Gilded Latten Bones

24

Crush came up late, bringing water and a pound of salt. "We had to send out. The cooks wouldn't give theirs up." She moved gingerly. "You probably won't see me or DeeDee in the morning. We need time to recover. Those Guard assholes all want the young stuff. And they're lousy tippers."

What could I say? That you have to deal with assholes whatever your line of work?

I did try to look sympathetic. "Next time you do come, I could use something else to read."

"If I can still walk. Or you could go down and get something."

Wonder of wonders, the excitement faded away. However bold they were, the baddies figured out that it wasn't cost-effective to come after Morley at Fire and Ice.

Night after night I sat there waiting for him to do something more than drink water and poop. It was like having a newborn, only I wasn't the one who had to change his diapers.

I wondered about Singe's tracking expedition. I wondered what Relway was doing, what the Crown Prince was up to, and what Belinda had found out. And, more than anything, I worried about Tinnie. I hoped she was better posted than I was. The only people I saw were Miss Tea, Crush, and DeeDee. Miss Tea helped some while the other ladies dealt with the upswing in demand for the house's principal product. Miss Tea did not pitch in with that. Nobody said anything about anything happening outside the house.

I did get all the dirt on those who made Fire and Ice special.

I sat in that room with that man and slipped ever nearer the bounds of explosive lunacy.

I needed to rediscover patience. There would be a long training period once Morley climbed out of that bed. It might take him a year to get strong enough. Then we would go get whoever hurt him.

Crush came in. "This is the last book we've got. And the most boring." She passed me a ragged old thing from the last century, well into its senior years. It was tied round with ribbon to keep loose pages from getting away.

"What is it? Maybe I won't need to figure out these knots." Crush had decided I wasn't that awful after all. I was unthreatening. Avuncular. The kind of uncle who keeps his hands to himself. We could talk about stuff. Bookish stuff, but not for long. She was a popular girl with an extended list of regular clients.

This book was a history of TunFaire's early years, up to the establishment of the monarchy. It was a copy of a copy. It was a slow read because the language was old-fashioned.

I was excited because several chapters covered times when the Dead Man was still alive. He might get no mention but I could peek through a window into the age that shaped him.

"Crush, how long you figure on staying in the life?"

"What kind of question is that?" Instantly defensive.

"A serious one from somebody who thinks your mind is wasted here."

"The mind may be. That's not the business we're in. The body is getting pounded so hard I mean to walk on my twentieth birthday. I shouldn't ever have to work again. If my investments are good. I might take DeeDee with me-if she can learn to live without the attention."

DeeDee was the star of the house. Normally, she dealt only with select private clients. She was a blonde, none too bright, part elf, extremely sensual when she was so inclined, and, rumor said, thoroughly enjoyed her work. That was unusual in her trade. She craved approval. She got all she needed here. Crush was afraid she would refuse to give it up.

Crush was brighter than she pretended. In time I realized that all of our conversations came round to what we were working on at Amalgamated.

Why? Amalgamated is a company but you can't buy in. Different people have different percentages but every fraction is fixed. If a founding partner wants out he has to offer his points to the other investors first. So far nobody has shown any inclination toward getting out.

Amalgamated was designed to make us all rich by bringing the fruits of Kip Prose's genius to market. The big shareholders are Kip and his family, the Tates, and the Weiders of Weider Brewing. I have a few points for having kept Kip alive through hard times, and for having had the wit to put him into the company of rich people content to let him tinker and fiddle and make them far richer than they already were.

Subjectively, I spent half a lifetime at Fire and Ice. On the calendar it was four days. My best pal kept on sleeping, waking up for water ever less frequently. I wondered if his medication didn't do more than just manage pain. Keeping Morley in Nod seemed like a good idea, medically. It was less optimal for those of us who are naturally impatient.

I kept thinking that if that was me I would have been up and running already-if somebody didn't fix me so I couldn't.

Belinda's doing. Had to be. She thought it was more important for Morley to heal than it was for us to get out and mix it up with villains.

I was thinking stupid and knew it. And was afraid that just sitting watch over Morley would end up with me hating him.

Miss Tea invited herself in occasionally. She did not become less antagonistic. Finally, though, she turned up in a less gloomy mood. "The Capa says it's time to move him. After his supper and evening cleaning. If you need to make special preparations, tell me now."

I mentioned a lamb-and-rice dish that I liked, chattered about how I would miss the place that had been home for so long.

"You've been here less than a week."

"It feels like so much longer."

"It did to us. But you're just being a wiseass. I have the Capa's promise that I don't have to put up with any crap."

"Uh-oh."

"Exactly. Get your stuff ready. I especially want that arsenal under the bed gone before somebody takes legal notice. The books stay home."

"I'll see if I can't send up a few that are more interesting."

"Now you're being a dick."

"I can't help it. It's being cooped up in here."

"Now you're going to blame your personality defects on us, too?"

Ouch! "Good thing we still love each other."

Ghost of a smile. "Will where you're going be any better?"

I restrained myself. Maybe not. My responsibilities wouldn't change. "I don't know. Come by some time and see."