Part 16 (1/2)
”Vic, use your head. They couldn't possibly pay, even if they wanted to, which, trust me, they don't. Hines has a theoretical half million from the Merlin Game, but, what? He's gonna pry it out of me to give it back to me? And Scovil, what's she going to do? Hit an ATM for a million-dollar advance on her credit card?”
”Well, if they're not gonna pay,” he asked, ”what are are they gonna do?” they gonna do?”
”Probably try to kill me.”
Allie flinched at this but recovered quickly, realizing, ”That's part of the snuke, too?”
”Of course. First they'll make a separate peace with Billy, and once they've got him tucked in, they'll finish the unfinished business of me.”
”That would satisfy Scovil,” said Billy, ”but Hines still needs a payday, yeh?”
”That he does,” I said. ”Likely before he endgames my a.s.s, he'll try to strong-arm Allie into romancing away the Merlin stash.”
”He already has,” said Allie. I blinked. I had figured that my little confab with Hines and Scovil would stimulate action, but I didn't think it would come on so fast. ”Though it wasn't exactly a strong-arm situation.”
”What do you mean?”
”He said if I managed to get the money, he'd cleanse all my records, and I could go stroll.”
”Anything else?”
”Well ... he kind of made a pa.s.s.”
”What kind of pa.s.s?”
”Oh, lifetime. He told me how great I'd look in something s.e.xy-like a Moroccan villa.”
”What did you tell him?”
Allie fixed me with a level grin. ”What do you think I told him? That I can't wait to be his burka baby.”
Vic snorked a laugh, but then his primeval brain returned to the subject at hand. ”Still, what about me? You think I want to take the fall for this?”
”Of course not,” I said. ”No more than I want to get dead.”
”Then why are you poking sticks in wasps' nests?”
”That's what happens at the event horizon, Vic. You've got to stir s.h.i.+t up. Make people make mistakes.”
”So they're not going to arrest me?”
”No, yeah, they probably will.”
”What?!”
”They have to arrest you, Vic. And flip you so you go Judas on me. Hines'll probably offer you immunity, witness protection, maybe a new car.”
This elicited a laugh from Billy. ”Take the deal, mate.”
Vic glared at Billy, and in that glare I detected Vic's true love for his rattletrap. What can I tell you? The heart wants what the heart wants. He turned his attention back to me. ”Dude,” he said, ”why would Hines think I need flipping?”
”Well ... I might've told him.”
Vic opened and closed his mouth. ”Why would you do that?” he burbled. ”And don't say it's part of the snuke.”
”Okay, I won't. But it is. Look, Vic, Hines is a suspicious guy. I've made him more suspicious, that's all. But it's all good. This way, when he brings you in to get religion, he can feel like your conversion is legit.”
”Oh, I get to get religion, do I?”
”Yeah. He might feel like he has to beat it into you, but I'm sure you'll cave before that happens.”
”f.u.c.king Radar Hoverlander,” muttered Vic. ”How do you know all everything about everything? Does it ever occur to you you might be wrong?”
”Of course it does. Why do you think I'm generating so much heat? Vic, look, I don't know all everything about everything, but I do know I want the other side thinking less clearly. So I'm pus.h.i.+ng their panic b.u.t.tons. It's standard endgame s.h.i.+t. You know that.”
”But why me?” he asked, plaintively. ”Why does it have to look like you're selling me me out?” out?”
I templed my fingers. ”Vic,” I said, ”this is gonna sound harsh, but ... look around.” I nodded toward Billy and Allie. ”Who else would would I sell out?” I sell out?”
Vic didn't take that too badly. I guess when you think you're the bottom of the food chain, there's comfort in knowing that everyone else thinks so, too. All he said was, ”It better be f.u.c.king worth my while. Especially if I get beat.”
”Don't worry, it will be.” I turned to Billy. ”Speaking of which, Billy, how's plan B shaping up?”
”Oh, it's working a treat, mate.”
”Good deal. ETA?”
”Basically whenever.”
”Great,” said Vic, ”now there's a plan B. And what might plan B be?”
”Never mind about that, Vic. You can't tell Hines what you don't know.”
”So just what exactly am I supposed to tell him?”
”Anything you like. It doesn't matter. He won't believe you anyhow.”
”Well, if he won't believe me, then-”
”Distortion, Vic. Misdirection. We're tearing holes in his fabric of s.p.a.ce.”
”For the 'event horizon'?” he mocked.
”If you like.” I threw an arm around Vic. Viewed through a certain filter, I suppose this was a patronizing gesture, but what the h.e.l.l. ”Things are speeding up now, acquiring their own momentum. At this point in the snuke, almost n.o.body knows how it's going to turn out.”
”But you do.”
”I have a good idea.”