Last Stand of the DNA Cowboys (37 page)

The initial effect of the wine was to make them maudlin. The memories started coming out, all the brave tales of the old days before so much trouble had come across the world, tales of gun-fights and women and seven-day drunks and nights of wretched excess. There was a period of enthusiasm and affection when the three men vied with each other to convince themselves what fine, reckless, and dashing old boys they had been. The alcohol moved on, however, and let the sadness in. They could not contain the
knowledge that memories were all they had left. Boasting gave way to gloomy introspection, and they lapsed into silence.

They drank steadily, each man alone with his own thoughts, with little or no sense of time. In the end it was the Minstrel Boy who took a pull from the nearest jug and found that there was only a mouthful left. He swallowed it, sediment and all, and hurled the jug away. It shattered against the far wall.

The Minstrel Boy stood up with an angry finality, 'That's it. I've had enough. Let's get to it.'

Billy and Reave finished the other jug in a couple of gulps and also got to their feet.

'Yeah, there ain't no point in putting it off.'

As they walked toward the portal to the outside, Reave drew one of his pistols and handed it to the Minstrel Boy.'You don't want to go out without a gun in your hand.'

The Minstrel Boy briefly squeezed his arm. 'Thanks.'

There was a short delay while they searched for the mechanism that would roll back the stone blocks. As far as the Minstrel Boy could estimate, it had to be dark outside. He entertained a brief, fragile hope. Maybe the darkness would give them an edge. Maybe they could slip away. Then Billy found the controls to the doors, and there were no more reprieves and no more excuses.

Reave's face stretched into a forced grin.' Any bright ideas'?'

Billy and the Minstrel Boy shook their heads. Reave nodded to Billy.

'Okay, here we go.'

Billy threw the switch. The blocks started to pivot. Sunlight streamed in, almost blinding them. It was broad daylight outside. Either they had lost all track of time, or the metaphysicians' disk had changed the rate of its passing inside the pyramid.

'Ready?'

The Minstrel Boy sighed. 'Fuck it, let's go.'

They ran out firing wildly. Baptiste seemed to have half his force deployed on the steps below them. They had never looked into so many leveled weapons. For a stretched instant of unreality no one fired at them. Then every one of Baptiste's guns opened up. The blaze of glory came all at once, a single fireflash that could not be sustained or prolonged. White pain, white light, white heat.

'Top of the world, Ma!'