Whispering Nickel Idols

23

Dean said, “It’s Colonel Block again.”

“Uhm?”

“At the door? You just told me to answer it? Remember?”

“Sir, I have no recollection of those events.” Making mock of a statement heard frequently in the High Court lately, as the Crown reluctantly prosecutes the most egregious disturbers of the peace involved in recent human rights rioting and minority persecution. The Crown Advocate’s usual attitude toward minorities is that they should expect to be treated like minorities. If they don’t like it, they shouldn’t come here in the first place.

Dean brought the Colonel to my office. I’d already settled in to sweet-talk Eleanor in fluent Drunkenese. I asked, “Don’t you ever take time off?”

Block isn’t married. He isn’t engaged. He isn’t the other kind, either. He has just one love. And she’s blind.

He romances her continuously, hoping she stays blind.

He’ll be sorry someday.

“Uh…” It never occurred to him to step away and relax.

“Go fishing.”

“I tried that once. I didn’t like it. But if you want to come along?…”

I flashed a yard of my most charming smile. “Pointtaken.” To go fishing you need to go out into the country. Where the wild bugs are, and the hungry critters, some of them as big as houses. I don’t go there, given a choice.

I did my time with the bloodsuckers and carnivores in the Corps. “You wanted to share something with me?”

“I was more hoping that you’d open up to me.”

“Naturally. You’re hoping I did Relway’s job for him and now, because I’m a civic-minded kind of guy, I’ll fill you in on anything that’s puzzling you. Like Relway don’t have a couple brigades of thugs to do his hoof work for him.”

“Good point, Garrett. But Deal isn’t on the inside. Deal somehow managed not to have even one friendly eye in the neighborhood when Belinda Contague held her summit at Whitefield Hall.”

I flashed another yard of charm. “I was you, I’d think about that. How could she flimflam the whole damned Watch? What did you do, all go roaring off to the far south side after a bunch of human rights nuts? Were there even any nuts down there?”

“An orchard full. They haven’t gone away. There was a bureaucratic screwup. The right hand didn’t keep the left posted. The people responsible have been reassigned to Bustee patrol.”

“And next time I visit the Al-Khar their identical twins will be sitting in their old seats.”

Block nodded, shrugged. “What can you do about human nature? We still have Watchmen willing to supplement their salaries by selling inside info or by doing favors.” He slumped like a jilted lover.

“That’s good. You can face the truth.”

“There’s a lot of wishful thinking at my shop. You’re right. But changes are coming.”

“I hope you’re right. Your guests in green say anything interesting yet?”

“Yeah. They’re gonna save the world from the Queen of Darkness.”

“Oh, goody! What’s that mean to us who aren’t religious wacks?”

“I don’t know. We’re looking for an expert on Ymberian cults. I want to know what’s really going on.”

That was why I admired Block. He understands that when people are involved, not much is what it seems at first glimpse. Though you never go wrong by suspecting the worst and working back.

Feeling generous, I talked about my thwarted visit to the Al-Khar.

“They’re putting statues in the walls of the Bledsoe?”

“Not anymore. You’ve got most of them locked up.”

“Why would they do that?”

“I hope you’re just asking you. Because I have no idea.” I doubted the Green Pants guys really felt compelled to do charitable deeds. Old cynic, I.

“I’m fishing. One must when dealing with you.”

“Here’s a notion. Assuming the Green Pants boys are religious gangsters, maybe the Bledsoe business has to do with their religion.”

Captain Block gaped. My leap of intuition stunned him. “I’ll be damned, Garrett. I take back everything I ever said about you. I bet you can find your toes without the Dead Man and Morley Dotes to show the way. You might even be able to count them without having to borrow an extra hand.”

“Oh! How sharper than a serpent’s tooth the cruel envy of a civil servant. Dean! We need a pot of tea.”

“Don’t bother. I’ll be going. I found out what I needed to know.”

That had a sinister edge. “Uhm?”

He didn’t explain. Which left my nerves with split ends. Which was his whole point.

“Here’s a thought, Garrett. Or two. Find Harvester Temisk before anyone else does. Then keep him away from the Combine.”

“Uhm?” You can count on Detective Garrett to spout argot and attitude and sparkling repartee.

“Deal has friends in low places. There’s a new trend in goombah thinking. They’re all asking, ‘Where’s Harvester Temisk?’ Even underbosses who aren’t sure who Temisk is are looking. They don’t want to get left behind. They haven’t done much yet because they’re all still nursing totally hairy hangovers.”

“They did party like it was their last shot before the Trumps of Doom.” I levered myself out of my chair, to take up guide duties so Block didn’t get lost on his way back to the door. He’s been known to do that. “Did you notice anyone watching the place when you got here? Besides Mrs. Cardonlos and the Watch goon squad operating out of her place?”

“Goon squad? You wound me, sir. The Watch employs only the cream of the cream of TunFaire’s most civic-minded subjects.” Denying nothing. “Tell you the truth, Garrett, I didn’t pay attention. That’s a luxury we’re starting to enjoy more.”

“What’s that?”

“Not having to give a damn who’s watching. Or why. Comes from knowing you’re doing such a good job your credit with the people who could fire you is inexhaustible.”

“Oh.” That was a message.

Somebody somewhere liked what the Watch was doing just fine.

“I’ll have the boys poke around under the stoops and in the breezeways.”

I gave him a look at my raised eyebrow.

“All part of the service, Garrett. We maintain order and protect the public.” Out he went into the chaos of Macunado Street.

What had he come to find out? More disturbingly, what were the people behind him up to now that the war was over?

Soon after Block disappeared a stir passed through the neighborhood like an unexpected gust through a poplar grove. A dozen clean-cut men rousted out another dozen who looked much less obviously official.

Spider Webb was the only one I recognized.

I went back to my desk still wondering what Block had found out.

During my absence my teacup had been refilled. It must’ve been magic. I never heard a sound.

I picked up the egg-shaped stone one prime sample of rustic elegance had striven to sling through my skull. It didn’t feel as slick or greasy today. It felt warm, alive. Just holding it, fiddling with it, relaxed me. I slipped off into a nap.