"You hurt, Uber?" called Bridget, from the landing.
He didn't answer, didn't even look around, just put one paw down on the next step.
Mandy had the gun well aimed, but I could see her shaking some.
Uber brought another paw down, another step, holding the knife in his right hand. It had his blood on it, and more of the stuff was flowing down from his ragged lips.
"One more step, dogbreath," said Mandy, "and it's the big kennel."
Uber raised his paw, staring her straight in the eye. He could see the sweat on her face, and the shake in her arms.
He started to bring down the paw.
"She'll do it, Uber," shouted Bridget. "I know her." And then, more slowly, "These are my friends."
He stopped then, looked back up the stairs towards his lover, his fine and sleepy-eyed shadowgirl lover. And I wonder what thoughts she had found there, inside that dog man?
"Uber… that's enough." Bridget speaking. No. Not speaking. Just thinking. I was tuned into them, the woman and the dog, and all the things that had gone on between them.
I think she was the purest thing he'd ever known.
And when he turned back to us, you could see that something had changed, something had clouded over in those deep eyes that had run with the dogs, whilst also contemplating the works of John Donne.
He stepped back to a higher level.
I guess the poetry made it through, this time.
"You coming on down, Twinkle?" I shouted.
"Karli's hurt," she cried.
"Karli's done good. She's a real Stash Rider. Just like you, kidder."
Bridget nodded when Twinkle looked at her. So the young kid came down the stairs, followed by the robodog. And Das Uber stepped aside, to let her pass. Just like a man should do.
Twinkle came into my arms. There were tears on her face. I wiped them with my filthy hands. It was all I had.
I looked up the stairs, past Das Uber, to where Bridget was holding onto the dogs. The look in her eyes told me a story. You know that one, about giving up something good, for the sake of something else. And then finding no way back? And maybe you don't want to go back anyway?
Yeah, I guess so.
For what I've lost, and for what I've taken, a part of this story is for you, Bridget. Wherever you are.
I still didn't have a clue where the Beetle was, except that the lights were starting to fade again, but I suddenly thought; We're going to do this! We're getting away with it! "You're going home, Big Thing," I said, making Twinkle laugh.
Mandy tucked the gun into the back of her jeans and then opened the front door. She went through, taking Twinkle with her, and the Karli Dog. I followed, the Thing on my back. He was squirming around on there, like he knew he was going home. Like he knew that we were going out there, into the dark of Claremont, to where the ice-cream van lay waiting.
But there was another car parked close by, a black and white job; another one just down the road. Cop cars. A beam of light came whirling into position, trapping us there. Shadowbeam! Full intensity. Inpho flickering over my face, searching for clues. Clues of fear.
Shecop Murdoch was waiting for us, over by a streetlamp, gun in hand. Takshaka Shadowcop was flooding out from the roof of one of the police cars, and he was smiling that smoky smile, as he transmitted.
DO NOT MOVE. YOU ARE UNDER ARREST.
"I guess we got you, Scribble?" Murdoch said.
Some other cops, real-life ones, four of them, stepped out of cars.
"I guess so," I answered.
That's okay, officers. We've got this one."
At Murdoch's word the four cops backed off a little, leaning against their cars, like this was some kind of easy squeeze.
I was standing in the doorway of the doghouse, my hands tight around Twinkle's shoulders and chest. Karli was snarling at the shadowcop, but keeping it under control. Mandy was in front of us, out in the rain some, so that I could see that her hair was getting a sheen on it. Behind me the Turdsville door was still open, but I couldn't chance a move, not with Takshaka beaming me. The deal was knife-edge.
"Shame about Tristan," Murdoch said.
Her hair was drenched to the bone. She looked like a near-death drowning, and the intense look of purpose on her dog-ripped face was starting to tell me something.
"Is it?" I answered.
"Yeah. Died during custody."
"I'll bet," I said, but my heart was falling fast, into despair, and I felt the world slip to one side slightly, like maybe the rain was falling sideways.
"Found him this morning," Murdoch was saying. "Hung himself, from the window bars. I'm thinking that maybe he couldn't take it."
"I think you're right." I was stalling, keeping it going, waiting for a moment to come, some kind of loose moment.
Some things take a life to arrive, and a part of this story's for you, Tristan.
"Where's the tough guy, just now?" Murdoch asked.
Good fucking question!
"Who's that?" I replied.
Seeing colours…
"The Beetle?"
"You killed him, Murdoch. That Mandel finished him."
"He got one of ours."
Murdoch's voice was hard and cold when she spoke, and I was getting the story now, what was going down here, and why she was keeping the dumb cops back.
Shecop had gone into personal mode.
I think she was waiting for a move from us, a legit reason to blow.
Colours playing on the edge of my vision.
MURDOCH! I'M GETTING A GUN ON LINE. HE'S CARRYING!
His beams were playing over me, trying to find that lost gun. He seemed to be ill at ease in the night air, as though his real home was the Takskaka Vurt, and this was just rain-soaked boring life.
You just made a big mistake, Shadowfuck, leaving Mandy in the shade…
"You want to use it, Scribble?" Murdoch said.
…and not bothering about the house corner…
"I couldn't beat you, Murdoch," I replied, playing it out. "You're the best."
… where the colours were playing.
I caught a glimpse of movement, as Mandy pulled the gun from the back of her jeans, keeping it hidden behind her back.
Be careful, soldier. Just one bullet left in there.
Murdoch smiled. And then somebody called her name.
"Murdoch!"
The Beetle's voice! Full of colours.
The shecop turned her head, just a fraction, that's all it takes, over towards the side of the building. We all turned then, to see the Beetle in his glory, Walking out from the side alley, bathed in a rainbow.
Karli started howling.
The Beetle was naked. His body was a blaze of shapes, ever-changing. Beetle was no longer flesh. The fractals had taken possession, moving in swirls and arabesques through every part of him. He was the Shining Man, the walking firework. The darkness fused and popped all around as he moved, through a halo of fire, and the rain turned into sparks when it hit his skin. Best of all; the Beetle was walking with that loose-limbed Stash Rider cool that I never did master.
Flare. My man had flare.
"Murdoch!" he shouted again, the words coming in colours. "Leave them alone!" The fleshcops made a clumsy move, away from their vehicles, reaching for gun comfort, shocked and blinded. One of them tried to grab Beetle. Bad move, buddy! Just one touch and that cop was sizzling. He went through all the colours before dropping to the pavement. Cop sure left a beautiful corpse. In the confusion I pulled Twinkle backwards, towards the open door. She had Karli by the lead, and that robodog wasn't keen on missing the action.
"Get in the house, kid," I whispered, hard. "I mean it!" I dragged her back, with the dog, getting myself between them and the trouble. I wanted Twinkle and the dog together, in case it all went wrong.