Skin Game
Page 9
Indeed, Mab said. Which he stated was to remove the contents of a vault. She leaned down, took a fistful of my shirt in her hand, and hauled me back to my feet as easily as she might heft a Chihuahua. I never said what you would do after.
I blinked at that. Several times. You . . . I dropped my voice. You want me to double-cross him?
I expect you to repay my debt by fulfilling my instructions, Mab replied. After that . . . Her smile returned, smug in the shadows. I expect you to be yourself.
Whatever Nicodemus has going this time . . . you want to stop him, too, I breathed.
She tilted her head, very slightly.
You know hes not going to honor the truce, I said quietly. Hes going to try to take me out somewhere along the line. Hes going to betray me.
Of course, she said. I expect superior, more creative treachery on your part.
While still keeping your word and helping him? I demanded.
Her smile sharpened. Is it not quite the game? she asked. In my younger days, I would have relished such a novel challenge.
Yeah, I said. Gee. Thanks.
Petulance does not become the Winter Knight, Mab said. She turned to the elevator doors, which had an enormous dent in them the same shape as a wizards noggin. They swept open with a groan of protesting metal. Do this for me, and I shall ensure the safe removal of the parasite when the task is completed.
Nicodemus, his daughter, and God knows what else is in his crew, I said. Im working with my hands tied, and you expect me to survive this game?
If you want to live, if you want your friends and family to live, I expect you to do more than survive it, Mab said, sweeping out. I expect you to skin them alive.
Five
To Mabs credit, Karrin Murphy said, she is sort of asking you to do what youre good at.
I blinked. What is that supposed to mean?
You have a tendency to weasel out of these bargains you get yourself into, Harry, she said. You have a history.
Like I shouldnt fight them? I demanded.
You probably should focus more on not getting into them in the first place, she said, but thats just one humble ex-cops opinion.
We were sitting in Karrins living room, in the little house with the rose garden shed inherited from her grandmother. She was sipping tea, her spring-muscle body coiled up into a lazy-looking ball at one end of the couch. I sat in the chair across from her. My big grey cat, Mister, was sprawled in my lap, luxuriating and purring while I rubbedhis fur.
Youve taken good care of him, I said. Thank you.
Hes good company, she said. Though I wonder if he wouldnt like it better with you.
I moved from Misters back to rubbing behind his ears exactly the way he liked best. His purr sounded like a miniature motorboat. I hadnt realized how much Id missed the little furball until hed come running up and thrown his shoulder against my shins. Mister weighed the next best thing to thirty pounds. I wondered how the diminutive Karrin had managed to keep from being knocked down by his affection every time she came home. Maybe she had applied some principle of Aikido out of self-defense.
He might, I said. Im . . . sort of settled now. And theres nothing on the island big enough to take him. But its cold out there in the winter, and hes getting older.
Were all getting older, Karrin said. Besides. Look at him.
Mister rolled onto his back and chewed happily at my fingertips, pawing at my arms and hands with his limbs without extending his claws. Granted, he was a battle-scarred old tomcat with a stub tail and a notched ear, but damn if it wasnt cute, and I suddenly felt my eyes threaten to get blurry.
Yeah, I said. Hes kind of my buddy, isnt he?
Karrins blue eyes smiled at me over the rim of her teacup. Only attitude kept her from being an itty-bitty person. Her golden brown hair was longer than it had been since I could remember offhand, tied back into a ponytail. She wore yoga pants, a tank top, and a flannel shirt and had been practicing martial arts forms of some kind when I arrived.
Of course, she said, you could do it the other way, too.
What do you mean?
You could live here, she said. Then added, a beat too quickly, In Chicago. You could, you know. Move back to town.
I frowned, still playing with my cat. I dont . . . Look, when the next freak burns down my place, maybe I wont get as lucky as I did last time.
Last time you wound up with a broken back and working for a monster, Karrin said.
Exactly, I said. And it was only because of literal divine intervention that none of my neighbors died. I shook my head. The island isnt a kind place, but no one is going to come looking for trouble there.
Except you, she said gently. I worry about what will happen to you if you stay out there alone too long. That kind of isolation isnt good for you, Harry.
Its necessary, I said. Its safer for me. Its safer for everyone around me.
I blinked at that. Several times. You . . . I dropped my voice. You want me to double-cross him?
I expect you to repay my debt by fulfilling my instructions, Mab replied. After that . . . Her smile returned, smug in the shadows. I expect you to be yourself.
Whatever Nicodemus has going this time . . . you want to stop him, too, I breathed.
She tilted her head, very slightly.
You know hes not going to honor the truce, I said quietly. Hes going to try to take me out somewhere along the line. Hes going to betray me.
Of course, she said. I expect superior, more creative treachery on your part.
While still keeping your word and helping him? I demanded.
Her smile sharpened. Is it not quite the game? she asked. In my younger days, I would have relished such a novel challenge.
Yeah, I said. Gee. Thanks.
Petulance does not become the Winter Knight, Mab said. She turned to the elevator doors, which had an enormous dent in them the same shape as a wizards noggin. They swept open with a groan of protesting metal. Do this for me, and I shall ensure the safe removal of the parasite when the task is completed.
Nicodemus, his daughter, and God knows what else is in his crew, I said. Im working with my hands tied, and you expect me to survive this game?
If you want to live, if you want your friends and family to live, I expect you to do more than survive it, Mab said, sweeping out. I expect you to skin them alive.
Five
To Mabs credit, Karrin Murphy said, she is sort of asking you to do what youre good at.
I blinked. What is that supposed to mean?
You have a tendency to weasel out of these bargains you get yourself into, Harry, she said. You have a history.
Like I shouldnt fight them? I demanded.
You probably should focus more on not getting into them in the first place, she said, but thats just one humble ex-cops opinion.
We were sitting in Karrins living room, in the little house with the rose garden shed inherited from her grandmother. She was sipping tea, her spring-muscle body coiled up into a lazy-looking ball at one end of the couch. I sat in the chair across from her. My big grey cat, Mister, was sprawled in my lap, luxuriating and purring while I rubbedhis fur.
Youve taken good care of him, I said. Thank you.
Hes good company, she said. Though I wonder if he wouldnt like it better with you.
I moved from Misters back to rubbing behind his ears exactly the way he liked best. His purr sounded like a miniature motorboat. I hadnt realized how much Id missed the little furball until hed come running up and thrown his shoulder against my shins. Mister weighed the next best thing to thirty pounds. I wondered how the diminutive Karrin had managed to keep from being knocked down by his affection every time she came home. Maybe she had applied some principle of Aikido out of self-defense.
He might, I said. Im . . . sort of settled now. And theres nothing on the island big enough to take him. But its cold out there in the winter, and hes getting older.
Were all getting older, Karrin said. Besides. Look at him.
Mister rolled onto his back and chewed happily at my fingertips, pawing at my arms and hands with his limbs without extending his claws. Granted, he was a battle-scarred old tomcat with a stub tail and a notched ear, but damn if it wasnt cute, and I suddenly felt my eyes threaten to get blurry.
Yeah, I said. Hes kind of my buddy, isnt he?
Karrins blue eyes smiled at me over the rim of her teacup. Only attitude kept her from being an itty-bitty person. Her golden brown hair was longer than it had been since I could remember offhand, tied back into a ponytail. She wore yoga pants, a tank top, and a flannel shirt and had been practicing martial arts forms of some kind when I arrived.
Of course, she said, you could do it the other way, too.
What do you mean?
You could live here, she said. Then added, a beat too quickly, In Chicago. You could, you know. Move back to town.
I frowned, still playing with my cat. I dont . . . Look, when the next freak burns down my place, maybe I wont get as lucky as I did last time.
Last time you wound up with a broken back and working for a monster, Karrin said.
Exactly, I said. And it was only because of literal divine intervention that none of my neighbors died. I shook my head. The island isnt a kind place, but no one is going to come looking for trouble there.
Except you, she said gently. I worry about what will happen to you if you stay out there alone too long. That kind of isolation isnt good for you, Harry.
Its necessary, I said. Its safer for me. Its safer for everyone around me.
