69.

I went in first, delivered Tinnie's message. Which was that she wanted to come have a sit-down about the need to leave Penny's head alone if she came to see us.

The Dead Man agreed. He granted every wish. Even before Tinnie finished laying out the terms. Suspicious. I know my fairy tales.

Chodo had supplanted the deacon as favored loafing place for the cat population. He had about two dozen splashed all over him. And seemed pleased. Unlike the deacon, he smiled. Sort of. His eyes tracked. His mind was active. He managed enough expression to approve my choice in women when Tinnie stalked in. He didn't seem able to move anything else.

"Made any headway?" I asked the Dead Man.- Some. But a saber-tooth never stops being a tiger.

"The deacon seems subdued."

He is in an induced coma. He is strong and stubborn. He refuses to accept defeat. He fights on despite no longer having anything to protect.

"So what great secrets did you ferret out?"

Chodo watched me move around. He watched Tinnie, too. Hungrily. Creepily. She shuddered.

Little of direct use. His compatriots mean to conquer the world, purportedly for the greater glory of their G.o.d, but in reality because they like being rulers instead of the ruled. He was a dastard and a crook before he converted. He remains a dastard and a crook. He was, in fact, one of Mr. Contague's significant a.s.sociates inside A-Laf's cult. Today, either would happily sell the other's soul to get out of this house.

"And you wonder why the G.o.dd.a.m.n Parrot made his getaway."

I am fully cognizant of the facts in that matter, Garrett. I note that Miss Tate accomplished what you considered impossible am fully cognizant of the facts in that matter, Garrett. I note that Miss Tate accomplished what you considered impossible.

Miss Tate had that look people get when the Dead Man starts rooting around inside their heads. It's a cross between pants-wetting terror and severe constipation.

"Penny has issues with men. But she's desperate to see Chodo."

Excellent. We can accommodate her. He is ready.

"Are you?" I checked Chodo. He seemed close to human, buried in kittens. Almost the Chodo of old.

I offer my most sincere bond. I will not enter the girl's mind unless she asks me in offer my most sincere bond. I will not enter the girl's mind unless she asks me in.

I asked Tinnie, "Can you make her believe that?"

"Is iy true?"

"His word's always been good, far as I know."

"A ringing endors.e.m.e.nt for sure."

Singe came in with a bunch of paper. "Do we have any more paper? I don't have enough to finish this report."

"Huh?"

"What we have for the Colonel. From our guests."

"Hmm." Interesting. "We?"

"That poisoner. Kolda. He is in the small front room, recording what the Dead Man wants put into writing." Facing the Dead Man, she added, "He needs rest. His penmanship is becoming unreadable."

"Kolda's been here all the time?" I wasn't sure why I thought he'd left while I was out. Maybe my frugal side was hoping I'd shed a hungry mouth.

Tinnie interjected, "Don't we have something more pressing to deal with?"

"So go get her, my treasure. Work your wiles on somebody who don't wear pants." I turned to the Dead Man. "You have Kolda jot down anything from Mr. Temisk or his best pal?" I was thinking maybe we now had us a record of where the other bodies were buried. That could be handier than a wagonful of spades.

Tinnie left. After giving me a poisonous look. Singe let her out.

"You have something up your sleeve, Smiley. Be careful. Tinnie is steamed already."

He seemed mildly amused.

Dean came in complaining about shortages.

"We aren't under siege right now. Jump on out there. Get what you need. Keeping in mind that we will end up besieged again if anybody finds out who we've got here."

The Dead Man volunteered, No one is watching at the moment No one is watching at the moment.

Excepting Mrs. Cardonlos, of course. But she didn't count for much, anymore. Even the other biddies don't have much use for a known informant.

Funny how everybody favors law and order in the abstract, but don't want to get into the kitchen and help cook.

Dean was ready to go. Singe let him out. He was gone before I realized that I'd just given him the chance he'd been laying for. "d.a.m.n! I wanted to keep him away from the girl."

Not to worry. He is focused on marketing.

I became distracted myself. How much of the true tale had we gotten out of Chodo? Could we use that to restrain the man?

Probably not. Chodo was clever enough to weasel his way out of almost anything. Usually at somebody else's expense.

70.

Penny Dreadful came in shy as a mouse, ready to bolt at the least excuse. n.o.body said a thing. Chodo was the last person she eyed, excepting for the deacon, whose presence disturbed her.

Her presence bothered him, too. Despite his supposed unconsciousness. His nose pointed her way. His nostrils flared, then squeezed shut against an offensive odor.

"Friend of yours?" I asked.

She spit on the deacon, then plopped into my empty chair. Cats came from everywhere, swarmed all over her.

"Somebody's glad to see you," Tinnie observed.

Penny scowled at Chodo.

He recognized her. Even I could feel the emotion.

There was a human bone in the kingpin's body. A paternal bone.

I'd seen it before, of course. He'd been uncommonly indulgent with Belinda. Who'd loathed him all the more for it.

Find a way to lure Miss Tate out of the room.

What was he up to? "Sweetums, let's see if Dean left the kettle on."

Lame. It earned me a dose of maximum-potency fisheye. She smelled something. She didn't catch on, though.

While we got the kettle on, my fat old weasel partner sold Penny the notion that the only way she could communicate with Chodo would be through him. Which, at the moment, was true. But the process didn't have to include unfettered access to the inside of her head.

It was that old chestnut about age and treachery trumping youth and talent. She let emotion override reason.

Which was why he wanted Tinnie out of the room. She might warn Penny.

He fed me a trickle of news so I'd know to keep Tinnie occupied while he facilitated the exchange between Penny and her pappy. That smidgen was interesting in the extreme. The stone is explained The stone is explained.

"Huh?"

Tinnie's gaze popped up from loading the tea ball. "You get more primitive by the minute, don't you?"

"Ungawa! See fire hair woman! Yum. Me grab'um."

"You want hot water down your pants leg, keep it up."

"Make up your mind, woman."

Meantime, Old Bones continued. The girl slung that stone at you. That is the main secret she wants to protect. The presence of the s.e.xton there was not accidental. He was looking for her. He had been following her The girl slung that stone at you. That is the main secret she wants to protect. The presence of the s.e.xton there was not accidental. He was looking for her. He had been following her.

He antic.i.p.ated my question. She wanted you out of the way. You were making it too difficult for Dean to help her She wanted you out of the way. You were making it too difficult for Dean to help her.

"She's just a kid." But Chodo's kid. Of course.

Tinnie gave me the fisheye. Again.

The level of malice was not high. It did not occur to her that she might kill you. She wanted you injured so you would be out of her way while she got to her father and won him over. She was sure he would help her turn the table on A-Laf Being unaware that Mr. Contague helped midwife the modern cult. She does not, by the by, appear to be aware that the phoenix stones start fires, nor even that the priestess of her temple considered them particularly valuable. Along with the kittens, her mother gave her sacred jewelry, holy books, and a sack full of rocks. Without explaining the importance of the jewelry or rocks. Were I as cynical as you I would suspect that most of the stones confiscated by A-Laf's partisans were really creek pebbles.

Tinnie caught on. She swatted my hands away, s.n.a.t.c.hed at the kettle. "You're a total swine, aren't you? What's he doing to her?"

"She tried to kill me."

"Bull. She didn't, either. She just-"

"You knew?"

"We talked a lot. She's lonely without her kittens."

"And you didn't-?"

"It was private, Garrett. You didn't get hurt, did you?"

I rolled my eyes in appeal to the sky. Even my best girl now?

Before I could protest further, she said, "Somebody's at the door."

It couldn't be critical. Old Bones wasn't spouting warnings. Dean couldn't be back already, could he? The redhead wasn't that that distracting. distracting.

Singe appeared. "Saucerhead is here. With that woman."

"Which woman?"

"Winger." Her tone left no doubt about her esteem for my friend.

Tinnie looked relieved.

"Saved by the cavalry, eh?"

She stuck out her tongue.

"You'll pay, woman. Mark my words, you'll pay."

She just sneered.

Winger was more wasted than Melondie Kadare ever managed. "Garrett!" she burbled, blurry-eyed, using both walls to stay upright. "Yer a sum um a b.i.t.c.h, even if yer one a the good guys." She leaned against one wall. "Jes need a minute. I'm f.u.c.ked-up."

"What's this?" I asked Saucerhead.

"A very drunk woman."

"That part didn't get past me. I've got skills. I was thinking more along the lines of, why? And why here? She might make a mess."

"I think she's done all of that she can. Less'n she can get her socks up."

"Even so. Singe, stand by the door. We'll toss her out if-"

Tinnie interrupted, "It'll take all of you to do it."