Free The Backworlds by M. Pax Page A

emporium and neighboring buildings, slowing at the preparations Craze
mentioned. “Most likely.” The aviarman enlarged stills of the security cameras.
    Craze placed a picture of an
altered motion detector beside it on the tab’s screen. “Does that look like the
Jix’s handy work?”
    Lepsi cocked his head, considering.
“My knowledge of the Jixes isn’t that intimate yet.”
    “Shit.” Craze’s first-hand data
about Gattar remained limited. It was an issue, but not a large enough one to
prevent him from going forward. “That’s about to change.”
    “Oh, yes.” Lepsi chuckled. “We
should know her very well by sunrise.” He ran a hand through his shock of red
hair, singing his concerns away. “Will we love Jixes tomorrow? Or will they
suck like Federoy ? Give me chocolates ‘n I won’t give
a damn.”
    Craze waited for Lepsi to stop, his
hair braiding itself into a single, thick plait down his back. He waved his hand
over the rice sacks, spool of clear filament, jar of pickled snoink , and patrol siren. “Do you think you’ll be set up in
time?”
    Lepsi nodded. “The ship is fixed ‘n
parked in a berth at the docks. We found the perfect hover scoot to borrow that
can handle any crates of chocolate we find. We’ll go work on that setup now.”
He gestured at the pile including the spool of filament and rice. “No worries,
us ‘n the scoot will be in place.”
    Craze rocked on his heels, tugging
at his suspenders. “The Eptus ? We still of a mind to
use them?”
    Lepsi grinned, slapping Talos on
the back. “We’ll take care of that, too. It’ll be fun to rile them up.”
    Craze let out a slow breath. “In a
few hours we could all end up very rich.”
    Talos held out his prized button,
beaming. “Carry on! We’ll be able to go far out on the Edge to places few have
ever been. Find unique items ‘n send them in to Elstwhere. A trade route of our
own.”
    It was a dream as nice as Craze
having his own tavern. Working with the aviars seemed a good fit, like the soft
new boots he wore. He folded his new gray coat and placed it in his duffel. He
handed his pack to Talos, giving more trust than he would normally dare.
    A little voice warned him,
“Remember Bast. Remember Bast.” He told it to shut up. The aviars weren’t
Verkinn and they showed little sign of being totally despicable, just
despicable enough. Like Craze. Like normal Backworlders. So he hoped.

 
     
    CHAPTER 14
     
     
     
    The time approached when Craze was
to meet Gattar. He entered the building with the half-open door. Rotting carpet
curled up from the floor, peeling wallpaper in faded pink exposed crumbling
gray walls, a sour odor permeated the dim corridors, and the structure groaned
with each puff of breeze. Otherwise, the place remained as silent as a tavern
at sunup. He labored up two flights of stairs, the treads worn unevenly from
use, and knocked on the room number the Jix had given him.
    She cracked the door, widening it
just enough to yank him inside. “Good, you on time.”
    The room was no better than the
hallway, harboring a forgotten past, an era before the war with the Foreworlds.
Craze figured by the broken, splintering furniture, the building was at least
that old. Shades of lackluster pink tinted the walls, floor, ceiling, and
fixtures, like someone once had a fetish and no one ever dared to argue.
    Craze squirmed out of Gattar’s
grasp, straightening his shirt. He handed her back the tab she’d given him in
the alley earlier. “You said I have a lot to learn. Let’s get to it.”
    He didn’t want to renew their
lustful play, not so brave at this point about discovering what exactly the Jix
was under the silver romper. Besides, it was unnecessary. The Jix had gone too
far to dissolve their agreement.
    “I hope there’ll be time for other
things.” Her lips brushed perilously close to his. “Depends on just how naive
you is as to how long it’ll take to teach you your part.”
    He’d act plenty