by James Beamon
“Town baths are around the corner on the right,” the barman said like it was scripted, pointing to the open doorway.
Mike made his way through the throng. Different people and races pushed carts and hawked wares and moved about. Almost everybody was taller than him. A sign with a rough picture of steam and water let him know to turn the corner. At the end of the street was a big domed building with the same sign out front... had to be the bath house.
Two guys preoccupied with talking blocked the walkway in front of the bath house. They both looked aian like that kid Jason, all gray with the eyes that couldn’t keep still, but these two had animal traits. One had antennas sticking out of his head and the other had a lion mane and cat ears. Despite their differences these two held common ground in they were both in Mike’s way.
“Yo, could you move?”
“Go away, we’re talking, twee,” said Antennas. His hands and forearms were armored like an ant’s exoskeleton.
Mike had never been called ‘twee’ before. It wasn’t a name he dug.
“Problem is this here’s a walkway. That looks like the talkway,” Mike said, pointed to a bunch of small rocks that lay on the side of the path. “You best to get on that if you wanna conversate.”
Antennas looked down at Mike, a sneer on his lips. “You had best use that same talkway to go around or you may find your brains on this path you’re so fond of, twee.”
“Word? So that’s what you do when somebody calls you out for being wrong? Go all fire ant on people... or am I just the lil’ dude you think you can punk in front of the bath house?”
Antennas looked at lion-cat guy, maybe for backup or maybe because this was strange new territory for him. Mike kept at him.
“Why you looking at your friend? He knows you wrong, too. Everybody knows you don’t hang out in the middle of a walkway when people are trying to walk on it. Bet them antennas can get you free cable so I know they can tell you something that simple.”
“You mock me?!”
“You movin’ or what?”
Before Fire Ant could respond, Lion-cat put a hand on his shoulder.
“Avus, think of our contract work today. How would we explain any unnecessary violence to the local peacekeepers? Or to Taldin? Don’t ruin our payday. Let it be.”
They exchanged looks until Avus nodded in agreement. Then Avus looked at Mike with daggers in his eyes. “Fortune favors the small in large doses,” he said as he turned to go.
Mike shrugged. “Yo, it’s whatever.”
His immediate vicinity free of dumbasses, Mike headed into the bath house. There were different chambers with swirling hot water pools and steam rooms and even a courtyard in the middle where folks just hung out. It was definitely nicer than he expected or was used to. Coming from Afghanistan and the conditions on some of the forward operating bases, he would have been cool with two bottles of water and a bar of soap.
He had no trouble enjoying the bath or finding his way back, where Runt was at a table eating. Mike pulled up a seat next to him, feeling a lot more refreshed. He had his appetite back and didn’t hesitate when Runt nudged the plate in his direction.
“Caravan leaving today,” Runt said as Mike ate things he didn’t completely recognize. “Headed to Maltep to trade with nasran hexers, then onto Hierophane. Our best option.”
Mike smiled between mouthfuls. “Bet.”
It took longer than Mike thought possible to find the caravan. Asking about Ruki Provos or his caravan either got them indifferent shrugs or guys trying to sell them something sworn to be at the lowest price ever. And not buying their junk meant not getting any info. Tracking, backtracking and asking around in a sea of people who feigned deafness made for a grueling search.
They finally found the caravan on the outskirts of town. The caravan consisted of four wagon cars attached in line to a small steam engine contraption with tread wheels like a tank. Folks were moving about checking the engine or loading the wagons.
One man sat in a chair underneath a four-post canopy shade, calling out instructions. His linen shirt and pants were white, which meant he didn’t do any dirty work. Mike and Runt made their way over to him.
“Ruki Provos?” Mike asked. “We wanna ride this caravan.”
He didn’t bother to look Mike’s way as he watched people haul crates. “Sorry, caravan’s full.”
“We can pay.” Runt said.
“It’s still full.”
Runt got into Ruki’s direct line of sight to the caravan. “Telling us our money’s no good offends us.”
Ruki rose from his chair. Now his gaze lingered on the big man and occasionally drifted down to Mike when he spoke. “You got me all wrong, friends. Don’t take my distraction with the caravan or my rejection as offense. Honestly, I would love to take along two paying passengers. It would no doubt please uncle that I exceeded expected profit when I finally return to my homeland. But there’s no room unless I remove some of the shipment. These goods have been prearranged. Spoken for. I refuse to sully the name of the Provos Trading Company by not honoring established contracts.”
“So you telling us there ain’t a single passenger on this ride?” Mike asked.
“Just me and the security detail.”
“Then make us security.”
Ruki shook his head. “I already hired a five-man team of locals. Not only will they provide security, but they’re going to guide me through the dry flats to Maltep—and all at dirt cheap prices. I like the size and stature of your friend here,” Ruki said, looking Runt up and down, “I mean, I stood up and I’m still intimidated. But I just don’t have the room to accommodate more.”
“Is there a problem, boss?” a voice asked behind Mike.
“Not at all, Taldin,” Ruki said. Mike turned to look, bothered by the familiarity of hearing that name before.
If Taldin was the guy in the lead, then he was backed by four more, all of them aian. Four of them sported the ant antennas and armor, and a fifth one in the back had a lion’s mane and cat ears. Now the name clicked. Directly behind Taldin, the sneer Mike remembered from in front of the bath house returned to the guy’s face.
“Friends,” Ruki Provos said, “this is my team of local security. As you can see, they’re a mean looking outfit. So procuring your services would be a little redundant at this point.”
Mike whirled to face Ruki. “You can’t be serious?!”
Ruki looked confused, like he had missed out on the punch line of a joke. “Why... wouldn’t I be?”
“These guys are a comedy act, not security. ‘Giant Pussy and the Picnic Raiders’. You’d get more security from wishful thinking than these clowns.”
Ruki laughed hard, then his face straightened. “As entertaining as you are, insulting my security detail won’t get you hired. It’ll likely get you into trouble more than anything else.”
Mike’s megrym ears twitched. Behind him he heard the voice he recognized as Avus saying, “Allow me, Taldin. I owe this twee.”
Mike put up a closed fist and looked at Runt. This signal meant “freeze” in Army close range engagement. He hoped Runt would get it. Mike kept talking to Ruki, seemingly oblivious that he was pissing off the aians behind him.
“Look, I got five good reasons why you shouldn’t hire these dudes.”
Being so close to the ground, Mike didn’t just hear footsteps behind him; he could almost feel and taste them too.
“One...” Mike began as the footsteps were nearly upon him.
He whirled, bringing his club around at the sound of that last footfall. It smashed into the side of Avus’ knee with a sickening crunch. The leg bent inward and Avus collapsed with a roar of pain.
The remaining four aians unsheathed their swords. Runt disassembled his Z-blades into twin axes.
“No, no, no!” Ruki Provos got into the middle of the standoff. “I do not have the time to go rooting around for another security detail because the lot of you are violently disagreeable.”
“I cannot allow this insult to stand,” Taldin said, his teeth clenched and sword pointed.
“What insult?” Mike asked. “Last time I checked, I put down a grown ass man... and a security professional. Am I wrong? Is Avus really your daughter? You mad cause she’ll never dance at her wedding the way you always dreamt about?”
“Insolent twee!” Taldin roared.
“No!” Ruki yelled. “He’s right. Avus approached the megrym with hostile intent and he defended himself. There is no insult to hold. Any more violence and I will summon the peacekeepers. Stow your weapons.”
Grudgingly, the aians complied. Mike and Runt followed suit. The cat guy helped Avus to his feet. Avus had to hop on one foot, as the leg Mike clubbed was bent at an awkward angle.
Ruki looked at Mike. “I’m afraid all you’ve done is shorten my security staff by one. I’m still not going to hire you.”
“Don’t you want to hear my other four reasons why you shouldn’t hire these dudes?”
“You actually have reasons? I thought your other four reasons were just euphemisms for clubbing my remaining guards out of commission.”
“I mean, I guess that woulda worked, even if it’s kinda played out. Naw, I got real reasons. One, as you saw, is that they’re short one. Two, judging by how easy it was for me to drop him, it’s obvious they’re not pros.”
“Damned twee!” Avus roared. “You’re a cowardly wretch, sneaking an attack before I was ready.”
“Three,” Mike said pointing at Avus while he spoke. “If you stay ready then you don’t have to get ready. Four,” he turned his gaze back to Ruki. “This is the most important. These guys are all local. They’re all boys, tight with each other. And you’re out-of-town Rich Guy. What’s to keep them from leading you away from town, killing you and taking all your money and all your product?
“You know what keeps that from happening? Reason number five: a diversified security detail,” Mike finished pointing to himself and Runt.
Ruki looked down at Mike then at Runt, then at the aians, chewing on his lip. Long moments of silence stretched. Finally he turned to Taldin.
“One more comes off of your team. The new guys come with us.”
“That was not our deal,” Taldin said.
“No, our deal was for five guys in working order. You cannot provide this. So I’m augmenting the deal. Meanwhile, I will pay you for four men even though you’re only providing three. You two,” he said to Mike and Runt, “I won’t pay anything. But neither will I charge you for passage. We all come out ahead. Deal?”
Mike and Runt agreed. Taldin spent a long time looking back and forth between his guys. None of them spoke the whole time, which was weird... like they were all playing poker and trying to figure out who was bluffing. Finally, Taldin looked at cat guy, the only one of his folks who he hadn’t been making eyes at, who was still holding Avus up.
“See he gets care. We’ll have a share for you when we return.”
“Then it’s all settled,” Ruki said. “And just in time, seeing how the caravan is loaded and ready to leave.” He put out his hand to Mike. “Welcome to the temporary unpaid employ of the Provos Trading Company. Since I can’t call you ‘friends’ any longer, seeing our affiliation is a business matter now, what are your names?”
Chapter 9
Maltepic Trails
Ruki Provos’ caravan moved at a decent clip. Mike figured the awkward steam tank was treading ground at about thirty miles an hour. He also made the mental conversion to approximately forty-eight kilometers an hour. Army training put to good use. He looked out the window at the same dusty, sparse plains that hadn’t changed much in the hour they’d been riding. What else was he going to do?
Ruki and the security detail all shared the first wagon of the caravan. It was linked directly to the engine; Ruki, wearing goggles, sat up front steering the contraption. Mike was in the back with an ant dude, the one who wore a loud ass red shirt instead of the drab brown of the other ants. Runt took up a side all by himself. Directly opposite of Runt sat Taldin and his remaining henchman, whose mouth hung open because of an overbite.
The wagon was really just a covered canopy with benches inside, more open windows than walls. Mike hated looking outside the wagon, cause everything was so damn bright in the daytime, but when he did look, he saw nothing but desert shrubs in any direction.
Occasionally, Taldin would lean toward Ruki and tell him directions. He must’ve been going off of rock formations cause wasn’t no street signs out here. The ant dudes would look at each other often enough, but they’d never speak. Mike was never one for small talk and Runt seemed to be the same way, which suited Mike fine. But there was something he was curious about.
“Yo, Runt.”
“Yo.” The big man acknowledged him with a quick glance and a raised eyebrow, but mostly he looked straight ahead at Taldin and Overbite.
“I’m curious. How’d you know what this meant?” Mike asked, holding up his closed fist again, the close range engagement signal for “freeze”.
“I didn’t. What does it mean?”
“It means to stop. So how’d you know to chill?”
“You looked at me and made a sign. Took it to mean you were aware of what was developing behind you and had a plan. Otherwise, why make a sign?”
“Well, what if I had wanted you to do the opposite and bust him up?”
“Protecting your back was the standard action, Mike Ballztowallz. There would have been no point to look at me and make a sign.”
Mike had to admit, the logic made sense. He settled back on his bench, squinting out to look out over the dry flats as the little tank that could chugged along. As far as he could see, nothing moved out there. The whine and ga-gunk ga-gunk of the engine filled his ears and the warm, dry air lashed his face.
Taldin and his ant goons remained quiet, sharing eye time with each other. And kept sharing, eyes looking back and forth between the three.
“Yo, Runt, why these dudes keep staring?” Mike could have asked Taldin directly, but he had no respect for the clown. Besides, the ant bastard had called him a twee. Fuck Taldin.
Runt didn’t take his eyes off of the two in front of him. “They look to indicate who they are speaking to and to acknowledge who is speaking to them. Same as us.”
“But they not talking.”
“They all follow the aian god, Yol. Yol gives his followers ant qualities. Armor. Strength. Hive mind.”
They were all talking inside each other’s heads. By the look of their eye trades, they had been talking a lot.
It’s paranoia if a scheme’s going off in your mind... when others are having whole conversations in their minds around you, well, that’s when someone’s plotting on you.
Mike looked at Taldin. Taldin was looking at Mr. Loud Ass Red Shirt beside Mike. None of these ants had bothered to chime in while him and Runt were talking about them. They had nothing but idle time on this ride, plenty of opportunity to butt in and explain or correct them, or even to just tell the two of them to mind their own business.
Maybe the time wasn’t idle. Maybe they were busy talking about something... something so important that they didn’t even hear the conversation Mike and Runt were having outside of it.
At this rate of speed, an hour’s ride provided a solid distance away from Tirys. Nothing out here but thirsty shrubs.
Mike looked at Red Shirt. Not his eyes; despite what they talk about in movies, eyes don’t tell you squat. Mike watched his hands. His right was creeping, ever so slowly, almost as if by the accidental jostling of the wagon, toward his dagger.
“Ambush!” Mike yelled. That was the trigger to an explosion of action.
Taldin and Overbite pulled out their swords and jumped from their bench. Runt sprang to meet them, elbowing the henchman and fighting to deflect Taldin’s sword. Mike grabbed Red Shirt’s hand as he freed the dagger from its sheath.
Red Shirt leveraged his weight to pin Mike down on t
he bench. Both of Mike’s hands were holding the dagger arm, trying to keep the knife from stabbing him in the face.
“What the hell is this madness?!” yelled Ruki’s voice over the whine of the steam engine.
Out of the corner of his eye, Mike saw Runt punching Taldin. But Overbite had recovered and was approaching Runt’s back with his sword.
Mike kicked out with his little legs. They scored Overbite’s hand, knocking the sword out of his grip.
That’s all the help he could give Runt. Red Shirt’s dagger was edging closer to his face. The bastard was strong.
Instead of pushing the hand away, Mike pulled it hard toward him, moving his head as far to the right as possible. The dagger found empty wood, and Mike turned his head to bite the ant’s wrist.
Megrym teeth are sharp. Mike clamped down, driving them through the ant exoskeleton. He felt the shell splinter and crack, tasted the metallic salt of aian’s blood, and heard Red Shirt’s roar of pain.
Red Shirt’s grip weakened, Mike pushed the aian off and grabbed his club. He saw Runt trying to manage Taldin, who still held a sword, while Overbite had his arms wrapped around Runt’s neck and was squeezing.
Mike leapt off the back bench and brought the club down onto Overbite’s head. That got him off of Runt’s neck and put him face down on the floor of the wagon.
“Duck,” Runt said. Mike hit the deck on top of the laid out henchman as Runt tossed Taldin towards the back of the wagon. Taldin collided with Red Shirt who was trying to work his knife out of the wood. Mike saw Red Shirt fall out the open window and heard him scream as the wheels of the trailing caravan car rose over the sudden bump of him.
Ruki was slowing the caravan down. Taldin pulled his former henchman’s knife out of the wood and whirled to face Mike and Runt. He held his ground, pointing the knife back and forth between the two of them. The engine came to a grinding halt.
“You can either walk off or get your corpse tossed off,” Mike said. “Make the call, Taldin, you slowing us down.”
Taldin was smarter than Mike thought. After a moment, he tossed the knife out the window.