The Brotherhood of the Wheel
Page 43
“Roadkill,” Heck said, “Sup, man? Hey, you up for hanging with me? Yeah, I am a bit pissed … come on, you in or not? Yeah, I’m paying, don’t I always?” Heck laughed at the answer Jethro gave him. “Okay, I’m at the Last Chance, down on Route 321. Okay, cool, man. See you in a bit. Hey, Roadkill. Thanks, man.”
Heck put the phone away and listened to the music from the jukebox, not to the beast howling and shaking to free itself from his rib cage—someday, but not tonight. He listened to George Thorogood’s gravel growl, smoked his Lucky, and waited for his friend.
* * *
Jimmie stepped back into the hospital room, slipping his cell phone away. His mom and dad were sitting on one side of Layla’s bed; Peyton was on the other. Jimmie took a seat between his wife and his daughter and took Layla’s hand. “How you feeling, baby?” he asked.
“Like I never want to have sex ever, ever again,” Layla said, leaning toward Jimmie. He leaned over and they kissed. “But I’m sure I’ll get over that.”
“Do they have those little throw-up things in here?” Peyton asked. “The ones that look like giant condoms? Because I need one right now. Parent sex—gross!”
“Don’t knock it,” Jimmie’s mom, Ella, said.
“Mom!” Jimmie said. Everyone laughed.
“Grandparent sex,” Peyton said. “Even grosser.”
The nurse came in with the baby, tightly wrapped in a white hospital blanket. “Someone wanted to come say hello,” she said. She carefully placed the baby in Layla’s arms. Everyone huddled close to see.
“You were that little once,” Jimmie’s dad, Don, said to Peyton. “And just as purty.”
The baby boy squirmed a little in Layla’s arms. His face was red and blotchy, and his eyes were puffy and shut.
“He’s beautiful,” Layla said, then looked over to Jimmie. “Oh, I’m sorry. I mean handsome.”
“You mean beautiful,” Jimmie said, his eyes getting wet. “And he is, he is beautiful—just like his mama.”
“And I bet he’ll be brave, and true, just like his old man,” Layla said softly, touching Jimmie’s cheek.
“Y’all still calling him Jesse Junior?” Ella asked.
“You know, Don is a fine name, too,” Don said, smiling. “Very dignified.”
“Jesse James Aussapile, Jr.,” Layla said. “That’s his name. Better luck next baby, Grandpa.”
They laughed and there was talking, but Jimmie barely heard it. Looking into the face of his baby boy, Jimmie saw all the promise in this world, all the futures and the dreams that we fight through the darkness and the despair to reach. He wanted to give his son a world without monsters, without villains—a world of light, and truth, justice, and mercy, especially mercy.
The tears came, and Jimmie barely noticed them. His whole world was here, in this room. It was a small world, especially in the grand scale of things, compared to gods and galaxies, magic roads and secret societies. But everything counted, and maybe, just maybe, it all counted square, equal, in the end.
Jimmie Junior opened his eyes and looked into the battered face of his father, and there was a wisdom there in the baby’s eyes that is lost to us as we grow.
“Hi, buddy,” Jimmie said, tears wet on his cheeks.
It was a small world, but it was worth fighting for.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to The League of Extraordinary Beta Readers and Editors—Susan Lystlund, Faye Newsham, and David Lystlund. These good folks slogged through the mess of my manuscript and made it so much better, and tighter. I am, as always, in your debt.
To Barb and Carl Kesner. Yes, they are real people and they are awesome.
To the incredible people at Tor that, as always, provided amazing support and expertise—Patty Garcia, Desirae Friesen, Christopher Morgan, Diana Pho, and my superb editor, Greg Cox. I am reminded of how fortunate I am to work with consummate professionals, who also happen to be such wonderful, kind, and generous people.
Thank you to my agent, Lucienne Diver, and all the family at the Knight Agency. Lucienne saw the potential in Jimmie Aussapile when she was reading Nightwise, and this book is a direct result of her talent, encouragement, and belief in me.
To my beautiful, brilliant, and kind children—Jon, Emily, and Stephanie—who have all passed through fire and darkness in their own ways, and come out the other side stronger. I am so proud of each of you. You all have made me feel so loved and I am so very thankful for you. I love you.
None of my books would ever have been written if not for the love, dedication, and support of my mother, Mabel T. Belcher. She passed away during the work on this book and I am so very, very thankful that I was fortunate enough to have this strong, determined, and compassionate woman as my mom. I love you, Mama.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R. S. BELCHER is the acclaimed author of The Six-Gun Tarot, which made several year-end ten-best fantasy lists, and The Shotgun Arcana. He is a former newspaper and magazine editor and reporter, and lives in Salem, Virginia. You can sign up for email updates here.
BOOKS BY R. S. BELCHER
The Six-Gun Tarot
The Shotgun Arcana
Nightwise
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Epigraph
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Books by R. S. Belcher
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.
THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE WHEEL
Copyright © 2016 by Rod Belcher
All rights reserved.
Cover design by Jeff Miller, Faceout Studio
Cover art © Getty Images
A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
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New York, NY 10010
www.tor-forge.com
Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Belcher, R. S., author.
The Brotherhood of the Wheel / R. S. Belcher.—First edition.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-7653-8028-9 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-7253-0 (e-book)
I. Title.
PS3602.E429B76 2016
813'.6—dc23
2015032633
e-ISBN 9781466872530
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First Edition: March 2016
od of the Wheel