Book 1 - Sweet Silver Blues Read Online Free PDF

got paid for the job. Where would I be if it got around
that I could be bought off? I’d be out of work. I’m
very, very, sorry, Garrett. But I got to do what I got paid to
do.”
    I had expected no luck, but it had seemed worth a try.
    I said, “I’d be the last guy to ask you to welsh on
a deal, Saucerhead.”
    “Gee. I’m glad. I was scared you wouldn’t
understand.”
    “I want you to do a job for me, Saucerhead. There’s
five marks in it.”
    “Yeah. I’d feel a whole lot better about this if I
could do something for you. What is it?”
    “That woman across the street. The one that sicced you
onto me. When we’re done here I want you to take her down to
the Bazaar, strip her down naked, bend her over your lap, and give
her thirty good whacks on the backside. Then turn her loose and let
her walk home.”
    “Naked?”
    “Naked.”
    “She wouldn’t get out of the Bazaar,
Garrett.”
    “There’s another five in it if she gets home all
right. But without finding out you’re looking out for
her.”
    Saucerhead grinned. “It’s a deal, Garrett.” He
stuck out a palm the size of a snowshoe. I dropped five marks into
it.
    Saucerhead’s hand dipped into a pocket. I hit him up side
the head with the purse. I put everything I had behind it. Then I
ran like hell for two steps.
    He gave Rose her money’s worth, fulfilling his contract to
the letter.
    I tried to defend myself, of course, and actually did pretty
well. Not many hang in there a whole minute against Saucerhead
Tharpe. I even gave him one he might have remembered for the next
ten minutes.
    Always thoughtful, is Saucerhead Tharpe. After he put my lights
out he tucked my purse underneath me, just in case somebody came
along before I woke up. Then he went along to the next job on his
agenda.
     
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8
    I hurt everywhere. I had about two acres of bruises. Saucerhead
had found places to hit that I didn’t know I had. All body
and soul wanted was to go lay up for a week. But mind knew it was
time to find Morley Dotes. Not even Saucerhead Tharpe would have
messed with me if I’d had Morley Dotes along.
    Morley is the best at rough and tumble. And, by his own
admission, the best at most everything else. Some people would like
him and Saucerhead to square off, just to see how it would come
out. But neither of them will swat a fly without getting paid
first. And Saucerhead isn’t dumb enough to take a job on
Morley. Nor is Morley vain enough to contract on Saucerhead.
Neither cares much about who might come out best. Which says
something about their professionalism.
    The obvious place to look for Morley was a place called
Morley’s Joy House.
    The name is one of his bad jokes. It is a hangout for the elfin,
the cartha, and breeds. The fare is vegetarian and nonalcoholic.
The entertainment is so impenetrable and dull that the existence of
a dead Loghyr might be exciting by contrast. But Morley’s
kind of people enjoy it.
    The place went silent when I stepped inside. I ignored an
arsenal’s worth of death-looks as I limped to the alleged
bar. Morley’s barman gave me the once-over. He grinned,
revealing pointy darkelf teeth. “You have a knack for making
people mad at you, Garrett.”
    “You ought to see the other guy.”
    “I did. He came in for some sprouts. Wasn’t a
scratch on him.”
    Conversations picked up behind me. The barman was being as
friendly as darkelves ever are. That made me a marginally
acceptable lower life-form, presence tolerated. Like that of a
beer-drinking dog in a human tavern.
    “Word’s around already, huh?”
    “Everybody
who ever cared about you one way or the other already knows the
whole story. Slick the way you evened things up.”
    “Yeah. That’s out, too? How’d it
go?”
    “She made it home. I figure that’s one quail that
won’t ever mess with you again, Garrett.” He cackled in
that way they have that gives you chills and makes you wonder if
you will ever wake up from the nightmare. “Next