Page 71 of Throwing Fire

“In case shit goes south. I want you to be able to pack up andclear out in a half hour. Essentials only. Rabbits, too.” It’d kill Kez to leave them behind. Even if we can’t take them into deep space with us.

“Are we leaving?”

“Not immediately. But if we need to on short notice, you and me, we’re gonna be ready.”

“This is all fucked up,” Gig sighs.

“Yeah. Let’s work on un-fuckin’ it.”

When Gig bringsme Duncan’s runs a few minutes later, I’m back in Kez’s bedroom, dressing. He hands me two strips of clear flimsy. I hold them up to the skylight. In the light, the white-on-white printing is legible. In the dark, the characters will luminesce slightly. The first strip is a short list. Dunk has four runs today, all in Nock. The second strip is an address about ten minutes away on foot. Duncan’s place, at a guess. “Can you cover his two runs this afternoon?” I ask.

“Yeah, I’ve got it. Snow—” Gig hovers near the door, shifting from foot to foot. His usually pale skin has gone a pasty shade of green. Poor kid. He might not have liked Duncan much, but the betrayal has come as a shock. “I don’t, uh, I don’t know about killing Duncan.”

“What don’t you know about it?” I ask. There’s not much to know or not know. He’s a danger to Kez. My job is to eliminate dangers to Kez. I even get paid for it now.

“Have you talked to the boss about it?”

“Do I need to?” I tuck the flimsy away and finish stamping my foot into my boot. The pile of rabbits on the bed watch with avid interest, both because any vibration attracts them and because I usually find them a treat or two after I finish dressing. Anything that results in food is the subject of intense scrutiny.

“I, uh, I don’t know. Maybe I shouldn’t say anything.”

I cross the few steps to him, put my hand on his shoulder and give it a squeeze. I can see why Acker likes this gesture. “You can tell me anythin’. Whatever’s botherin’ you. Ain’t gonna go further.”

Gig sags under my hand. “Kez is crazy about you. I mean, you know that. Whatever you do, she’ll back you. That’s how she is. But killing Dunk without telling her?” He shakes his head. “On the outside, she’ll say it’s the right thing. But the inside... I think it’ll fuck her up.”

“You do, huh?”

“I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Never hesitate to tell me anything you’re thinkin’,” I tell him with another squeeze. “Kez values your opinion more’n she does her own brother’s. So do I. You think I need to tell Kez before I move on Duncan, I will.”

“You will?”

“Yeah.”

Gig smiles sheepishly. “It’s not like you’re asking permission, or anything. I just think she might want to know. ‘Cause her opinion is important to you. If it is, I mean.”

“It is.”

Gig lets out a long breath. “I wasn’t sure, you know, about you and Kez. ‘Specially with everything going on. This isn’t really the best time. I mean, it’s all crazy. Kez isn’t usually like this. None of us are.”

“There’s never a best time, kid. There’s only now.”

“Yeah, I mean, I guess.”

“Let’s get to work.” He’s taken two runs today to cover for Kez, and now he’s got two more to cover for Duncan, so we all have places to be.

When I returnto Kez’s room with a handful of rabbit treats – dried sawrin slices – Kez is dressed and packing her backpack. She’s wearing genSkin again: pants and her steel-toed boots. No halter this time, which is a shame because I liked the halter. Sexy. Instead, she’s wearing a metallic silver tank that bares her arms and gives her skin a sheen like the argenté neither of us drank last night. Pretty but hard-edged. “Still sendin’ a message, kitten?”

She glances at me. Sniggers. “And you’re not?”

I shrug. I usually wear fatigues. Today I’m wearing a Biosteel vest as well, in case Duncan runs armed. I’m also wearing a full complement of knives. Although Kez probably can’t see them. “I’m not wearing a sword.”

She reaches over and taps the empty sheath on the top of my cubby.

I shrug again. “When don’t I have a couple of knives?”

“Ten.” She lifts an eyebrow. “Where do you put them all?”