Page 48

“No shit. Also, rumor is there’s a rat around here sabotaging equipment.”

“It’s only a theory.”

“Well, some people think it’s me, so I’m going to try being a good boy for a while.”

“Good luck with that.”

“I’ll see you tonight.”

“I’ll have things ready,” he says, and rides his hound away.

I go back to the dog pack.

“Giving the old man a kiss good-bye?” says Wanuri.

“He’s a friend. I’ll talk to him when I want. Unless a bookworm makes you nervous.”

“Hey, the Magistrate likes him, so he’s all right with us. Just remember who your real friends are now.”

“How could I forget?” I say, rubbing the back of my neck. I take out my Maledictions, but the pack got crushed during my initiation. Fucking barbarians. I pull out a broken smoke and offer her one. She takes it and throws it on the ground. Takes out two of hers, hands me one, and lights both.

“Thanks.”

“Daja gave you those smokes, but remember: cigarettes aren’t a gift anymore. They’re part of your place with us.”

“Can I give someone outside the group a cigarette?”

“All you want. Anyone you want. Just be careful.”

“Why?”

She looks over her shoulder at the rest of the havoc.

“You might find you bought yourself a boyfriend or girlfriend you didn’t want.”

“That’s not the kind of trouble I want out here.”

“I heard that. Still, it’s nice to blow off steam every now and then.”

“I suppose. But what if steam’s all you’ve got?”

She pokes me in the chest.

“Then you need to find something more.”

“You’re right. What I need now is another drink.”

“Right this way. Drinks are part of who you are now, too. Whiskey, water. Whatever you want.”

“Hell, if I’d known that, you could have kicked me a lot longer.”

“Everybody says that.”

“But I mean it.”

“Trust me. We all did.”

Turns out that the truck repairs take longer than expected, so we dig in for the night. I sit in a circle with the dog pack. They pull camp chairs and even a beanbag chair from the trunks of the cars. If I’m not in Traven’s relatively cushy camper, this will do. It beats the earthmover.