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Axler, James - Deathlands 23 - Road Wars (v1.0) (htnl)
save your life, then you should just get down on your knees and start licking
the boots. But this isn't going to be true more than one time in mebbe a
hundred thousand. So you might as well keep your mouth clamped shut and look
to die with a shred or two of dignity."
Now that the wind had dropped, Abe could hear the gang of men who'd captured
him with such ease, smell the smoke of their cooking fire and the flavor of
some sort of meat being scorched over the flames.
His mouth began to water, and he realized that he was also extremely thirsty.
But his previous experience with his captors made him realize that asking for
something to drink wasn't likely to be a very good idea.
The men were singing a crude song about a gaudy slut and her experiences with
a beaver trapper. Every now and then Abe heard bellows of raucous laughter.
The only thing that seemed likely was that they weren't going to chill him
during the night.
This was the best hope he had to hang on to.
It gave Trader a little time.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
"One of the few times in my life that I've ever felt reasonably safe in the
middle of a ville."
Ryan grinned at his companion's words. But there was some truth in what the
Armorer had said. Tenbos, despite his obvious serious illness, seemed to be on
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Axler, James - Deathlands 23 - Road Wars (v1.0) (htnl)
top of things, including his two unpleasant and threatening stepsons. There
was no evidence of evil or cruelty, and the sec men simply went about their
work without bullying or sadism.
"Yeah," he said. "If we weren't in a hurry to meet up again with Trader, I
wouldn't mind taking up the baron's offer and staying here awhile longer."
"Me too. Hope he's well enough to show us his weapon collection this morning."
"Main thing I want is to get some more decent food under my belt. See me
through the next few hundred spine-rattling miles in the armawag."
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
There was a discreet knock on the door of their room. Both of them reached
instinctively for their blasters, hesitating, both laughing.
"Death doesn't often let you know he's coming," J.B. said.
He raised his voice. "Yeah?"
"It's Edward Tenbos, gentlemen. The baron wonders if you would like to visit
him on the top floor of the tower to view his firearms? And then to the first
floor for breakfast?" The voice was calm and very deliberately neutral.
"Thanks a lot," Ryan replied. "Tell him that the answer to both of his
invitations is 'Yes,' and we'll be with him in about five minutes."
They heard steps moving away. J.B. turned to face Ryan. "Only thing that
worries me is those two boys. Something seriously creepy about them. Mebbe
it's that everyone knows they're just waiting for dead man's boots."
"Mebbe. I know what you mean. Wish Krysty was here. Could do with her
'feeling' about them."
"Taking your blasters?"
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Axler, James - Deathlands 23 - Road Wars (v1.0) (htnl)
Ryan looked at the Steyr rifle and the SIG-Sauer automatic. "I don't know.
You?"
"Don't really want to hump the Uzi and the scattergun up and down stairs."
"Doesn't seem dangerous."
"True."
"Fireblast! Look, I'll just take along the SIG-Sauer. Should be more than
enough for any piss-ant problem that might blow up in our faces."
THE STAIRS WERE DARK, curling around and around, with only an occasional slit
casement to let some filtered light through. One of the great problems of
windows in Deathlands was the amount of ordinary glass from predark days, a
century back, that had become crazed and dulled by the harsh elements.
There was a pair of sec men on the landing below the arms collection. By the
time that Ryan and J.B. had reached them, the two guards had tensed,
recognized them, then relaxed, waving them through.
"Baron's been there for an hour or more. Got a half dozen of us to try to do
some cleaning and dusting."
The other sec man nodded. "Even had his shitbag sons pardon my speech up here.
Truth is, since his illness and the business with the slut-whore wife, well,
the baron sort of lost interest in his blasters."
"You'll be the first ones first outlanders up these stairs for months and
months. Still, best go on ahead. Don't keep him waiting."
J.B. ran his finger along the curving balustrade, brushing his hands together.
"Filthy," he commented.
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Axler, James - Deathlands 23 - Road Wars (v1.0) (htnl)
THE LIGHT WAS FAR BETTER at the top of the old tower, with windows on every
side. There were a few padded seats remaining around the periphery of the
large circular room, left over from its use as a revolving restaurant.
Baron Tenbos was sitting on one of them, his head leaning back, motionless.
Ryan stopped at the top of the stairs, holding up a warning hand to J.B.
"Chilled?" the Armorer whispered.
"Far from it, Mr. Dix." The voice was weak, but the piercing eyes under the
hooded lids were still keen.
"Forgive my not rising, but I found the climb rather more steep than I
remembered it. A real bastard becoming feeble when once you were so strong. Do
come on in, gentlemen." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]