by Steven Brust
“It will take a few days to assemble the board. We like to meet in person for big things, and we take steps to ensure security.”
“Yeah,” said Donovan. “There’s a lot of that. I mean, steps to ensure security.”
“Do you have something to say?”
“Nope. Not a thing. Not a goddamned motherfucking thing.”
* * *
Elsa came on the line with unaccustomed speed, but Camellia had expected that.
“Hello, Camellia. You’re on speaker.”
“So are you. Is anyone there?”
“No. You?”
“Yes. Elsa Merriweather, meet Donovan Longfellow. He is the lead investigator in North America.”
“How do you do, Ms. Merriweather.”
“I prefer ‘Mrs.’ How do you do? Do you have news, Camellia, or are you expecting your investigator to get information from me you couldn’t?”
“I have news, Elsa. The matter is resolved. You and your board are safe.”
There was a pause. “Well. Then, you believe we were in danger?”
Camellia leaned close to the phone. “You know bloody well you were in danger, Elsa. As soon as Alex Young died, you knew what the endgame was. You knew someone, somewhere, was planning to kill your entire board of directors, to cripple the Mystici. And, Elsa, I have two people dead because you refused to tell me what you knew. Two people. Decent people, good people, with families. People who are worth ten of you, with your secrecy, your greed, your utter unconcern with who gets hurt.”
“Camellia—”
“Shut it, Elsa. Shut up and listen. We’ve found two of those responsible so far, and we are on the trail of the remaining four, although without the mastermind or their chief assassin I doubt they can do much. But this started, Elsa, because the Mystici refuse to accept any responsibility for the harm their members do, and it got out of hand because you wouldn’t tell us what you knew.”
“How—”
“How did I find out what the endgame was? Because of the fear in your voice when you called me, that’s how.”
“And you think that was an accident, Camellia? You think I didn’t deliberately—?”
“Fuck. You,” said Camellia, and disconnected.
She turned to Donovan. “Satisfied?”
He shrugged. “Best we can do, I guess.”
Camellia nodded. “Yes,” she said. “Best we can do.”
* * *
Donovan, Matt, and Marci took the elevator down to the basement.
“You sure about this?” said Matt.
“Yeah.”
“Just, you know,” said Matt. “If you go through with it, it’ll change you.”
“Oh yes,” said Donovan. “It will indeed.”
They reached the detention area. A man sat on an uncomfortable-looking chair. As they approached he looked up from his cell phone game, and said, “Can I help you?”
“No,” said Donovan. “I’m afraid we are all beyond help, by this time.”
The guard waved them through. Donovan reached into his jacket and took hold of the knotnot.
* * *
“To summarize,” said Camellia, “we have limited the damage, and the threat—the immediate threat, at any rate—is over, and we are out one head of recruiting who will need to be replaced as soon as possible. Anna Koerning is filling in as interim head. Therefore, I have asked Florencia to place on the agenda two additional items: a bonus for our field agent and his team, and a motion to set up a committee to review security policies as per Ms. Ursine’s motion at our last meeting.”
They all looked at one another, taking a good long moment to return their attention to Camellia. “Unless Ms. Ursine has changed her mind?”
“Hardly,” said Betty.
Camellia nodded. “Good then. Are there any questions?”
Hodari cleared his throat. “Um, well, there is the matter of the prisoner escape.”
“Charles Leong? Yes. Unfortunate. An administrative error. I take full responsibility.”
“Do you indeed?” said Hodari.
Camellia caught his eye. “Yes,” she said.
“Administrative error.”
“Yes.”
“Very well,” said Hodari. “Then let’s move on.”
* * *
When Marci got home that night, Lawrence had prepared calamari with shallots, garlic, and lemon over squid ink pasta. In a bowl in the living room there was also a goldfish, which she named Susan.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My thanks to James Taylor (no, not that James Taylor), Vicka Cory, Skyler White, Will Shetterly, Pamela Dean, and Emma Bull for helpful comments. As always, I appreciate the production work of Irene Gallo and her all-girl detective orchestra. Thanks also to copy editor Barbara Wild, and to James D. Macdonald for help with research. Additional copyediting and proofreading by sQuirrelco Textbenders, Inc.
BOOKS BY STEVEN BRUST
THE DRAGAERAN NOVELS
Brokedown Palace
THE KHAAVREN ROMANCES
The Phoenix Guards
Five Hundred Years After
The Viscount of Adrilankha, which comprises
The Paths of the Dead, The Lord of Castle Black, and Sethra Lavode
THE VLAD TALTOS NOVELS
Jhereg
Yendi
Teckla
Taltos
Phoenix
Athyra
Orca
Dragon
Issola
Dzur
Jhegaala
Iorich
Tiassa
Hawk
Vallista
OTHER NOVELS
To Reign in Hell
The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars
Agyar
Cowboy Feng’s Space Bar and Grille
The Gypsy (with Megan Lindholm)
Freedom & Necessity (with Emma Bull)
The Incrementalists (with Skyler White)
The Skill of Our Hands (with Skyler White)
Good Guys
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
STEVEN BRUST is the author of Dragon, Issola, Jhegaala, and the New York Times bestselling Tiassa and Dzur, among many other popular fantasy novels. He currently lives in his native city, Minneapolis. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Author’s Note
1. The List
2. Good-bye, Mr. Blum
3. Mysterious Charlie
4. Local Politics
5. Corporate Politics
6. Chi-Town
7. Communication
8. A Good Sorcerer Is Hard to Find
9. A Day in the Park
10. The French Quarter
11. What We Don’t Know …
12. … We’d Best Figure Out
13. Assumptions and Guesswork
14. Insecurity Theater
15. Mr. Nagorski, I Presume
16. Noodles Donovan
17. Best We Can Do
Acknowledgments
Books by Steven Brust
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
GOOD GUYS
Copyright © 2018 by Steven Brust
All rights reserved.
Cover art by Tatiana Shepeleva/Shutterstock.com
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Published by Tom Doherty Associates
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The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Brust, Steven, 1955– author.
Title: Good guys / Steven Brust.
Description: First edition. | New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 2018. | “A Tom Doherty Associates Book.”
Identifiers: LCCN 2017039425 (print) | LCCN 2017045081 (ebook) | ISBN 9780765396389 (ebook) | ISBN 9780765396372 (hardcover: alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Paranormal fiction. | GSAFD: Fantasy fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3552.R84 (ebook) | LCC PS3552.R84 G66 2018 (print) | DDC 813/.54—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017039425
eISBN 9780765396389
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First Edition: March 2018