Whispering Nickel Idols

31

First I thought it was the change in the patter of the rain. Then I thought it was the cold. But the war taught me to wake up carefully and not to trust first impressions. I lay still, controlled my breathing, listened.

Playmate had company. That company wasn’t looking for a place to stash horses.

I moved glacially till I could see.

Teacher White was down there, safely distant from Playmate, not coming across half as fierce as he wanted. He looked more like a pretend bad guy.

Assisting Teacher were two wide-load no-necks who looked like they were from out of town. Plausible, given that Teacher had only a half dozen soldiers of his own, none heftier than Spider Webb or Skelington.

Teacher cautioned the wide bodies, “Careful. There’s more to the man than meets the eye.” Though I can’t imagine anybody underestimating Playmate.

Teacher told him, “There ain’t no need for nobody to get hurt, Play. All you-”

“There is, you come in here pushing me around.”

I steeled myself to jump in, though I suspected Playmate would be all right. The shoe might be on the other hoof. The bad guys might need help before the straw settled.

Playmate is all religious. He preaches turn the other cheek. But he takes an eye-for-an-eye attitude when it comes to professional scum.

Teacher asked, “Where’s Garrett?”

Playmate didn’t answer.

The wide loads moved in. Playmate met one with an invisibly fast straight jab to the schnoz that rocked the man’s head back like it was about to pop off its stump. He plopped down on his back of beyond with a stunned, goofy look.

The second thug took a punch to the chest. Pure amazement filled his face. This didn’t happen when you educated civilians.

Playmate collected a hammer. He showed it to Teacher White. Teacher took note. “Time to move along, boys.”

Good thing, too, because I was just about to jump down and make life really harsh for Teacher.

Then I saw what I would’ve jumped into.

Spider Webb and guys named Original Dick and Vernor Choke showed up to help the wide loads leave. They hadn’t made a sound there under the hayloft.

Vernor Choke had been born to his name. I didn’t know the story on Original Dick. I wouldn’t hang the moniker on anybody, but that didn’t mean his mother hadn’t.

I climbed down half a minute after Spider Webb exited, the last of the crew to leave.

Playmate observed, “Once again there’s proof that just knowing you is a bad idea.”

“What was that all about?”

“They’re looking for some guy named Garrett. Said they followed him here. They didn’t say why. They seemed pretty determined, though.”

I put on my best baffled face. Without faking. “I don’t get it. They’ve been following me around long enough to see that I can’t tell them what they want to know.”

“And what would that be, Garrett?”

“Huh? What would what be?”

“What do they want to know?”

“Well, hell!” I had no real idea. “Maybe just a closer look at my pretty face.”

They did know that I couldn’t find Chodo or Harvester. Didn’t they?

“Oh, sure. That’s got to be it, Garrett. How did that get past me?”