CHAPTER 10
Jaisalmer District, New Eden
ANNOS MARTIS 238. 4. 7. 18:21
“No farging way. Not if they paid me a bishop’s wage,” Jenkins says when I make him the offer of a job. “They’re miners. I don’t want nothing to do with their kind.”
As promised, we spent the bulk of the day hitting the pubs in search of good Regulators who’d work for piddle-squat. Like Vienne said, we found good Regulators, and we found a few dalit ready to work for their next meal. But we didn’t find what we were looking for, except a couple of tussles that Vienne ended fast.
“Worse has come to worse,” I told Vienne after we found ourselves empty-handed and hungry from missing dinner. “We’ve run out of options.”
An hour later we find Fuse and Jenkins deep in the bazaar. They’re milling around at a coppersmith’s booth, checking out a collection of used spittoons and nose rings. Not buying, just looking, since they spent their payday in the pub.
After Jenkins’s refusal, Fuse grabs his forearm. “Buck up now, Jenks. I never took you for a bigot. At least listen to what the chief has got to say. You never know. His offer might be attractive. Right, love?”
“I’ve killed eleven people in tai bo combat,” Vienne tells him.
“So?”
“So if you call me love again, there’s a good chance I’ll make it an even dozen.”
“Rowr! Saucy.” Fuse makes a clawing motion. “Like I said, I enjoy a suzy with a chunk of spunk in the old trunk, if you know what I mean.”
“The only chunks you need worry about,” she says, and pulls her weapon, “are the ones I’m going to blow off if you don’t shut that yap.”
“Then I’m shutting up. Not another word.” He winks like he’s got a tic. “See? Zipping so no sound—”
“You used that line already,” Vienne says.
“I’m recycling for the betterment of Mars.”
“Enough!” I bark, feeling a bit more put out than necessary. When I’ve got their attention, I lay out the terms of the contract.
“A hundred each?” Jenkins roars. “That’s all you’re offering?”
“No,” I say.
“Glad to hear it. What else you got?”
“No, you don’t understand: one hundred split among the whole davos.”
“You’re out of your mind.” Jenkins spits into a spittoon. When the merchant cries out in complaint, Jenkins raises his open palms. “What? I’m not allowed to test-drive them?”
I stick to the subject. “I’ll take you’re out of your mind to mean you’re declining the job.”
“They’re cannibals. That means they eat people. Find yourself another sucker, chief. Leroy Jenkins ain’t going to be cannisnack.”
“Cannisnack?” I ask, confused. “What’s that?”
“You know. Cannibal. Snack. Cannisnack.”
“Riiight.” Strike Jenkins from the list. I turn to Fuse. “How about it? You’re a demolitionist. The miners used to stockpile explosives for the mining operations. I bet they still have some of it. They might share.”
Fuse licks his lips. Pulls me aside for a quiet word. “You and me, we’re men of the world. Right, chief?”
“Of the world, yes. Of the same world, probably not.”
He shrugs my comment off. “The Vienne of yours, is she attached?”
“You mean, like, to a male?”
He winks. “That’d be the one.”
“No, she’s not. Vienne is only interested in her duty, her davos, and her chief.”
“But she could be, no? If the right jack come along at the right time.”
Not on your life, I think, and almost tell him that before I get an interesting idea. A very interesting, useful idea.
“That’s sneaky, cowboy,” Mimi says.
“I’ve not said anything,” I tell her.
“But you thought it.”
I put a big brotherly arm around Fuse’s shoulders. He’s a good twenty centimeters shorter than me, with narrow shoulders. A year older, too. Not that it matters. Regulators don’t care about age. “If the right jack did appear, I suppose she would be—”
His ears perk up. “Open to the idea?”
“Less likely to shoot him than normal.”
“That’s not very reassuring.”
“Well—”
“But I’m a risk taker.” He punches me playfully in the gut. “I’m willing to give it a go. When do we leave?”
“Tomorrow morning. If we can round up a few more Regulators. I’d like to have at least six, so that leaves us needing three.”
“How so? I count you two, me, and Jenkins. That leaves you needing two.”
“Jenkins declined the offer.”
Fuse clicks his tongue. “Let me handle Jenkins, and you two go about your business. Meet us at the TransPort tomorrow at dawn. East End Station, no?”
“Right.”
“See you then.” He winks at Vienne. “Bright and early, love. Don’t bother with the face paint. You’re dead sexy just the way you are.” He skips out of the tent as Vienne draws her weapon.
“There’s no killing him now, “I say, grabbing her arm. “The Tenets expressly forbid shooting a member of your own davos, especially in the back.”
“Chief!” She jams the armalite into its holster. “Tell me you didn’t!”
“Had to.”
“But that fossiker’s just going to blow himself up!”
“Let’s just hope,” I say, grinning, “that he takes a few Dr?u along with him.”