By the time I dragged myself over to look, there was nothing to see but black waves and mist swirling around the rocks. The New Man had vanished.
I expected to find the sliced and diced pieces of my friends when I staggered back down the hall. Instead I found the two ninjas kneeling back to back with Rob's pistols pointed at them and Stinker growling in their faces. Poddar leaned against the wall, completely winded. He and Rob suffered a few cuts and bruises but didn't look too bad, all things considered. He looked up when I entered.
"What was that explosion? We thought you'd been rubbed out."
"Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you.”
Rob never took his eyes off the ninjas. “Learn anything from the Savant?”
I hesitated. Both Poddar and the Cowboy both were supposedly outsiders, but if what the late Dr. Faraday told me was on the square, then they might have been victims of the same con that trapped the rest of the population in a net of false memories. Without my cynical sense of emotional detachment as a buffer, the truth would probably blow their minds.
And if the good doctor had just spouted some mad bunk to chisel me, then no doubt they’d look at me as the biggest rube in the universe.
“Nothing worth mentioning. This turned out to be another trip for biscuits.” I nodded toward the prisoners. “Now what do we have here?”
The ninja goons didn’t look so threatening without their masks. They were women, for one thing. Both were Chinese and looked like sisters.
I had my ass handed to me by a dame. I guess I should've been embarrassed, but it wasn't the first time in the last few hours. Hell, maybe I was just getting used to it.
They looked absolutely furious when I stepped up. I tipped back the ol' flask, but the Turkey had flown the coop. I hated interrogating without a stiff drink, but I tried to make the best of it.
"Well, isn't this interesting. Are psycho ninja goons allowed to have names?"
The dame looked up without any fear at all. In fact she looked downright furious. "I am Yin. My sister is Yang. And you are a fool for interfering in the business of the New Man."
"Nice handles. You some more Gutter Girls, maybe? No? So — that leaves true believers or professionals. Which is it?"
"The New Man has shown us the way out of this façade through the Next Day. The old world will burn away, and the new order will be ushered in."
I grinned. “True believers, then. So, I guess it's too late to stop this New Goon, right?"
"The New Man cannot be stopped. Once the Grimoire is in his hands, he will extract the price and bring about the Next Day."
I kinda liked Yin. She wasn't afraid to sing. It’s hard to find a good squealer these days. They’re a dying breed.
"The Grim War, is it? Funny. I just had a gab with the Savant, and he never mentioned it. Course, he croaked before he could finish. So how does the leg fit into all of this?"
She looked at me pretty much the same way every dame does at one time or another. Like I’m the stupidest man alive. "The location of the Grimoire is hidden on the leg. He who possesses the leg controls the fate of the Next Day."
I started to get a little concerned. "So, what’s this price you’re talking about?"
Her eyes held a raven gleam. "The ultimate truth will be revealed to the residents of this city. Only the strongest will be able to deal with the blaze of enlightenment. The rest will suffer the fate of the weak."
Rob, Poddar, and I looked at each other. They had no idea what she was talking about, only how deranged it sounded. Unfortunately, I had a clearer notion of the New Man’s plans. If he somehow reversed the memory implants of the entire populace in one blow most of the residents would suffer devastating consequences from the mental backlash. The mind is a delicate thing. A lotta folks might not survive the trauma.
Rob tugged his mustache. "We need to get a hold of that leg.”
I nodded as I lit a smoke. "Yeah. And a lot more bullets."
Stinker barked her agreement.
Chapter 12: Gabbing with Graves
I really hated the slammer. It was always so much easier to get in than to get out.
Turned out the only way to get out was the way we came in, which was crammed with prisoners and guards going World War 4 on each other. As much as I hated it, we had no choice but to lend a hand tucking the kids back into their beds. It took a little convincing, but eventually they saw things our way. Especially since we were armed and not at all hesitant to be dangerous, while they were just dangerous.
And unarmed. Bullets win every time.
"You boys are pretty handy in a scrap." One of the Warden’s eyes flickered and she limped slightly, but she seemed pretty good otherwise. Synoid injuries are convincing in appearance, but it’s hard to feel sorry for something that feels no pain. I'd seen her bodyslam a lug twice her size and slap on cuffs while casually shooting his attacking buddy in the head.
Not quite human, better than human was the motto from Maximilian Industries, who manufactures them. Who am I to argue?
"We get by.” I jerked a thumb down the way. “We left a couple of fanatics cooling off in one of your holding tanks. Names are Yin and Yang. Just keep 'em locked up overnight. I have a feeling they were under a little hypnotic influence."
"And the Savant?"
"Fit whatever’s left of him for a New Haven trench coat.” I raised my hands to cut off her obvious question. “I had nothing to do with it. We had a run-in with a cat called the New Man. Consider him a close cousin of yours. Modified synoid or something. I don’t know what the hell he is, but he wasn’t here for a social call. He smoked the Savant, fried his egg to a blackened crisp, and took a dive out the side of the wall.”
Synoids don’t generally show emotion, but the Warden looked a bit shell-shocked. Her damaged eye sparked and fizzled out. I decided to be polite and went on like I didn’t notice.
“The point is, we're kinda in a hurry to get our hands on a severed leg and save a hundred thousand or so lives. So as much as I’d love to stick around in this wonderful resort of yours, I think we’d better dust out.”
She finally got a hold of herself. “Listen. I don’t know what kind of trouble you’re in, but since it’s you, I have to assume it’s critical. I owe you a favor, and I don’t like debt.” She opened her holoband and pulled up a location on the grid. “Synch up to this position — it will take you right to the Captain. I’ll send him a line and let him know you’re coming.”
“The Captain? You want me to hook up with the brass? What kind of a sap do you take me for? I’m not exactly on great terms with the button boys. With all the heat on my back, I’d probably get my elbows checked and end up right back here in one of your meat lockers.”
A tiny drill tool extended from her finger. She jabbed it into her eye as she spoke. “He’s on the square. And a hard man to reach, so you should be thanking me. I wouldn’t recommend him if I didn’t think it was worth your while. Try to keep an open mind, Troubleshooter.” Her eye flickered back on when she finished her optical surgery. I almost envy synoids.
“An open mind invites too many ideas, Warden. But what the hell — I’ll take a chance this time. Only ‘cause it’s you.”
I was so jazzed to leave the Fortress and the West Docks behind that I ditched the sling and drove Maxine myself, bum arm be damned. Autodrive is fine, but sometimes a man wants to feel like he’s in control of something. Especially if your world was spinning out of control like mine was.