch of loudmouths. If I hadn’t heard ‘em talking about it like it was a done deal, I’d never believe they’d actually do something like this.”
“You would have to join us, then,” said Chelinn. “Share our hazards. Chuck must attend to his business, so he would be out of harm’s way. But as our spotter, they might recognize you as well.”
“I’ll take that chance. I’ve pissed my life away doing stupid shit. My uncle keeps tellin’ me it’s time to man up. I guess he’s right.”
“You’ll be fine, anyway,” said Lodrán. “Chelinn is one of the best tacticians in all of Termag. He takes it personally if he loses one of his own.”
“Termag?”
Chelinn sighed. “We’ll explain later.”
• • •
“Second lesson,” Lodrán had said, “ act natural . If you’re looking over your shoulder all the time, you’ll attract attention. And for our kind, any attention is unwanted. Part of being unnoticed is to act like you belong.”
Freddy slouched in a dark corner of the loading area, where he could see everything going on. He wore an old, dark grey suit jacket over a black t-shirt. Black jeans and sneakers completed the ensemble. His vendor pass, identifying him as an Age of Heroes employee, dangled from his jacket. If anyone noticed him at all, they saw only a slacker playing with his cellphone. Freddy smiled. When it came to slacking, he needed no coaching.
They’re here , he texted. Sam’s the aud employee. Others have white catering outfits.
“They’re posing as caterers,” Chuck told Chelinn, who was helping to assemble the booth, and muttering curses in the goblin-tongue among others. “I’ll call
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