Part 16 (1/2)
It was late afternoon when they rolled into the Red- 208.
mond Barrens, moving down High Bridge Road into one of the more built-up, and consequently tougher, sections of the Barrens. Paradoxically, this part of Redmond was safer for orks because a good part of it was territory that belonged to Ghost-Who-Walks-Inside. Ghost was an Indian and had known his own share of blind intolerance, so he was more accepting than the bulk of the district's population, and his people mostly followed his lead. Still, the Injun didn't have control of the whole population. Who did?
Kham sent Neko out to spot when they pulled up to wait for Sally. As the only norm in their crew, he was the best choice. No sense looking,for trouble, even if they were in Ghost's territory.
Neko drifted back in. ”A blond woman in fringed leather and a stocky Amerindian with beaded headr band and a matched set of Uzis are coming down the street.”
”Sounds like dem.” Kham looked out at the gathering darkness. ”On time, too.”
”You don't need her,” Scatter said.
The rat shaman had refused Kham's periodic offers to drop her off near one of the entrances to the Underground, apparently preferring to stay where she could touch the crystal. Kham didn't like, or trust, her possessive att.i.tude toward the thing.
”Need who?” he said offhandedly.
”The Tsung witch.”
He squinted at the shaman. ”Howddya know who I'm waitin' fer?”
”I am a shaman.'”
”Yeah, right.” She was that, but she was a sneaky little b.i.t.c.h as well. He remembered her hanging about Za.s.shu's office while he made his calls. It was almost the only time he'd seen her away from the crystal since she'd first laid eyes on it. ”Got good ears, do ya?” 209 Scatter ignored his remark. Instead she caressed the crystal and crooned, ”It is old. Very, very old.”
”Tell me sumpin' I don't know. Like how it works.”
”That will take study,” she said in a hushed whisper. ”But I will learn.”
Kham looked out the pa.s.sthrough to the cab. Through the front window he saw two figures turn the corner onto the street where they were parked. Sally and Ghost. He left the truck and walked around to meet them.
Ghost nodded greeting, and Sally gave him her usual sardonic grin. ”Hoi, Kham. Looking good for a hunk of dead, burned orkflesh. 'Zappening? Your call sounded like you had something hot.”
Kham nodded. ”Some hot magic.” Kham led them around to the back of the van, noting that Ghost's eyes roved over the battle scars on the van. The Indian was a street samurai, more highly modified than Kham, but less obviously so. Ghost knew his way around a firefight, and Kham was sure the Indian could smell the new paint. Having checked out the truck, Ghost's eyes now examined the orks cl.u.s.tered at the truck's back doors.
”New boys,” Ghost noted. ”Tough fight?”
”Not dis one,” Kham said.
The Indian nodded-he'd be making his own judgment on Kham's performance, as always-but he said nothing. Kham opened a path through the knot of his guys so Sally could get through. Sally looked into the body and said, ”When did you take up understatement, Kham?”
”Told ya it was hot. Whatcha tink it is?”
She shook her head, frowning in puzzlement.
”Static on the screen.” ”I told you she would be no help,” Scatter said from the darkness of the truck.
210.
211.
Sally turned cold eyes on the rat shaman. ”And who's this paragon of knowledge and haute couture?”
”Scatter,” Kham said. ”Our shaman,” Ryan added proudly. ”Shaman, hunh?” Sally c.o.c.ked her head.
”Rat, right?”
”Rat is my totem.” Scatter's tone sounded a trifle defensive to Kham.
”Well, if you could have done what my chummer Kham needed done, I don't think he would have called me. Do you?”
Scatter hissed at her. ”I will unravel the crystal's secrets.”
”Sure you will, stinky. But for now, step out or step back. It's time for a pro to go to work.”
The rat shaman refused to budge, but Sally climbed into the truck anyway. She looked the crystal over,running her fingers along the carving, then she sat down crosslegged in the clear s.p.a.ce near the doors.
Pressing her hands together, she touched her index fingers to her forehead and closed her eyes. After a moment she lowered her hands to her lap. She stayed that way for long minutes.
The guys began to fidget, s.h.i.+fting around and speaking in low tones. Ghost just leaned against one of the doors, watching Neko watch Sally. At last Sally came out of her trance and shakily started to stand up.
Ghost was beside her in a flash, catching her before she could lose her balance. She looked drained, and the smile she gave Kham was a faint reflection of her earlier one. ”You weren't kidding when you said you had hot magic, Kham. Do you have any idea what this is?”
”It's got someting to do with da way elves live a long time and stay looking like dey ain't never gonna grow up.” He told her about the run into the Salish and the double-cross by Glasgian. He almost told her about Dodger, but held that back, using Laverty as his example of a long-lived elf.
”Oh, yeah,” Sally said, turning thoughtful eyes back to the crystal. She was quiet for some time. ”It's powerful, all right. Maybe even powerful enough to be some kind of eternity magic, but there's something else about it.”
”What?”
”I can't get hold of the spells; they're different somehow from what I know. Primitive, but powerful.”
”Then you cannot tell how to use this power, either,” Scatter said vindictively. ”You have no reason to scoff at me.”
Sally's response had none of the flip arrogance of her earlier banter with the shaman. ”I'll argue about reason to scoff, but I'll also admit that I can't tell how this thing does whatever it is it does.”
”Could ya figure it out?”
”Maybe. Given time, but that isn't something I've got right now. Besides, this poking-prying stuff has never been my long suit.”
”Ha!” Scatter crowed triumphantly. ”I told you she was worthless, Kham. I will unravel the crystal's secrets for you. We shall share those secrets together.”
Sally gave the shaman a harsh look, then turned back to Kham. Her face was serious. ”I'd sell it before I trusted her, Kham.”
”Sell it?” Kham hadn't thought of that. ”Ta who?”
”The highest bidder. Cog could handle it. A piece like that should fetch a fine price on the open market, and selling it has the added benefit of getting you out of the loop with this elf and the owner of the truck.
They'll leave you alone if you get rid of this thing.”
”What if da bad guys buy it back?”
Sally shrugged. ”Then soothe your conscience with the money. You'll live, and you'll live rich.”