From: Jason Self Date: Sun, 15 May 2022 15:07:03 +0000 (-0700) Subject: Publish new installment X-Git-Url: https://jxself.org/git/?p=universe.git;a=commitdiff_plain;h=2f64c273d87ec8ff5d1c34e7d05a1c953bd9a212 Publish new installment --- diff --git a/agalder.txt b/agalder.txt index 7a81b93..0f83ab9 100644 --- a/agalder.txt +++ b/agalder.txt @@ -1923,4 +1923,120 @@ Santorini looked at them "Whatcha need, Dom?" of the Resistance." Quiet laughter ran around the table. "Yes, Harlan. You can trust this -oaf. He's for real." and Santorini turned back to the table. \ No newline at end of file +oaf. He's for real." and Santorini turned back to the table. + +==== Harlan: Thief, Resistance Operative ==== + +Domosky and Harlan returned to their table where the younger man sat +staring at his hands silently. Domosky waited. + +Finally, Harlan looked up at the big man. "Sorry. I'm a bit pissed." +He looked at the barkeep. "Even the bartender knows more than I do." + +He rose from the table and headed for the door. + +Domosky stood up and followed. He caught up with Harlan in a few of +his long strides. "If you go to the roofs, we won't be able to talk." +His breath streamed out on the cold night air. "No one knows more than +they need to. You are entering a new phase. And you need more +information now. So you're getting it." + +He rubbed the back of his head. "I felt much the same as you do last +week when they filled me in on a lot of minor details. Like Behan and +Murphy." + +Harlan snorted. "Behan doesn't seem like a minor detail to me." He +looked at Dom. "Who's Murphy." + +"The guy sitting across from the Boss at the table. He's an assistant +to the President." + +"The President? The pirate President? Mahoney? That President?" + +"Yes. That President." + +"Jesus H. Christ on a hofsteader." Harlan stood for a long minute, his +mouth hanging open. Then he shook his head vigorously. "I don't +believe that. I don't believe any of those bastards could be turned." + +"He wasn't turned. He contacted us." + +"That proves it. He's a mole. He joined the Resistance to get +information on us to pass on to his boss. He needs to be eliminated." +He looked back at the tavern as Domosky turned him around and they +walked back. + +"His wife would shoot you just for saying that." said Dom as they +entered the pub. + +Harlan's head came up. "Who's his wife? And why should I care?" + +"Her name is Silver Santorini. She's the Boss's daughter." He leaned +forward, scrutinizing the crowd. "In fact, that's her. Over by the +bar. The one with all the panting men around her." + +Standing next to the bar was one of the most beautiful women Harlan +had ever seen. Her hair was almost pure white, hanging loose and +tumbling down her back like a waterfall. But she wasn't an albino. Her +skin had a healthy pink tinge, especially on those high cheekbones. +Her eyes were light although he couldn't see what color they were from +this distance. Her rosebud mouth opened as she laughed over perfect +white teeth. Her neck... + +Harlan forced his attention back to Domosky. "Holy shit!" he said. +"That's the Boss' daughter?" + +Domosky had been watching Harlan's reaction to the woman. "Yep. Lots +prettier than her daddy." + +Harlan snorted. "You're a master of understatement." + +Then he deliberately turned his back on the very distracting woman, +shifting so that he faced Domosky. "Do you know what the high +muckety-mucks have ordered me to do?" + +The big man grinned. "As I understand it, you volunteered to serve in +whatever capacity they needed." + +"That was before I heard what the assignment was." He shook his head, +taking a quick glance at the Boss' daughter. "They want me to organize +the thieves, destroy the Syndicate, and bring any left alive into the +Thieves' Guild." Shaking his head again, he asked "How in Hell am I +supposed to accomplish that? Behan says I have friends who will be +there for me." He took another quick look at Silver. "As far as I +know, you're the only person I can call a friend. And you might not +feel that way." + +Domosky chuckled. "You will probably be surprised when you find out +how many friends you actually have." He leaned back in his chair, +possibly to cut off the view of Silver Santorini, which was just as +distracting to him. "And, yes. I am your friend." + +Harlan looked at the big man for a moment with a slightly crooked +smile. Then he realized that Silver Santorini was standing next to +them. Both men nearly fell as they hurriedly stood up. + +Silver's lips quirked. "May I join you?" she asked. + +"Of course." said Dom as he grabbed a chair from a nearby table, +dumping the previous occupant. + +"Our pleasure." said Harlan as he moved his chair over to make room. + +Silver was chuckling as she stooped to assist the man who had been so +unceremoniously deposited on the floor. Dom's face went pink and he +lifted the man to his feet, apologizing. + +Silver offered her hand to both of the men. "Hello. I'm Silver +Santorini. I believe you know my father." + +The two men had difficulty letting go of her hand, but she was able to +extricate it. + +She accepted their offer of a brew as the waiter came over. + +Once they were alone, she leaned forward and spoke softly. "I have +been assigned to your team, Harlan. It will be you and me and Dom." + +For the first time, Harlan was not pleased to see Mellie walk in the +door to the tavern. \ No newline at end of file