Shadows Linger (20 page)

“Name's Gilbert. A moneylender. You heard of him?”

“Yeah.”

“I was just past his place. Don't look like there's anybody there but him.”

The men exchanged glances. The taller said, “Tell you what. Let me go get a
friend of ours.”

“I can't afford a whole army.”

“Hey, no problem. You two work out what you'd pay two of us; he'll come along
free. Just feel more comfortable having him with us.”

“Tough?”

Both men grinned. One winked at the other. “Yeah. Like you wouldn't believe.”

“Then get him.”

One man left. Shed dickered with the other. Lisa watched from across the room,

eyes narrow and hard. Shed decided she was getting too much into his business
too fast.

The third man was a frog-faced character barely five feet tall. Shed frowned at
him. His fetcher reminded, “He's tough. Remember?”

“Yeah? All right. Let's go.” He felt a hundred percent better with three men
accompanying him, though he had no real assurance they would help if Gilbert
started something.

There were a couple of thugs in the front room when Shed arrived. He told them:

“I want to see Gilbert.”

“Suppose he don't want to see you?” It was standard tough-guy game-playing. Shed
did not know how to respond. One of his companions saved him the worry.

“He don't got much choice, does he? Unless that fat's all muscle in disguise.”

He produced a knife, began cleaning his nails. The deed was so reminiscent of
Raven that Shed was startled.

“He's back in the office.” The fat thug exchanged a look with his companion.

Shed figured one would run for help.

He started moving. His frog-faced companion said, “I'll just stay out here.”

Shed pushed into Gilbert's office. The moneylender had a sack of leva on his
desk, was weighing coins one at a time on a fine scale, sorting out those that
had been clipped. He looked up angrily. “What the hell is this?”

“Couple of friends wanted to stop by with me and watch how you do business.”

“I don't like what this says about our relationship, Shed. It says you don't
trust me.”

Shed shrugged. “There's some nasty rumors out there. About you and Sue working
on me. To do me out of the Lily.”

“Sue, eh? Where is she, Shed?”

“There is a connection, eh?” Shed let his face fall. “Damn you. That's why she
turned me down. You villain. Now she won't even see me. That ape at the door
keeps telling me she isn't there. You arrange that, Mister Gilbert? You know, I
don't like you much.”

Gilbert gave the lot of them a nasty one-eyed stare. For a moment he seemed to
consider his chances. Then the small man ambled in, leaned against the wall, his
wide mouth wrinkled into a sneer.

Gilbert said, "You come to talk or to do business? If it's business, get at it.

I want these creeps out of here. They'll give the neighborhood a bad name.“ Shed
produced a leather bag. ”You have the bad name,

Gilbert. I hear people saying they won't do business with you anymore. They
don't think it's right you should try to screw people out of their property."

“Shut up and give me some money, Shed. You just want to whine, get out.”

“Sure talks tough for being down four to one,” one of the men remarked. A
companion admonished him in another language.

Gilbert glared in a way that said he was memorizing faces. The little man
grinned and beckoned with one finger. Gilbert decided it could wait.

Shed counted coins. Gilbert's eyes widened as the stack grew. Shed said, “Told
you I was working on a deal.” He tossed in Sue's jewelry.

One of his companions picked up a bracelet, examined it. “How much do you owe
this character?”

Gilbert snapped a figure, which Shed suspected to be inflated.

The sailor observed, “You're shorting yourself, Shed.”

“I just want quit of this jackal's lien on my place.”

Gilbert stared at the jewelry, pallid, stiff. He licked his lips and reached for
a ring. His hand shook.

Shed was both fearful and filled with malicious glee. Gilbert knew the ring. Now
maybe he would be a little nervous about messing with Matron Shed. Or he might
decide to cut a few throats. Gilbert had some of the same ego problems Krage had
had.

“This should more than cover everything, Mr. Gilbert. The big, too. Even with
the extra points. Let's have my lien back.”

Dully, Gilbert retrieved that from a box on a nearby shelf. His eyes never left
the ring.

Shed destroyed the lien immediately. "Don't I still owe you a little something,

though, Mr. Gilbert? Yes, I think so. Well, I'll do my best to see you get
everything you've got coming."

Gilbert squinted angrily. Shed thought he saw a hint of fear, too. That pleased
him. Nobody was ever afraid of Marron Shed, except maybe Asa, who did not count.

Best make his exit, before he stretched his luck. “Thank you, Mr. Gilbert. See
you again soon.”

Passing through the outer room, he was astonished to find Gilbert's men snoring.

The frog-faced man grinned. Outside, Shed paid his guardians. “He wasn't as much
trouble as I expected.”

“You had us with you,” the little man said. “Let's go to your place and have a
beer.”

One of the others observed, “He looked like he was in shock.”

The little man asked, “How'd you ever get that far into a moneylender, anyway?”

“A skirt. I thought I was going to marry her. She was just taking me for my
money. I finally woke up.”

His companions shook their heads. One said, "Women. Got to watch them, buddy.

They'll pick your bones."

“I learned my lesson. Hey. Drinks on the house. I've got some wine I used to
keep for a special customer. He left town, so I'm stuck with it.”

“That bad, eh?”

“No. That good. Nobody can afford it.”

Shed spent his entire evening sipping wine, even after the sailors decided they
had business elsewhere. He broke into a grin each time he recalled Gilbert's
reaction to the ring. “Got to be careful now,” he muttered. “He's as crazy as
Krage.”

In time the good feeling departed. Fear took over. He'd face anything Gilbert
did alone, and he was still very much the same old Shed under the patina left by
Raven and a few deals since.

“Ought to haul the bastard up the hill,” he muttered into his mug. Then: "Damn!

I'm as bad as Raven. Worse. Raven never delivered them alive. Wonder what that
bastard is doing now, with his fancy ship and slick young slot?"

He got himself very, very drunk and very, very filled with self-pity.

The last guest went to his bunk. The last outsider went home. Shed sat there
nursing his wine and glowering at Lisa, angry with her for no reason he could
define. Her body, he thought. Ripe. But she wouldn't. Too good for him. And her
pushiness lately. Yeah.

She studied him as she cleaned up. Efficient little witch. Better even than
Darling, who had worked hard but hadn't the economy of movement Lisa had. Maybe
she did deserve to manage the place. He hadn't done such a great job.

He found her seated opposite him. He glowered. She did not retreat. A hard lass,

too. Wouldn't bluff. Didn't scare. Tough Buskin bitch. Be trouble someday.

“What's the matter, Mr. Shed?”

“Nothing.”

“I hear you paid Gilbert off. On a loan you took on this place. How could you
take a loan on the Lily? It's been in your family for ages.”

“Don't give me that sentimental crap. You don't believe it.” “Where did you get
the money?“ ”Maybe you shouldn't be so nosy. Maybe nosiness could be bad for
your health.” He was talking surly and tough but not meaning what he said.

“You've been acting strange lately.” “I was in love.” “That wasn't it. What
happened to that, anyway? I hear Sue disappeared. Gilbert says you did her in.”

“Did what? I was over to her place today.” “You see her?”

"No. The door guard said she wasn't home. Which means she didn't want to see me.

Probably had somebody else up there."

“Maybe it meant she wasn't home.” Shed snorted. “I told you I don't want to talk
about her anymore. Understand?”

“Sure. Tell me where you got the money.” Shed glared. “Why?”

“Because if there's more, I want a chunk. I don't want to spend my life in the
Buskin. I'll do whatever it takes to get out.”

Shed smirked.

She misunderstood. “This job is just to keep body and sou] together till I find
something.”

“A million people have thought that, Lisa. And they've frozen to death in Buskin
alleys.”

“Some make it. I don't intend to fail. Where did you get the money, Mr. Shed?”

She went for a bottle of the good wine. Vaguely, Shed thought it must be about
gone. He told her about his silent partner. “That's a crock. I've been here long
enough to know that.”

“Better believe it, girl.” He giggled. “You keep pushing and you're liable to
meet him. You won't like him, I guarantee.” He recalled the tall creature
telling him to hurry back.

“What happened to Sue?”

Shed tried to rise. His limbs were limp. He fell back into his seat. "I'm drunk.

Drunker than I thought. Getting out of shape.“ Lisa nodded gravely. ”I loved
her. I really loved her. She shouldn't ought to have done that. I would have
treated her like a queen. Would have gone into hell for her. Almost did.“ He
chuckled. ”Went in with her. . . . Oops.''

“Would you do that for me, Mr. Shed?” “What?”

“You're always trying to get me. What's it worth?” Shed leered. "Don't know.

Can't tell till I've tried you."

“You don't have anything to give me, old man.”

“Know where to get it, though.”

“Where?”

Shed just sat there grinning, a bit of drool trailing from one corner of his
mouth.

“I give up. You win. Come on. I'll help you get up the stairs before I go home.”

The climb was an epic. Shed was one drink short of passing out. When they
reached his room, he just toppled into bed.

“Thanks,” he mumbled. “What're you doing?”

“You have to get undressed.”

“Guess so.” He made no effort to help. “What're you doing now? Why're you
grabbing me like that?”

“You want me, don't you?” A moment later she was in the bed with him, rubbing
her nakedness against his. He was too drunk to make anything of the situation.

He held her, and became maudlin, spouting his trials. She played to it.

JUNIPER: PAYOFF
Shed sat up so suddenly his head twisted around. Somebody started beating drums
inside. He rolled to the edge of the bed and was noisily sick. And then became
sick in another way. With terror.

“I told her. I told her the whole damned thing.” He tried to jump up. He had to
get out of Juniper before the Inquisitors came. He had gold. A foreign captain
might take him south. He could catch up with Raven and Asa. . . . He settled
onto the cot, too miserable to act. “I'm dying,” he muttered. “If there's a
hell, this is what it's going to be like.”

Had he told her? He thought so. And for nothing. He had gotten nothing. “Marron
Shed, you were born to lose. When will you ever learn?”

He rose once more, cautiously, and fumbled through his hiding place. The gold
was there. Maybe he hadn't told her everything. He considered the amulet. Lisa
could follow the trail blazed by Sue. If she hadn't told anybody yet. But she
would be wary, wouldn't she? Be hard to catch her off guard. Even assuming he
could find her.

“My head! Gods! I can't think.” There was a sudden racket downstairs. “Damn,” he
muttered. “She left the place unlocked. They'll steal everything.” Tears rolled
down his cheeks. Such an end he had come to. Maybe that was Bullock and his
thugs knocking around down there.

Best to meet his fate. Cursing, he eased into his clothing, began the long
journey downstairs.

“Good morning, Mr. Shed,” Lisa called brightly. “What will you have for
breakfast?”

He stared, gulped, finally stumbled to a table, sat there with his head in his
hands, ignoring the amused stare of one of his companions of the Gilbert
adventure.

“A little hung over, Mr. Shed?” Lisa asked.

“Yes.” His own voice sounded thunderous.

“I'll mix you something my father taught me to make. He's a master drunkard, you
know.”

Shed nodded weakly. Even that proved painful. Lisa's father was one reason he
had hired her. She needed all the help she could get. Another of his charities
gone sour.

She returned with something so foul even a sorcerer would not have touched it.

“Drink fast. It goes down easier that way.”

“I can imagine.” Half praying it would poison him, he gulped the malodorous
concoction. After gasping for breath, he murmured, “When are they coming? How
long do I have?”

“Who, Mr. Shed?”

“The Inquisitors. The law. Whoever you called.”

“Why would they come here?”

Painfully, he raised his gaze to meet hers.

She whispered, “I told you I'll do anything to get out of the Buskin. This is
the chance I've been looking for. We're partners now, Mr. Shed. Fifty-fifty.”

Shed buried his head in his hands and groaned. It would never end. Not till it
devoured him. He cast curses on Raven and all his house.

The common room was empty. The door was closed. “First we have to take care of
Gilbert,” Lisa said.

Shed bobbed his head, refused to look up.

“That was stupid, giving him jewelry he would recognize. He'll kill you if we
don't kill him first.”

Again Shed bobbed his head. Why me? he whined to himself. What have I done to
deserve this?

“And don't you think you can get rid of me the way you did Sue and that
blackmailer. My father has a letter he'll take to Bullock if I disappear.”

“You're too smart for your own good.” And: “It won't be long till winter.”