Cruel Zinc Melodies

That didn’t help matters, of course.

When Singe and I caught up Ti

Looked to me like Alyx wanted to eliminate an actress who might upstage her. ‘‘Anyway, you’re always busy, Ti

True, mostly. But not what Ti

I was wondering why Winger and Jon Salvation had time free.

Heather went in to referee the catfight. I climbed onstage and dragged a gobbling Jon Salvation over to where Winger was mooshing things around under her breastplate, trying to get comfortable inside armor not designed for someone as blessed as she. ‘‘The Dead Man told you guys to stick with Kip and Kyra. What happened?’’

Jon Salvation accused Winger by using exaggerated shifts of his eyeballs.

Did I really have to ask?

‘‘You just walked out on a job?’’

‘‘We got them home safe.’’

‘‘And didn’t let anybody know the kids weren’t covered anymore?’’

Winger said, ‘‘We had to get back to work on the play. Rausta, Queen of the Demenenes is go

The Remora told me, ‘‘Sedona was the patroness of the Demenenes. Rausta was their queen. She fell in love with the adventurer Laupher. She had to kill him to prove to the other Demenenes that she’d remain true to tribal law. Then she gave birth to twins. One boy, one girl. Demenenes were supposed to kill their male children. But Rausta didn’t.’’

I didn’t know the goddess, the queen, or the adventurer, but everybody knows the Demenenes, legendarily harsh Amazons of the plains way to the north of Karenta. They were the first people to domesticate horses. Joining one abomination with another. I didn’t need Jon Salvation to tell me how the story went after the twins grew up.

Salvation told me, ‘‘Sedona may have been an earlier queen of the Demenenes. Which would make her more a patron saint than patron goddess.’’

Winger said, ‘‘This godsdamned armor is rubbing my tits raw.’’

The Remora promised, ‘‘We’ll have better costumes when we open. This stuff is just for setting the tone. We will be opening, won’t we, Garrett?’’

‘‘I don’t see why not.’’

The other Amazons made a great show just prowling around. Too bad Ti

‘‘You rogue,’’ I told Salvation. ‘‘Those costumes will make your play a wi

Max and Manvil were headed upstairs.

Ti

Cu

Ti

Max said, ‘‘What do you call it when you mean to do one thing but you come up with something else instead?’’

Gilbey wondered, ‘‘Serendipity? Or synchronicity?’’

Back to Max. ‘‘Ti

The firm’s treasurer had her anger under control. ‘‘The firm’s treasurer admits she’s a big screwup. She didn’t realize her own family could steal from her.’’

‘‘Is it a family policy?’’ Gilbey radiated exasperated disbelief.

‘‘No! No! That’s not what I meant. I meant I never thought one of my own would mess me up like this.’’

Gilbey turned his glower on Singe. ‘‘You’ve come a long way in a short time.’’

Singe proved it by refusing to be intimidated. She bowed her head slightly to hide her embarrassment. ‘‘Mr. Garrett has been very supportive.’’

‘‘He has that reputation. Why don’t we put the financials aside? Garrett, tell us what you’ve done at the World. Have you handled the problems we wanted resolved?’’

‘‘Things are almost wrapped.’’

Max gave me the fish-eye. Gilbey seemed equally dubious.

I said, ‘‘What I’m going to tell you is unvarnished truth. The way it’s been told to me. You don’t have to believe it but you do have to keep it quiet.’’ Portentous enough? ‘‘As general knowledge it could lead to a huge disaster.’’ I plunged into the story.

I’ve been involved with the brewery so long that Max dismisses nothing, however absurd it might seem at first blush. ‘‘A dragon.’’ An exhalation, not a question.

‘‘I report only what my experts are telling me. Two from high on the Hill. I don’t necessarily buy it myself. You could interrogate Vilchik. He did the library research.’’

‘‘Vilchik?’’

‘‘Alyx’s tame playwright. Calls himself Jon Salvation. His real name is Pilsuds Vilchik. Known on the street as the Remora. My partner had him help do research. Between them Vilchik and Barate Algarda found four historical events that looked a lot like ours. So-called dragon awakenings. All long ago and far away. Fine details weren’t available. My partner doesn’t admit any personal knowledge but he’s been around long enough to have heard about these things when they happened. I have reservations based on the fact that in none of the reports is there a mention of anyone actually seeing a dragon. The roll-up of the Cantard silver supposedly resulted from one of those events.’’

Gilbey demanded, ‘‘What do we do?’’

‘‘The best advice I’ve gotten so far is, leave it the hell alone. If we stop poking it, it might fall asleep again. Cold makes it sleepy. I’m letting all the cold air get to it that I can. But I’ve got a little something else going, too. In case my advisers have been talking out the wrong orifice.’’

Ensued a prolonged question, answer, challenge, and brainstorming session, the sum of which was that the costs of the World were mounting. The theater had begun to look like a questionable investment.

Max and Manvil suggested ru

Gilbey asked, ‘‘Where do dwarves stand on the question of dragons?’’

Manvil Gilbey could do two things at once. He reviewed Singe’s expenses ledger while participating in the give and take. He used a company writing stick to tick items for discussion.

I said, ‘‘One more thing, then. Maybe the most important, businesswise.’’

Max looked like he didn’t want to hear any more. ‘‘That would be?’’

‘‘Your designers didn’t take into account the fact that human beings expected to consume mass quantities of Weider beer will need somewhere to set it free.’’

Max started to say something, stopped as the implication hit. ‘‘Really?’’

‘‘Really. How many people will you push through there?’’

‘‘Damn!’’ Gilbey said. ‘‘Two thousand on a good day. Why didn’t anybody think of that?’’ He was asking himself, not me.

Max muttered, ‘‘Nobody else is worried about it. Why should we?’’