Free Petrogypsies by Rory Harper Page B

money anywhere else. Hydroco’s gonna buy the note.”
    “Get your hand off me,” Star said.
    “Didn’t you hear me?” Tiny growled. “You do business with Hydroco, you silly bitch!” He shook her roughly, and I launched myself at him. Doc blocked me before I could get to him.
    “You keep those two idiots of his off me, Henry Lee. This ol’ boy here is mine.”
    The next few minutes was kinda confused. I been fighting since about the time I could stand up to get knocked down. I grew up with four brothers, none of ’em angels. And there’s some rough boys lives back in the woods around Hemphill. For a couple of years, once I started getting my growth on me, it seemed like every one of them had to try a time or two to whittle me down to size after school. So I’d had some practice at this particular sport.
    Most fellas lie when they tell about how they planned this strategy or made that smooth move or used a clever feint to sucker the guy they was fighting. Mostly all there is to it is moving as fast as you can, trying to hurt the other guy enough to stop him fighting, and in the meantime keep him from hurting you more than you can handle.
    Practice helps, though. And I was glad to have had it. ’Cause this wasn’t no Marquis of Queensbury deal. It was the kind of fight that sometimes leaves people gimped for life, or maybe dead. If I’d have had time, I’d have been scared.
    Both of them looked at Tiny. He nodded in my direction, and, flat-footed, launched a kick at Doc’s crotch. I saw Doc move back enough for it to miss, then I had problems of my own.
    The first one to arrive got a fist in the face, then the other one was on me, ramming his shoulder hard into my chest. I staggered back, off balance, and he followed me. He got a knee in his belly when he closed again. Then the other one tackled me, and we all ended up scrambling around in the dirt.
    I was not winning, truth to tell, until one of them quit strangling me long enough to scream. He twisted aside, trying to pull away the clawed hands of the long-haired angel that was ripping his face to ribbons. I still had a hand clutching the shirtfront of the one that was sitting on my chest. Star’s help gave me the time to use that hand to yank his face close so I could pulverize it some with the other hand.
    About the time he lost interest in his part of the fight, the first one was on me again. What I could see of his face as it twisted in and out of shadow didn’t look too good.
    After he got my elbow in the throat a couple of seconds later, it looked worse. He started choking and coughing, so I punched him a half a dozen times in the short ribs to clear any obstructions. He started throwing up, so I let him go. The other one was lying nearby. When I poked him with the tip of my steel-toed boots he didn’t move, so I relaxed enough to look around.
    Casing gypsies were starting to slide down Lady Jane’s side. Star sat up a few yards away, holding her jaw. I crawled toward her. “You okay?” I called out. “Thanks for keeping ’em from killing me.”
    She moved her jaw with her hand, testing to see if anything was broke, I guess. “Wanted the pleasure myself.”
    “Aww, Star, I’m sorry as all get-out.”
    “You hurt my feelings something terrible, Henry Lee.”
    “Last thing I ever want to do is hurt you.” I put my hand on her knee. “I got scared. I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about me after. I didn’t just want a one-night stand.” I hung my head.
    The hand that wasn’t still holding her jaw moved to cover mine. Her fingertips gently scratched my wrist. “Me neither, Henry Lee.”
    Our big reunion scene was interrupted by a couple of casing gypsies moving in to check out our health, and by Doc and Tiny shuffling back into sight around Lady Jane’s side. Both of them was throwing punches, with Doc backing away from Tiny’s longer reach, then stepping up quick to get his licks in.
    “Want a little help, Doc?” I called out.
    He