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Why not?” She didn’t answer, instead looking away from her rifle, studying him for a few moments. Finally she said, “A cravat? Really?” “It’s kind of my thing,” Waxillium said. “The gentleman bounty hunter.” “Why would a bounty hunter need a ‘thing’ in the first place?” “It’s important to have a reputation,” Waxillium ... |
place could be a trap.” Lessie cursed softly as he reached the door and cracked it open again. The thugs were arguing quietly and gesturing toward the door. “They’re taking me seriously,” Waxillium said. “Ha! The reputation is working. You see that? They’re frightened!” “Congratulations,” she said. “Do you think they’l... |
checking the top floor for signs of thugs. “Why were you there? Chasing a bounty?” “Yeah, kind of.” “And you really didn’t know they were going to make you—” “This conversation is done.” They stepped out onto the top floor, and Waxillium waited a moment until a shadow on the wall announced someone following them upstai... |
shot? Might as well go all in, Mister Cravat.” “I think we’ll be fine, Miss Pink Garter.” She raised an eyebrow. “If you’re going to identify me by my clothing choices,” he said, “then I figure I can do the same.” “It shall never be mentioned again,” she said, then took a deep breath. “So?” He nodded, flaring his metal... |
came down hard, smashing into a table in a basement chamber. Waxillium let out a puffing groan, but forced himself to twist around, shaking free of the broken wood. The basement, surprisingly, was paneled in fine hardwoods and lit by lamps shaped like curvaceous women. The table they had hit bore a rich white tableclot... |
down his temple. He was tempted to just pull his trigger and shoot, but he’d be killed if he did that. And they knew it. It was a standoff, but they had reinforcements coming. “You don’t belong here,” Joe said, leaning forward, elbows on his broken table. “We came here to escape folks like you. Your rules. Your assumpt... |
enormous man dropped to the floor, gurgling as he bled. “That?” Lessie said, glaring at Waxillium. “That’s all you could come up with to win me over? ‘You have nice legs’? Seriously? You are so doomed up here, Cravat.” Waxillium breathed out in relief. “Oh, Harmony. I thought you were going to shoot me for sure.” “Shou... |
change things out here. If not the whole Roughs, then at least this town.” “Well,” Lessie said, walking over to Granite Joe’s corpse, “I’m sure that if any evil pianos were thinking of attacking the city, they’ll have second thoughts now, considering your prowess with that pistol.” Waxillium winced. “You … saw that, di... |
Flog said. “That’s bad luck, it is.” “Don’t be a fool,” Winsting said, adjusting his cravat. “He’s watching us,” Flog said. “The mists are His eyes, my lord. Sure as Ruin, that is.” “Superstitious nonsense.” Winsting turned and strode into the room. Behind him, Flog shut the doors before the mists could seep into the p... |
“It’s ugly as sin,” Dowser said, looking over the painting. “I can’t believe this is what you’re having us ‘bid’ on. A little cheeky, isn’t it?” “And you’d rather I was completely forthright, Mister Dowser?” Winsting said. “You’d have me proclaim it far and wide? ‘Pay me, and in exchange you get my vote in the Senate f... |
end of his first circuit of the room, Winsting had to forcibly contain his excitement. No longer would he have to limit his spending. If his brother could— The gunshot was so unexpected, he at first assumed that one of the servers had broken something. But no. That crack was so sharp, so earsplitting. He’d never heard ... |
“What do you think?” In response, a pair of hands grabbed Winsting by the hair, pulled his head back, and efficiently slit his exposed throat. 2 I figure I should write one of these things, the small book read. To tell my side. Not the side the historians will tell for me. I doubt they’ll get it right. I don’t know tha... |
who will?” “Excuse me?” “I have known you for an entire year now, Lord Waxillium,” Steris said. “I can accept you for who you are, but I am under no illusions. Something will happen at our wedding. A villain will burst in, guns firing. Or we’ll discover explosives in the altar. Or Father Bin will inexplicably turn out ... |
nodding back. Wax buckled on his gunbelt over his fine city suit, with vest and cravat, then threw on his mistcoat duster. “Let’s go,” he said, checking his ammunition. Wayne pushed his way out the door and barreled down the stairs. Wax paused by Steris’s couch. “I…” “A man must have his hobbies,” she said, raising ano... |
around a horse carriage. “Reddi is wrong,” Wax said. “Head for the Breakouts.” She didn’t argue. The motorcar thumped and shook until they hit the new section of paving stones, where the street smoothed out and the vehicle picked up speed. This was one of the latest motorcars, the type the broadsheets had been spouting... |
out behind him. Ahead, Marks bounded down the thoroughfare in a series of Steelpushes. Deep within, Wax felt the comforting burn of his own metal. He propelled himself off the motorcar and out over the roadway. Marks always performed his robberies in daylight, always escaped along the busiest roadways he could find. He... |
toward the plaster wall separating him from Marks. Translucent blue lines spread around him, pointing in a thousand different directions, highlighting bits of metal. The nails in a desk behind him, where a frightened man in a suit cowered. The metal wires in the walls, leading to electric lamps. Most importantly, a few... |
had gone in, then Pushed off the light behind, bending it against the wall and entering the room. Open window. Wax grabbed a handful of pens from a desk before throwing himself out the window, a dozen stories up. Banknotes fluttered in the air, trailing behind Marks as he plummeted. Wax increased his weight, trying to ... |
folding her arms, looking displeased. “Not yet he didn’t,” Wax said. “He’s bleeding and dropping money. He’ll leave a trail. Come on.” 3 “I need you to stay behind as we go into those slums,” Wayne said, determined to impress solemnity into his voice. “It’s not that I don’t want your help. I do. It’s just going to be t... |
sounds. “You trying to poison me?” Wayne repeated, working his jaw as if his mouth were full of bits of rock he kept trying to chew. Some northern fields mix in this one, for sure. He opened his eyes and tipped the whiskey at the man, who smelled it, then took a sip. Then a swig. Then a gulp. “So,” the man asked, “you ... |
Marasi drew, pointed at them by people who passed behind, or who pulled windows closed up above. This is worse, Wayne thought. Worse than normal. He’d have to talk to Wax about it. But for now there was a job to do. “They are looking for something.” “Stay out of it,” bowl-head said. Wayne grunted. “Maybe there’s money ... |
the metal set up a nice little bubble of sped-up time around him. He strolled around the corner, staying inside the bubble—it didn’t move when he did, but he could move within it. Yup. There he was, bowl-head himself, crouching beside a rubbish pile, waiting to see if anyone followed him. Wayne had almost made the bubb... |
No wonder the fellow normally wore a mask. Wayne swung at his chin, laying him out with one punch. Then he spun, fists up, but the other half-dozen occupants of the room, including bowl-head, stood frozen just outside the edge of his speed bubble. Now that was right lucky. Wayne grinned, heaving Marks up onto his shoul... |
story,” Marasi said. “About where this … man of hours might be staying. The location of dusk, if you will. Here in these tenements.” “We might know that,” one of the boys said. “Though, you know, stories cost a lot. More than that.” Behind her, something clinked. Waxillium had gotten out a few coins too. The boys glanc... |
down, checking Marks’s wound. Waxillium then looked up at Wayne and nodded, the two sharing an expression they often exchanged. The closest Marasi had been able to figure, it meant something between “Nice work” and “You’re a total git; I wanted to do that.” “Let’s get him to the constabulary offices,” Waxillium said, l... |
with a dropped coin, a dark rush of twisting mistcoat tassels. At times like this he looked more primal, like one of the ancient Mistborn from the legends. Not a creature of law, but a sliver of the night itself come to collect its due. “Aw, hell,” Wayne said, nodding toward Marks. The body slumped in the middle of the... |
talk him down, speak comforting words, seek common ground and build upon it. She didn’t do any of that. Instead, she whipped her hand out of her handbag, gripping the small, single-shot pistol she kept inside. Before even considering what she was doing, she pressed the barrel against the man’s chin, pulled the trigger ... |
had a neatly clipped, drooping mustache. “Reddi,” Wax said, nodding to him. “Is Aradel here?” “The constable-general is engaged in another investigation, my lord,” Reddi said with a crisp tone. Why did Wax always want to smack this man after talking to him? He was never insulting, always impeccably proper. Maybe that w... |
like this, despite explicitly being told that it is not your assignment, as you are not a field constable?” “Pure happenstance I’m sure, sir,” Marasi said. He gave her a sneer at that. Funny. He usually saved those for Waxillium, when the man wasn’t looking. He said something she couldn’t make out, then nodded toward t... |
through the doors. “We’ve tried to keep this very tightly controlled,” Reddi said. “But word will get out, with Lord Winsting involved. Rusts, this is going to be a nightmare.” “The governor’s brother?” Marasi asked. “What happened here?” Reddi pointed up a set of steps. “We should find Constable-General Aradel in the ... |
houses with … dubious reputations. The rest were high-ranking representatives from other important factions. We have near thirty notable stiffs, along with a handful of guards each.” “That’s half of the city’s criminal elite,” Waxillium said softly, crouching down beside a body. “At least.” “All people we’ve never been... |
leader was friendly with criminals, was he?” “We’ve long suspected he was crooked,” Aradel said. “The people love his family though, and his brother went to great lengths to keep Winsting’s previous lapses out of the limelight.” “You’re right, Aradel,” Waxillium said from across the room. “This will be bad.” “I dunno,”... |
type of criminal activity,” Marasi said, her voice echoing in the damp stone stairwell. “We need to find the connection, what made these specific people targets. The one most likely behind it is dead.” “Lord Winsting,” Waxillium said. “You’re saying he lured them here, planned an execution, and it went wrong?” “It’s on... |
to get past them,” Marasi said. “Maybe,” Waxillium agreed. “But that door has to be unlocked from the inside, and it hasn’t been forced. There’s a peephole. Winsting let the murderer in, and he wouldn’t have done that if the guards had been killed. He’s sitting calmly in that chair—no struggle, just a quick slice from ... |
his mirror, then wiped his nose. Sniffles. He’d started storing up health the day before, just after finding all those corpses. He already had a nice cushion of healing he could draw upon, tucked away in his metalmind bracers. He hadn’t needed much lately, and always spent days when he had a hangover as sickly as he co... |
about properly.” “I don’t see what my insomnia has to do with your laziness, Wayne.” “Makes me look bad, ’sall,” Wayne said, looking over Wax’s shoulder. “Proper loafing requires company. One man lying about is being idle; two men lying about is a lunch break.” Wax shook his head, walking over to look at some broadshee... |
out, ‘Hey, why’d you throw that bottle at that nice fellow? Rusts, he looks big. And now he’s comin’ for you, and—’” “I understand the concept,” Wax said dryly. He tapped the drawing pad. “You might have something.” “It’s not catching.” Wax smiled, writing some notes on the side of the pad. “So the killer wanted to sow... |
Poor fellow. He pulled the door closed behind him, took a pull on the rum, and continued on his way down the stairs and out of the mansion. * * * Marasi tugged at the collar of her jacket, glad for the seaborne wind that blew across her. It could get warm in her uniform—a proper one today, with a buttoned white blouse ... |
those promises. How would people react if they began to wonder if the governor, Replar Innate, was as corrupt as his brother? A fire is kindling in the city, Marasi thought. She could almost feel the heat coming off the page of the broadsheet in her hands. She turned and entered the constabulary offices, worrying that ... |
emerged from a stand of trees to find three Terrismen waiting for him, arms folded, all wearing the robes of Brutes, Feruchemists who could increase their strength. Their features were varied enough that one wouldn’t have pegged them as relatives. Two had the height that was often the Terris heritage, and one had skin ... |
he muttered. Perhaps he shouldn’t have downed the whole thing. Then again, it made his sniffles easy to ignore. When he was properly smashed, he could take a punch or two to the face and not even feel it. There was a kind of invincibility to that. A stupid kind, but Wayne wasn’t a picky man. He made his way up to the u... |
street, many of whom were the children of the houseless. Wayne liked to keep an eye on them. They were good lads. He’d been like them once. Then life had steered him wrong. Boys like this, they could use someone to point them in the right direction. “Oh, you know,” Dims said. “Some back, some forth.” “There won’t be tr... |
security!” “I tossed them a ball,” Wayne said, tucking the spectacles into his pocket. “Most hounds love having somethin’ to chase.” The tyrant rumbled around the side of her desk. It was like watching an ocean liner try to navigate city canals. She wore a tiny hat, in an attempt at fashion. She liked to consider herse... |
together? The tyrant let him pass into the visiting room, then sent one of the girls at the desk to run for Allriandre. Wayne sat down, but couldn’t keep his feet from tapping. He’d been stripped of weapons, bribes, and even his own hat. He was practically naked, but he’d made it to the final test. Allriandre entered a... |
“Get out.” Wayne ducked his head and left. * * * There should not have been a thatched log hut in the middle of Elendel, and yet here it was. Wax stooped to enter, seeming to step backward in time hundreds of years. The air inside smelled of old leather and furs. The enormous firepit in the middle would never be needed... |
Village on … what, a mere three occasions since your return to the city? Nearly two years, and you’ve made time for your grandmother only twice before today.” “Can you blame me, considering how these meetings usually go? To be blunt, Grandmother, I know how you feel about me. So why torture either of us?” “You cling to... |
bullet in his hand. And he smiled. Once that memory had brought him pain—the pain of isolation. Now he saw only a budding lawman, remembered the sense of purpose he’d felt. Wax stood up, grabbing his hat, mistcoat rustling. He almost wanted to believe that the scents to the room, the memories, were his grandmother’s do... |
her life. She’d grown up reading stories of the Roughs, of lawmen and villains. She’d dreamed of six-guns and stagecoaches. She’d even taken up horseback riding and rifle shooting. And then, real life had intervened. She’d been born into privilege. Yes, she was illegitimate, but the generous stipend from her father had... |
the solicitors’. Here, there was a true sense of purpose, but it was measured, even thoughtful. Constables leaned back in chairs and described evidence to other officers, looking for help on a case. Junior corporals moved through the room, delivering cups of tea, fetching files, or running some other errand. The compet... |
worse, Lieutenant,” he said with a grimace, reaching for a cup. “People are used to hating conners. We’re a magnet for it, a lightning rod. Better us than the governor.” “Unless the governor deserves it, sir.” “Dangerous words, Lieutenant,” Aradel said, filling his cup with steaming tea from the large urn kept warm ato... |
even if the other octants follow it. I don’t want my best men and women turning into desk slugs. I want the assistant position to be for nurturing someone fresh who shows promise, rather than letting some practiced constable gather moss.” The realization made a lot of things lock into place for Marasi. The hostility sh... |
clips, or one-Boxing-fifty for two. ELENDEL FEELS EFFECTS OF CORBEAU FLOODING Higher commodities prices to impact market performance As one of the Basin’s key grain-producing regions struggles to rebuild following the breaking of the dam near Corbeau, unanswered questions still threaten the comfort of those at the hear... |
rebar sloppily left sticking from a tenement wall. Towns were better in the Roughs, where you could know everyone. That way you could care for them, and really feel you were doing something. Marasi would argue that statistically, leading his house here was more effective in creating general human happiness, but he wasn... |
their grievances. Report back to your precinct, and make sure you bring more men next time.” They nodded, hiking off. The promenade’s knot of pedestrians slowly unwound itself, and Wax shook his head, worried. The men running the strikes did have a grievance. He’d found some of the same problematic conditions among the... |
startling,” Wax said, “considering how you so frequently brutalize it.” “Ain’t nobody what knows the cow better than the butcher, Wax.” “I suppose…” Wax said, standing up. “Have you ever met a woman named Idashwy? A Feruchemist.” “Steelrunner?” Wax nodded. “Never met her,” Wayne said. “They keep kicking me out of the V... |
winds. And there was a good chance this woman was right, that she’d be able to sell her apples at a premium until things calmed down in a few days. Marasi shook her head, setting down the apple and continuing toward the Hub. There was always a press here, people on the promenade, vehicles on the streets trying to force... |
“Thank you anyway, sir. I’ll see if I can work my way to the front of the crowd.” Marasi moved off. “Wait, constable,” the old man said. “Don’t I know you?” She looked back, blushing. “I’m—” “Lord Harms’s girl!” the old captain said. “The bastard. That’s it! Now, don’t get red-faced. That’s not meant as an insult, chil... |
strange dichotomy. He kept seeing men loitering on corners. Now they flowed together in streams. That would create dangerous rapids, as when a real river met rocks. Wax landed, heart thrumming like the drum of a march. He’d been sure of it, this time. He had seen Bloody Tan in that crowd of men. A brief glimpse of a fa... |
building. Idashwy’s place was at the top, a small apartment on the rear, with a view only of the back of other buildings. Wax slipped Vindication out of her holster, then knocked, standing to the side of the door in case someone shot through it. No response. “Nice door,” Wayne said softly. “Good wood.” He kicked it ope... |
offer, a promised end to the city’s growing strain. Mirabell’s Rules, Marasi thought, nodding to herself. Mirabell had been a statistician and psychologist in the third century who had studied why some people worked harder than others. Turned out a man or woman was much more likely to do good work if they were invested... |
this evening we stand on the brink of a crisis, but I assure you, no such problem exists. My brother was not the criminal they are condemning him to have been.” Oh, Innate, Marasi thought, sighing to herself as she wrote. That’s not why they’re here. Nobody had come to hear more about Winsting. What about the city’s re... |
as they were focused on the speech. So Marasi was the first one to scream as the guardsman pulled a revolver from underneath his coat and leveled it at the governor. * * * Wayne prowled around the dead woman’s room. It was too clean. A room where people lived should have a healthy amount of clutter. Miss Steelrunner ha... |
a job as a clerk, a good Terris occupation. She convinced herself that a nice apartment—where she was safe from the supposed horrors of lesser neighborhoods—was worth the expense. Simple stuff. “But then some workers at the jeweler took her out, and she let herself drink. She liked that. Awakened memories of sneaked dr... |
they’d draped with a sheet. They’d paused briefly in their inspection to send the newsboy for the local constables. Wax ground his teeth. Idashwy’s wound … it was just like those described in the book. Somebody had killed this woman with a spike through the chest, stealing her Feruchemical talent. The book described th... |
sentence. The very words Bloody Tan had said before jerking Lessie right into the path of Wax’s bullet, making him kill the woman he loved. Someone else moves us, lawman. 7 “Look, Wax,” Wayne said as the two of them entered Ladrian Mansion, “I saw Tan’s body. You shot him square in the head. That bloke was deader than ... |
it on the best authority that he will come. He doesn’t want to appear to have anything to hide in these parlous times.” Wax frowned. “Wait. What happened today?” “Assassination attempt on the governor,” Steris said. “You really don’t know?” “I’ve been busy. Rusts! Someone tried to kill him? Who?” “Some deranged man,” S... |
the coach body just behind me which would never quite match those around it. Wax breathed in and out. “Harmony.” Yes? the voice said. “You’re here, in my coach.” Technically, I am everywhere. Wax trembled, mouth going dry. He forced himself to close the door and sit back down. Tell me, the voice said in his head, what ... |
is even older than I am, though not older than my powers. She is crafty, careful, and brilliant. And I’m afraid that she might have gone mad. The carriage turned a corner. “One of Your ancient servants,” Wax said, “has gone mad and is killing people.” Yes. “So stop her!” It is not so simple. “Free will?” Wax said, anno... |
sapience. I do not know her game with this city, but I’m alarmed by it. She has spent centuries studying human behavior. She is planning something. “I’ll have to stop her, then.” I will send you help. “I assume, considering the source, it will be spectacular.” Harmony sighed softly. In Wax’s mind’s eye, he had a sudden... |
back, sweating, feeling drained. A rapping came at his window. Hesitant, Wax pulled aside the shade. Wayne’s face hung there, upside down, his hand holding his hat onto his head. “You done talking to yourself, Wax?” he asked. “I … Yes, I am.” “I heard voices in my head once too, you know.” “You did?” “Sure. Gave me a f... |
someone like that in alone with their charge, Captain,” Aradel said. “After a firefight where others were being killed? They’d be tense. Suspicious.” Down below, the suspect began rocking back and forth on his seat. The vents that would allow them to listen in on him were closed, but she had a sense that he was mutteri... |
down at the captive. He narrowed his eyes, then glanced at the bracers on the table nearby. One jumped, then fell off the table, Pushed by his unseen Allomantic ability. He grunted. “Those aren’t metalminds,” he said. “This man is a decoy. You’ve been duped.” He turned as if to leave. Wayne slouched down in one of the ... |
alive,” Waxillium said softly. “The creature who’s behind this casually murdered Winsting in a saferoom, behind a wall of guards, after intentionally starting a firefight in the room above. She wouldn’t be caught like this. It’s a taunt.” He looked to Marasi. “But I can’t be certain, not a hundred percent. So I need yo... |
to be at that party. Because I guarantee Bleeder will be.” 8 Young Waxillium, age twelve, looked from one coin to the other. Both bore a picture of the Lord Mistborn on the front, standing with his left arm outspread toward the Elendel Basin. On the back, each displayed a picture of the First Central Bank, in which his... |
of stone steps led up to the very bank pictured on the coin. Uncle Edwarn waited for the coachman to open his door, but Waxillium hopped down on his own. Uncle Edwarn met him on the steps. “Your father,” Uncle said, “is hopeless with economics. I have worked on him for years, but he cannot—or will not—learn. I have gre... |
need another boat, Lord Nikolin?” the banker asked. “Of course I’m certain. Would I bother coming here if I weren’t serious? Honestly. You people should allow my steward to make these arrangements. That’s what stewards are for, after all.” Uncle Edwarn closed the slit with a quiet snap, then turned to Waxillium. “You a... |
embarrassment. Now it is worth more than thousands of its companions combined. Value created where none once existed. I will take the poor of this city and make of them the same thing. As I said, a revolution.” Waxillium felt sick. “The coin is for you,” Uncle Edwarn said, standing. “I wish it to be a reminder. The gif... |
outfit myself for the trip.” “And those words?” “I don’t know,” Wax said, pocketing the coin. “Thing is, remembering that story bothers me. I told myself at the time that I was trying to help the man, but I don’t think that was true. Looking back, I was just trying to anger my uncle. “I’m still like that, Steris. Why d... |
below while we are flying.” Wax smiled, then reached under his seat, getting out the package that Ranette had sent him. He tucked that under his arm, then pushed open the door. “People underestimate you, Steris.” “No,” she said, stepping out onto the misty sidewalk. He saw she wore shoes that fastened securely. Good. “... |
question. What do you hunt tonight?” “Bleeder will be here.” “The murderer? How do you know?” “She is going to try to kill the governor again,” Wax said. “She’ll want to test me, to see if she can get close, judge how I’ll react.” “You act as if it’s personal, between the two of you.” “I wish it were.” Someone else mov... |
dropped them the few feet to the balcony. Better, better. The great liability of a Coinshot like himself was that he could only Push away from things, never Pull toward them. A tether could be useful indeed. He wiggled the hook free. This was awkward. What if he needed to unhook it while flying, or fighting? Could Rane... |
thought about what a rusted fool his friend was. Obviously, Wax persisted with this whole engagement-to-Steris mess because he missed Lessie so much. So Wax had chosen a marriage that demanded no emotional investment. That was easy to see as the bottom of your own glass at a pub with watered-down ale, that was. Wayne h... |
bouncer said, his stern face completely expressionless. Yeah, something was going on here. Wayne grabbed Marasi’s arm, towing her aside. “Let’s go. Rusting fools.” “But—” Wayne glanced over his shoulder and, just at the right moment, tossed up a speed bubble. “Alrighty, then,” he said. “New plan!” “You sound excited,” ... |
Wayne said, striding back to where he’d been standing when he’d sped up time, “is the best damn argument for trying this that anyone could make. Come back so I can drop this speed bubble. After that we’re gonna need to find us some weapons.” Marasi paled, joining him. “If you are thinking of sneaking guns in—” “Not gun... |
Bleeder was here somewhere, Wax wouldn’t be able to relax anyway. So how to find the creature? More importantly, how would he beat someone who could move in a blur? Unlike Allomancy—which burned at a few standard rates—Feruchemical powers could be used up all at once. Bleeder could drain her metalminds in a single burs... |
Steris said. She seemed genuinely impressed. They moved through the room, passing under a chandelier. The separate bits of crystal—which had wires suspending them—moved subtly away from Wax, like the needle of a compass confronted by a magnet’s matching pole. He accidentally knocked a nugget off a pedestal as they pass... |
Lord Bookers. He is dreadfully boring.” Wax followed her down three steps, passing a display shining with nuggets of tin that rattled at his passing, alongside pictures of famous Tineyes, including several sketches of the Lord Mistborn—who had been a Tineye before the Catacendre. Funny, that Steris would remark on some... |
with economic and political power. The Lord Mistborn’s laws, based upon the Last Emperor’s ideal, were supposed to put power into the hands of common men. And yet the same groups just kept on ruling. Wax was one of them. How guilty should he feel? Already I fear that I have made things too easy for men.… Drim, the gove... |
they say I can make people uncomfortable.” “You learn the stare early,” Wax said, returning his attention to the governor. In the back of his mind, he assessed the woman Milan and decided to keep an eye on her. Had that been Bleeder in disguise, trying to feel him out? Or had it been just another foolish partygoer with... |
hand Wayne was pleased. He’d only had Marasi’s description of Hanlanaze to go on in creating his disguise, so the fact that he fooled someone who had obviously seen the professor’s picture was impressive. On the other hand … damn. Wayne handed Marasi his plate, giving her a stern glare that said “Don’t eat these.” Then... |
Governor Innate finished his conversation and turned toward Wax. Drim, the bodyguard, waved them forward. He didn’t like Wax, but from what Wax knew of the man, Drim was solid, loyal and dependable. He understood that Wax wasn’t a threat. Unfortunately, Drim didn’t know the threat they were facing. A kandra … it could ... |
his meeting. “Lady Harms, might I ask after your cousin? I’ve yet to thank her for what she did today, even if the man’s aim was off, and I would have been safe anyway.” “Marasi is well,” Steris said. “She should be coming up here tonight to—” Look at them. The thought forced its way into Wax’s head. Steris and the gov... |
He eyed the plate of little sausages as it passed, but couldn’t find the will to chase it down. The fun was gone, for some reason. Instead he went looking for Wax. * * * “Excuse me,” Wax said to the governor and Steris. Both turned astonished eyes on him as he walked away. A rude move. He didn’t let himself care. He st... |
ravaging lion is evil when compared to the placid rabbit. “You called them sewage.” Sewage is not evil. That does not make it desirable. Bleeder’s voice in his mind seemed to take on more personality as she spoke. Soft, haunting, morose. Like Bloody Tan had been. Someone else moves us.… “And you?” Wax asked. “Which are... |
in the wrong— The governor’s guards piled on top of Wayne and Bleeder. Wax cursed, dashing forward, Vindication up beside his head and mistcoat flapping behind him. He leaped over cowering partygoers—Pushing off tacks in the floor to get some height—and came down near the group of struggling guards. Wayne, wearing a fa... |
of atium—See Back, Column 5. “Street Racing” Threatens Grand Old Sport What do you hear the closer one gets to the Hub and the hour gets later? Motorcar engines growling like Roughs beasts and the yell of tires ripping up the roads. It has been half a decade at least since one could hear the nighttime clip-clop of hors... |
ordinary vision was of limited use, but steelsight’s blue lines pierced the mists like arrows. He could easily make out the motorcar speeding away, but he didn’t know for certain Bleeder was in it. He took a moment to watch the movements of other vehicles nearby. A carriage pulled to a stop one street away. He could te... |
dark alleyway, checking the rope at his waist, making sure he could unwind it quickly in case Bleeder was a Coinshot or a Lurcher and he needed to dump his metals. Soon the mists filling in behind him made him feel as if he were in an endless corridor, vanishing into nothingness in both directions. Above as well, only ... |
motion, pointing it at the woman’s head. The bullets outside stopped pounding the wall. The silence was far more ominous. “Oh please,” the woman said, pulling up beside the wall with him. “Why would I save you if I were an enemy?” Because you could be Bleeder, Wax thought. Anyone could. “Um … you’re hurt,” the woman sa... |
prepare him for the sight of a pretty young woman’s chest turning nearly transparent, one of the breasts splitting and offering up the hilt of a small handgun. She grabbed it and pulled it out. “So convenient,” she noted. “You can store all sorts of things in those.” “Who are you?” “MeLaan,” she said, rising and holdin... |
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