Zotikas: Episode 1: Clash of Heirs by Rob Storey, Tom Bruno Page B

going to miss me.” The three
tails had entered and stood by the bar rather conspicuously. “My assignment is
remote and my little excursion will take some months.”
    This was news indeed to Ogard, who showed some
surprise. “Look on it as a holiday.”
    “That’s how I figure it,” Kieler nodded. “I’ve never
been out of Avertori before.” Though if things go as planned, I’ll still be
here, Kieler thought . Just not in The Glums.
     “I’ll pass on the tale, Geren, true or no,”
Ogard said with a wink.
    Kieler regarded him with a smile. Ogard was a good
lot. He knew the game, managing to stay in business, stay alive and stay in the
good graces of both the familial goons and the goons like Geren. Kieler decided
he might actually miss him.
    Kieler leaned in confidentially. “If you can hold on
to that news till tomorrow, I’d appreciate it. They don’t like my sort
traveling out of sight.” He slipped Ogard a few silver ril, the more valued
currency of the black market. It was considered an insult to use the paper
dras, the official currency of Avertori, for a bribe.
    Ogard nodded, quickly removing the coins from sight.
It was generous for such a short delay.
    As Kieler looked at Ogard, he realized how many people
in his usual haunts he wouldn’t be seeing for a while, if ever.
    The awkward pause was noticed and prompted a vague
though genuine smile by the barkeep, “Fare you well then!”
    Nodding, Kieler turned and made his way out of the pub
in such a way as to keep the crashed elevator car in between him and his
unwanted companions. By doubling back, Kieler didn’t give them the chance to
talk to Ogard. They had to follow him now or lose him.
    The Bottom
of the Barrel was actually on the ground floor of one of the taller towers
in Avertori, reaching some hundred and fifty stories. Kieler noted the irony of
this: it would have been fastest to go straight up, but the elevator car in the
middle of the pub was in no condition to make the trip. Typical of lower
Avertori.
    Residents who could afford to live on the upper levels
saw little value in maintaining easy vertical access. As a result Kieler’s
route would have to be highly circuitous.
    Now that the news had been planted that he would be
gone a while, he needed to get gone. He needed to cut off his tail.
    He walked briskly to the nearest InterTram station. He
had to laugh at the agents following him. They wanted to be discreet, to blend
in, but all other foot traffic was exiting the station to join the festivities
in the plaza. They stood out like new guys, which they were, except for the
third one. On another night he might have played a little game of chasey with them, but tonight… he just had to dump them.
    He walked onto the tram and stood next to the door.
    Two of them followed him aboard and took up separate
positions on the tram, looking like perfect strangers. They had even chosen
spots as physically far apart as possible. More experienced agents would have
realized the conspicuous situation and pretended to be friends. The odd agent
didn’t board but stood a step outside the doors as nonchalantly as if this
wasn’t the train he was waiting for. Kieler frowned internally.
    Just as the doors closed, Kieler jumped off the tram
and let the other two embarrassed agents enjoy their ride to the next station.
It wasn’t a subtle move, but Geren was not subtle.
    The train started off and Kieler allowed himself the
pleasure of looking back through the windows at the men scrambling for the
door. Discarding the masquerade of pretending not to notice his pursuers,
Kieler turned and looked the remaining man up and down, outwardly scowling now.
At first the man seemed to be pretending to ignore him, but then Kieler got the
distinct impression that the man was bored and genuinely uninterested in what
Kieler did.
    The man struck him as odd, though Kieler couldn’t
place exactly why. His clothes were old, though of good quality and tailoring.
He was