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more, especially since he d had an explosion of questions ever
since arriving. One or two had been answered like discovering
the name in his pocket was a living, breathing, startling man but
too many had not. And until he was more accepted in the
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community, he didn t think he would find them without risking
more than he was willing to.
As the sun slid toward the horizon, his arms began to scream. A
couple good meals weren t enough to fend off weeks of half-
starvation. Add in the fact he hadn t exerted himself to this degree
since before the bomb, and it was no wonder his muscles felt like
rubber.
Maria saved him. The door opened, and she stood there, framed
in the exit, regarding him with those fathomless eyes. The
irrational thought, Rafe s aren t nearly as dark, jolted him into
straightening.
 Are you hungry?
 Yes, ma am.
She surveyed his neat stacks, climbing the back wall.  Wash
up. You can call it a day.
He nodded, subduing his joyous relief until she turned on her
heel and went back inside. After such strenuous work, he had no
doubt he d be dead to the world tonight. By morning, he should be
on Chadwick s clock, which was a big step in the right direction.
Cleaned and presentable for public scrutiny, Sullivan wondered
for a moment which entrance to use. Going in the front was polite,
but the rear made it clear that he was employed there, if only
temporarily. Plus, he didn t want to startle anyone by seeming
threatening with a sudden appearance from the street. If he came in
through the back, it was through invitation.
Not as many people filled seats, though those that did noticed
him right away. The silence was shorter tonight, an improvement
in his mind, but he ignored it, hoping dismissal would diminish its
importance. He waited patiently while Maria finished taking
someone s order, his body instinctively at parade rest.
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 Have a seat at the counter, she said, waving him toward it as
she headed to the kitchen.  I ll have your food right out.
More sets of eyes followed him as he deliberately perched upon
a stool that put his back to the front door. Believe me when I tell
you I m not a threat, he hoped it said to them. What kind of soldier
would make himself so vulnerable if he didn t have to?
Every time the kitchen door opened, he looked at it, and every
time Maria came out on her own, his stomach fell. He wasn t sure
why he expected Rafe to come out and eat with him. Clearly, he
had a job to do, and it damn well wasn t entertaining the stranger
who d wandered into town looking for him. Still, Sullivan couldn t
help his disappointment when he was forced to eat alone, chewing
each bite slowly even though he wanted to wolf it down and
demand seconds. The only thing that made it better was knowing
Rafe had prepared it.
He kept his left hand in his lap as his Grandma Shell had
always taught him. Good manners never hurt. He wasn t a
monster, as much as it might feel like he was, or they might want
him to be. The monstrous things he d been forced to do were a
matter of public security, necessary evil to keep people safe.
Though he didn t expect the citizens of Chadwick to think that, he
hoped at least they could choose to forget what he might have done
in his service to Strike.
He was finishing the last of the sweet pastries pastelitos,
Maria called them when someone slid onto the seat next to him.
 Hope you ve left some for me. Shorty Luther, he corrected,
that was his real name reached for the cloth napkin folded in
front of him. He wasn t smiling when he met Sullivan s eyes, but
his nod was curt and business-like, less combative than he d been
the day before.  Been a long day.
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 I m sure there s more in the kitchen, he said, monitoring his
tone. Two could play this game.
 Way I heard it, you ve had a long day, too. Luther swept his
sharp gaze up and down, lingering for a moment on Sullivan s
boots.  Though maybe not long enough if you don t look it.
Maria appeared in front of them with a dented pot of coffee in
hand.  He cleared out most of that firewood for me, she said.
 Which is more than I can say for that boy you sent my way last
week, Luther.
Luther actually blushed at the slight admonition.  Well, now,
he promised me he d take care of it for you, Maria. It s not my
fault he didn t follow through.
 This one did, though. Steam rose from both cups as she filled
them.  So stop giving him a hard time.
Though he was grateful for the defense, Sullivan was glad
when she moved on to help someone else. The desire to please her
was almost as great as his desire to get on Rafe s good side.
 You must ve done something right. Luther nudged him with
a sharp elbow, though his gaze followed Maria as she moved
around the room.  You got a special knack for splitting wood, or
has the government found a way for you boys to put the hex on
people?
 No, no hex. Though he bridled a little at the intimation.  And
I ve never used an axe before in my life. I just wanted to do a good
job. She s been very helpful.
 She s something, all right, Luther muttered. It wasn t
malicious or even contradictory to what Sullivan had said. In fact,
anyone who heard might think that was admiration in his tone. He
cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, angling to better face
Sullivan.  So what s your plan? You sticking around, or are you
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taking off to find more ditches to sleep in?
Though it was none of Luther s business, he knew he had to
humor the old man. He d already proven himself a force to be
reckoned with by insisting on bringing Sullivan into town. That
might have worked in Sullivan s favor this time, but it didn t
negate the fact Luther had pull in the community and more than
enough stubbornness to do whatever the hell he wanted. Sullivan
had to respect that.
 I d like to stay, he said.
 Because of Rafe?
Yes. But admitting that out loud invited more trouble than it
was worth, especially since he couldn t elaborate as to why.
 Because I m not interested in going back. People seem nice
here. It s as good a place as any.
Luther s eyes narrowed, and he harrumphed under his breath.
Sullivan couldn t really blame him. It wasn t that great of a reason,
even if it was most of what he had to offer.
 You ll need a place to hang your hat up, then. He grinned.
 Even if it s just your turban jacket.
He let Luther make the jab, smiling a little to show it didn t
bother him.  You have a suggestion on how I do that when I don t
know anybody and don t have any money?
 You know Maria. And me and Joe. Whether leaving out Rafe
was deliberate or not, he had no idea.  That s enough to get you
started.
 I didn t know you were the welcoming committee.
 I m not. But I know we ll all be better off, the sooner we see
you settled. And I know how we can go about getting you a room
and putting you to work, all at the same time.
It was on the tip of his tongue to say he d already done that, but
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Sullivan bit it back. He had a feeling he would spend a lot of time
here holding back his words until they came to accept him more.
 How?
The query was simple permission, and Luther lit up.  We do [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]