workability. A younger woman calling herself Kevans Algarda had ordered two pairs of high-top black-leather fuck- me boots from a cobbler associated with the tailor who specialized in fetish wear. Said cobbler believed the same woman patronized a nearby wigmaker. The cobbler had waxed poetic about the Algarda woman's structure.
A man who claimed to be Barate Algarda paid for the goods in each case. In neither case had a delivery been made. These people transported their own goods.
Jon Salvation had worked wonders just by being Jon Salvation.
Strafa said, 'This is impossible.'
'I agree.'
'As do I,' Singe said. 'That is why I hid the notes. As Garrett requested.'
I told Strafa, 'This part has to be on you. And you need to move fast. Block and Relway will be all over this. It puts them ahead of the busybodies from the Palace and the Hill.' Only Saucerhead had gone round the theater support shops before Salvation.
'I'll start with Barate. I don't know where he'd get the money, but if he
I looked at Singe. She said, 'I don't believe it is those three. Well, maybe the old woman. . We need to be careful.'
'You think Shadowslinger would frame her own flesh and blood?'
'Most of those Hill monsters would. My concern is us getting tangled up in guilt by association.'
'Oh.' Maybe I picked the exact wrong time to get involved with a Windwalker.
Singe said, 'It's too bad she is the only one who can go out. Someone ought to take the artwork to show the cobbler, wigmaker, and fetish tailor.'
Scarier and scarier. 'You should have thought of that before she left.'
'I will talk to her when she gets back.'
87
Playmate leaned in the doorway. 'Dean says come and get it. You lot first.'
Singe and I were up and going immediately. She said, 'You'll have to wake him up.'
Morley had not responded to the mention of food, though he had been making up for lost time lately.
'I'll do it when we get back.'
We left Playmate setting up folding tables.
Dean had reorganized. The kitchen table was set up so customers could come in, grab a plate and tools, circle the table taking food from platters and bowls, then snag a ready-filled mug of beer or tea and be gone. Playmate held the door due to our lack of extra hands.
Singe again suggested that I waken Morley. 'We should start getting him onto a normal schedule.'
I set my mountain of fried chicken down to cool. I went after my best pal.
'Don't make a passion play out of it, Garrett. You can see he isn't going to wake up. Go ahead and eat.'
Playmate arrived with a pitcher as I chomped on my first drumstick. Then he crossed the hall to collect the crowd over there. Dollar Dan, licking grease off his whiskers, passed the doorway, headed up front.
Penny and the Bird sounded excited about supper. I expected that Bird didn't eat well normally.
Dollar Dan reappeared with John Stretch. 'Just in time for supper,' Singe said, her tone critical.
'Not this time, sister. I had a nice cheese pie before I came over. I can afford to feed myself, you know.'
Singe had taken mostly vegetables. She attacked a baked yam, no apology to her brother or the yam.
'Got news?' I asked with my mouth full.
'Bad news that is good. We have located three places that smell of death and chemicals. Two are much like the warehouse in Elf Town, particularly in the way they fit into their locales.' He gave rough addresses.
I said, 'Neither one is in a human neighborhood.'
'Exactly. Though with so many dwarves gone back to the mountains their neighborhood is mostly human now. But all foreigners who don't speak a word of Karentine.'
'Wonderful. Wonderful. What about the third place?'
'That one is different. Death and chemicals smells are there, too, but not as strong. The stench of human madness and terror overrides all that.'
'Where is that one?'
'In the Landing. Another abandoned warehouse. My people could not get close. There were guards out.'
I said, 'We're getting somewhere, Singe!'
Playmate showed up with another pitcher and a mug for John Stretch. He left again but was gone for less than a minute. He brought his own supper in and joined us.
'Too busy in the kitchen. I'm not barging in on secret stuff, am I?'
'Not hardly. You're part of the game. How are you feeling?'
'Better than I have in years. That Kolda is high up on my good guys list.'
'Let him know when you see him. He doesn't get many strokes.'
Singe and John Stretch kept quiet. They were among the folks who had reservations about Kolda.
John Stretch asked, 'What should we do with this information?'
Considering the constraints on me, and Morley's condition, the logical course was to pass it onto the Civil Guard. But they were operating under restraints of their own and might get warned off before they could do any good.
'Did your people notice anyone else poking around?'
'No. Why?'
'I have trouble believing that we can find out stuff before the people who are supposed to be doing the digging.'
Singe, thumbing through papers in search of something, said, 'Do not overlook the fact that we have not been trying to make something go away by sweeping it under the rug.'
'They are not looking very hard,' John Stretch opined.
Morley made a noise like he was choking on phlegm. He got over it before Playmate reached him. He opened his eyes for a moment but was not awake or seeing.
'Here it is,' Singe said.
'What's that?'
'The list of properties registered to Constance Algarda. There are no matches with the properties Humility has located.'
'Be interesting to find out who does own them.'
'We have no one we can send to find out.'
'I could go. Dollar Dan and his crew can manage here.'
Singe reflected. 'You may be past caring but. . how would that play with Tinnie? You leaving the house for a title search but not for her?'
'I'll do what I always do. Apologize later.'
'It's too late to do it today. I'll put it on the list.'
Now I had a young-adult ratgirl telling me what to do.
When God scribbled my fate on my forehead, He included a glyph saying I had to be a toy of the yin half of the universe.
Morley mumbled something.
Playmate popped up. 'I'll get him some dinner.'
I went over, lifted Morley's chin.
'I'm fine, Garrett. I was just asleep. Now I'm awake.'
'And cranky.'
'And eager to break some bones. I had a dream.'
