'That's fine,' he said. 'Fine.'
'So who do I see about product?' Rimbaud said.
'You would see me,' Johnson said. 'I'll have to modify the arrangement slightly.' He smiled. 'Change the locks, so to speak. Then I'll be back in touch with you.'
As Johnson talked, Tony's eyes shifted back and forth from Rimbaud to Johnson to the Gray Man to me to Hawk and back to Rimbaud. Tony was far too cool to show anything on his face, but I suspected he wasn't comfortable.
'Then we're in business,' Rimbaud said.
'We certainly are,' Johnson said.
Rimbaud stood and put out his hand and Johnson took it. Tony looked at Hawk. Hawk didn't look back. Rimbaud pumped Johnson's hand for a time and then sat down, looking exhilarated.
'Will you be moving back into your office?' Johnson said, 'on Naugus Street?'
'You bet your Afghan ass,' Rimbaud said.
'Calloused, no doubt,' Johnson said, 'from so much camel riding.'
'You fuckers actually ride camels over there?' Rimbaud said.
Tony looked up at the high ceiling.
'You'll call us there?' Tony said to Johnson.
'I will.'
'Ask for me,' Rimbaud said.
'Of course,' Johnson said.
He stood and looked at Hawk and me thoughtfully.
'You gentlemen are not talkative,' he said.
'No,' Hawk said. 'We not.'
'The, ah, mayor, however'-he nodded at the Gray Man-'tells me you do good work.'
'Yes,' Hawk said. 'We do.'
'Well,' Johnson said. 'Here's to the new partnership.'
'I'll drink to that,' Rimbaud said.
Johnson nodded and smiled and walked out the way he had come in.
55
WE WERE ALONE with the Gray Man in the mayor's office. Tony had said not a word when Johnson left. He just jerked his head at Rimbaud and they departed. We all watched them go.
'Brock seems a lot more exultant about things than Tony,' I said when they were gone.
'If this actually go down, then the Brockster be actually running it,' Hawk said. 'Tony knows he can't.'
'But it's not going down,' I said, 'is it.'
'I suspect Mr. Johnson understands Rimbaud's limitations,' the Gray Man said.
'Ain't gonna see no more of him,' Hawk said.
'Or you,' I said to the Gray Man.
'Unless someone hires me to kill you,' he said.
'Which one,' Hawk said.
'Either.'
'Hope they don',' Hawk said.
'As do I,' the Gray Man said.
'Jesus,' I said, 'I may cry.'
The Gray Man smiled his smile.
'I have no sentiment,' he said, 'and if employed to, I would kill you as promptly as possible. But I admire certain traits, and both of you have them in no small measure.'
'Gee,' I said.
Hawk said, 'When you found Johnson, wasn't you supposed to kill him?'
'Ives had suggested that,' the Gray Man said.
'Wasn't that why he gave you to us?' I said.
'I do speak Ukrainian,' the Gray Man said.
'But you were supposed to use us to find the Afghan connection, and when you found him, you were supposed
