Station, стр. 78

Glen shook his head. "Sad sack of shit won't leavehis living quarters. I check on him occasionally and have a manikinbring him three squares. Poor bastard's broken, but he can befixed. Just needs time. And to stay away from the fuckingchemicals."

Hadder put his hand on Glen's shoulder. "Thanks,brother, means a lot to me. Jonny VV and Reena pulled me from adark place that I had called home for a long time. I can no longerrepay Reena, but I can sure as shit try to do right by Jonny."

"Some say you did right by Reena, too."

"Vengeance ain't repayment."

"No, I guess it isn't. Well, don't worry. I'll keepan eye on him."

"You coming to The Royal Jelly thisHaela?"

Glen shook his head in the negative. "Nah, got toomuch to do around here. See these guys here?"

Hadder looked around Cranesman to the dozenor so men and women gathered around the simple wooden tables. "Isee."

"They're all in with us. Gonna fight to the end, ifit comes to that. We're all gonna get a nice buzz on and start towork. Gonna get the manikins started on some weapons and thencontinue work on fortifying this place."

"Good to hear, Glen."

"The Risers think they're bringing Hell with them,but if they attack this group head-on, they're gonna find out whothe real demons are."

Hadder couldn't help but crack a smile at hisfriend's dark words. Mostly, he was happy to see that some werecoming to the same conclusion as he had, that fighting was the onlyway to preserve life. But a small part of him was smiling foranother reason - the thought of blood spray caressing his skin ashe cut down Riser after Riser, filling the Rage's hungry mouth withthe lives of others.

"I'll leave you to it, then." Hadder turned toleave.

"Oh, shit, I almost forgot." Hadder turned back toGlen, who handed him a small tan envelope made from strangematerial. "Someone dropped this off for you. No one was here at thetime, so it was left with the manikin."

Hadder looked at the envelope, on which his name waswritten in masterful calligraphy. He fingered the odd veiny paperbefore releasing the soft seal and taking out the note within. Heread over it several times before putting it back and placing thewarm envelope in his jacket pocket.

"Good news, I hope."

"Too early to tell. Good? Bad? No idea. But whateverit is, it will be bizarre. With this one, it always is."

Marlin, darling, I absolutely must see you. Whispersin the shadows suggest much. Meet me atop the Perch at the fall ofHaela. Kisses. LM.

Hadder reread the note as he stood on the Perch, hismind returning to his first Solay in Station when Miles providedthe worst orientation to the city possible. Hadder had no idea howlong he had been in the city; time worked differently in Station,but it certainly felt like a lifetime since he had first lookeddown from this height.

"Thank you for joining me, darling."

Hadder glanced to his right and watched as LesterMidnight precipitated from the darkness, his white eyes and hairappearing first, his golden clothing next, and his black skincompleting the arrival.

"I never thought you'd leave Biomass,Lester."

"Drastic times call for drastic measures, now don'tthey."

"Would you call these drastic times?"

"Well, if these aren't, then I don't know what is,darling."

Hadder held up the beige note. "Whispers in theshadows, Lester?"

Lester Midnight moved in, uncomfortably close.Hadder could feel the enigmatic man's breath on his face, couldmake out the flecks of gold dancing in his white eyes. "Whispers tomost. Shouts to me and my network. I hear all, eventually,darling."

"And what do you hear, Lester?"

Lester's white lips twitched. "There is a viper inyour house, darling."

"I don't follow."

"A traitor. A betrayer. This person walks among you,wearing the skin of a Setter."

Hadder straightened at the ominous news. "Who?"

A pained look flashed across Lester's face. "I'msorry, darling. We don't know. A figure was seen passing into theRising late one Haela. Now, this is not strange as it happens moreand more these days. But none return. None but this one. It wasdark, and my spies were far, so that's all I know. But if thisperson was allowed back over, it was with devilish orders, you canbe certain."

"Do you know where this person went? What Cluster hereturned to?"

Lester looked almost sad. "My spy lost him in thegardens, darling. He could be anywhere in the Setting. I worry foryou, Marlin."

"Risers want me dead. And now at least one Settermay want me dead. I better keep my head on a swivel. Thanks for theinformation, Lester. I truly appreciate it. But why? You seem soabove all of this."

"There are so few true artistes left, Marlin. Iwould be sad to lose one of your stature, darling."

Hadder's face contorted in confusion. "But I'm notan artist, Lester. Remember? I don't paint, and I don't make meatsculptures like you."

Lester laughed. "Oh, Marlin, such a narrowdefinition of an artiste. Your Rage is your art. I see it acted outon your face and in your actions every day. I kick myself to thisday that I wasn't able to see it, but my spies tell me that yourwork, Skeelis on Stick, was absolutely breathtaking. Not anartiste? I laugh at your humility."

"You know the Risers will come for you, too, Lester.Or will you also join them when the moment comes?"

Lester joined Hadder at the railing, looked down atthe magical city beneath them, a black canvas decorated withimmense bursts of color. "No, darling, there is nothing beyondStation for Lester Midnight. I am one of the few who always knewthat this place was not forever, that it didn't matter in the grandscheme of things. Therefore, I can proudly say that I made the mostof my extra time. I created art that the world will never seeagain, using the human body as both paintbrush and canvas."

"And when the Risers come?"

Lester straightened at the rail, his knucklestightening around the metal. "Oh, I won't go easily, darling.Everyone is born with the understanding that death is coming, thateach day it is fought off. I mean, that is what living is - thedenial of an easy death. We all failed our first test on thissubject.