Part 15 (2/2)
Still riding the high after the stress of the pitfight, Ryan gave in to a streak of humor and irony he didn't often indulge in. ”Okay, okay,” he said, raising a hand. ”So the place was lacking in some of the refinements. But the food was good and we'd gotten off without any trouble if those four clowns in the fancy Western duds hadn't come in wanting to pick a fight.”
”Still say you should have let me pet the muties, Dad.”
”Pet a mutie and you come back a few fingers shy of a hand, Dean.”
USING HIS NEWFOUND STATUS as the big winner of the day, Ryan decided to go ahead and stock up on as many supplies as their line of Freedom Mall credit would allow. He imagined it would be some time before they encountered a ville with such a wide variety of choices. At Krysty's suggestion, after their gut-busting meal, they went in search of some food that was practical to carry around in the less-than-ideal conditions of the Deathlands.
”Save some worry if we buy now,” Krysty said. ”And it's not often we have such choice.”
First off was a stop at one of the numerous markets that lined the interior corridors of the mall in search of supplies that would travel well, like jerky and dried fruit, and Ryan even allowed himself the luxury of buying a box of ribbon-striped stick candy for special occasions. Doc was big on banana chips, and Ryan had to restrain him from stuffing his pockets to bursting with the yellowish crispy treats.
Some potato chips for immediate consumption, a few pull tabs of water, a canvas bag of coffee sub and a box of crackers divided among the group ended the food-shopping spree. All wanted to take along more, but knew overloading themselves with more than they could comfortably carry would prove wasteful in the long run.
Besides Dean's new s.h.i.+rt, which was an admitted impulse buy, the only clothing any of the group really needed was fresh socks and underwear. A shop called Under the Covers provided long tables stacked high with plastic-wrapped supplies of socks.
”North Carolina used to be big on textiles,” one of the shop clerks explained. ”There was a small ville up north from here called Mount Airy. All they did was have factories churning out boxes of socks. I'll bet there's more socks in this part of the world than in all of Deathlands. The thing is, you take what sizes are left.”
Ryan eyeballed the chirpy salesgirl. ”Will do,” he said, and moved away as she pressed too close for comfort.
Underwear took some extra looking, and there were no bras to be found for the women. Trying to help conserve funds, Doc made a show of announcing he was sticking with his genuine one-of-a-kind long Johns.
”Keep wearing those moldy old drawers, and they're going to adhere to you like a second skin, Doc,” Mildred retorted. ”One of these nights, I'll have to surgically remove the smelly things!”
”Smelly? You dare cast aspersions on my cleanliness, woman?” Doc boomed in his best outraged tone of voice. He struck a lecturer's pose, one hand on his hip and the other tugging at the lapel of his frock coat.
”Now you've gone and done it,” J.B. said sadly.
”I will have you know my personal hygiene is beyond reproach! On occasion, this extra layer of clothing I wear might be a burden during times of warmth, but who is the one enjoying the insulation when a brittle chill settles down around us at night? Dr. Theophilus Algernon Tanner, that's who!”
”Alas,” Mildred retorted, sarcastically lifting the back of her hand to her brow and striking a shrinking-violet pose. ”Once again I, Dr. Mildred Winona Wyeth, have been struck down by the irrefutable logic of a doddering old fool in a threadbare pair of long Johns! What can I do but admit defeat! Defeat!”
Doc gave Mildred a withering look. ”At last she admits it. I have witnesses. Witnesses! Ryan, we must race posthaste to a notary public so that I might have this moment legally doc.u.mented and signed!”
”No can do, Doc,” Ryan said, shaking his head. ”I'll pony up for a pair of black socks for your feet, though.”
Doc bowed at the waist. ”You are a kind man, my dear Ryan. Much too kind.”
The place was wearing on everybody, and once the needed items were located, Ryan plunked down the charge chit for all.
”Another thing,” J.B. said. ”We need to stock up on some ammo if prices aren't too high.”
”Only one way to find out,” Ryan agreed.
Strangely enough, when they reached the designated area for blasters and ammunition, the storefront was abandoned. Closed. Empty. J.B. checked with the shop's neighbors and discovered it had sold out the inventory over a month earlier. The owner hadn't been seen since.
”What you think happened, Dad?” Dean asked after the Armorer returned with the bad news.
”Don't know, son,” Ryan replied. ”I do know one thing, though.”
”What?”
”We're going to have to continue to conserve on bullets.”
Chapter Sixteen.
Upon his return to Freedom Center Station, Ryan had gratefully stripped out of his clothing and stepped into the shower stall to examine his injuries minor cuts and contusions; two broken toes; a lump the size of a robin's egg on the back of his skull; a shoulder turning even darker colors of blue and purple. Even his tongue hurt, where his teeth had slammed on it when the android threw him into the wall of the pit.
Ryan turned the faucet, praying for a long hot shower.
What he got was a trickle of water that wasn't exactly cold, but sure as h.e.l.l wasn't piping hot. The temperature was as tepid as it had been on the previous night. Ryan quickly washed his hair and body, wincing when he had to raise his twice-injured shoulder. The shower wasn't at all what he had hoped for.
He kept his face under the stream of water as long as he could stand it, then dried himself, taking extra care with the open socket where his ruined left eye had once been. Ryan slid the scuffed eye patch back on and stared at his reflection.
”I need a shave,” he muttered, ”but the h.e.l.l with it.”
Nude, he stepped out into the small bedroom adjoining the bath. Krysty was flipping through a small book with a cracked red leather binding she'd found in the drawer of the nightstand.
”What you reading?” he asked.
”Holy Bible ,” she replied. ”Been a while.”
”Sure.”
” 'Placed here by the Gideons.' ” Krysty read from the cover. ”Wonder who they were? Some kind of traveling-preacher show? Mebbe they went from hotel to hotel, leaving Bibles all around to spread the word of G.o.d.”
”Leaving behind the word of G.o.d instead of paying the bill, you mean,” Ryan corrected.
”No, no, my Uncle Tyas McCann told me about missionaries back when I was a girl in Harmony. Went everywhere to spread the word. Good men and women who believed in something positive, not like those sick flagellants beating themselves to death hoping for heaven,” she replied. ”I think these Gideons must've done the same thing as missionaries.”
Ryan shrugged, ”Mebbe. Ask Doc, if you dare.”
”No shave, lover?” the green-eyed woman asked softly as she ran the back of her hand along of one Ryan's sandpaper cheeks.
”Too tired,” Ryan said, falling back on the mattress. ”There's no hot water, either. You might want to run a bath and let it sit for a while. Least then you can bathe at room temperature. If this joint is the best the wondrous Freedom Mall has to offer, I'd hate to see the worst.”
”I don't mind the stubble,” the redhead replied, sitting down at the foot of the bed. ”I'm used to the rugged look. Your toenails could use a clipping, however.”
Ryan raised a leg up from the bed. ”That d.a.m.n sec droid took care of two of them. Got any scissors?”
”I think J.B. does, in one of his pockets. I never know what he's going to be pulling out to show off next. Don't want to bother him now, though.”
Ryan and Krysty shared a knowing grin. Having a room with sheets, pillows and a real bed was a luxury, especially for a man and woman used to having to grab brief moments of lovemaking in roadside camps. And rarely did the chance arrive where the group felt secure enough to divide themselves up to allow the privacy needed for intimacy.
The previous night the pair had been too wiped to even think of s.e.x. This night, however, even with his head still ringing from the droid battle, Ryan was more than ready for some loveplay.
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