Wicked Bronze Ambition

40

I wasn’t listening well. I missed Penny’s return till she came into the Dead Man’s room to say, “I could only find Dollar Dan.”

“I have an ever higher regard for you, too, girl-child.” Dollar Dan Justice oozed past her. He is a rat man. At five feet six he is a hulking brute of his kind, but, like Singe’s brother, whose second in command he is, he is more than a thug. He is a thinker and definitely a would-be lover.

Dan said, “John Stretch is away on business. He left instructions to help you any way we can.”

Dollar Dan was eager to be my pal, more so than Singe’s brother was.

He had an ulterior motive.

He announced, “I have a detail waiting outside.”

It had been a while since I had seen Dan. He had begun trying to upgrade himself. His apparel was finer, more stylish, better kempt, and less garish than usual for rat men. I saw no yellow, orange, or electric green whatsoever.

Singe was why.

Poor guy. He was spitting into the wind with those hopes.

He knew it, too. But where there is life there is hope, as some word slinger once claimed.

I asked, “A detail?”

“Six good rats and true.”

To accompany you on your progress to the Hill, where you will take up that more valuable part of the investigation. There being no one else available to guard your back.

“My progress to the Hill, eh?”

Miss Contague and her friends have departed. As with Mr. Dotes, she has other demands on her time. Those occasionally trump her devotion to you.

He was being critical in some shadowy, oblique way. Didn’t she owe me? Didn’t I just save her sweetie from the zombie masters?

“Aren’t I old enough to take care of myself?”

He sent me a one-second vision of a ridiculously powerful sorceress lying in a glass-face coffin. If you insist on suicidal actions because of an inability to control massively misplaced adolescent pride. .

Before Strafa’s death I might have pitched a snit. Before Strafa I could’ve altogether thrown a heavy-caliber tantrum out of dimwit pride, yes. The woman had taught me to get past my worst knee-jerk responses.

And I had a mission. I had to stay above the grass in order to put some Operators under it.

“I’ve got hold of the reins. I’ll be a responsible adult, cautious and rational at all times. I will consider consequences before I speak or break anything.”

Rat men can’t grin. Dollar Dan would have been ear to ear if they could. Penny did so, with some skepticism. Himself was amused. And all full up on “I’ll buy that when I step in it.”

Excellent. So. Here are some angles you might pursue.

What he wanted to see get poked was obvious, mostly. See if Shadowslinger was avoiding him. Likewise, Vicious Min. He wanted to get together with Min as soon as she could survive the haul to Macunado Street. I should consult Dr. Ted in both cases, get a read on him, and get him to come with one of the women.

Ah, Dr. Ted. I’d been considering having a chat with him, even if I had to hunt him down.