Free Prophet by Mike Resnick Page B

beer."
    "Coming right up."
    The Iceman took an empty glass over to a tap, murmured “Pour", waited a moment, ordered it to stop, and slid the glass down the bar to the Silicon Kid.
    "Want to run a tab?” asked the Iceman.
    "No, one beer's all I want,” said the Kid, sliding some hexagonal coins down the bar. He paused and stared intently at the Iceman.
    "Is something wrong?” asked the Iceman, eyeing the Kid suspiciously.
    "That's funny,” said the Kid.
    "What is?"
    "You sure as hell don't look like a living legend."
    "Well, to tell you the truth, I don't feel much like one,” answered the Iceman. “But just out of curiosity, what does a living legend look like?"
    "I don't know,” said the Kid. “But not like you.” He paused. “Still, you must be as formidable as they say, just to get as old as you are."
    "Son, let me give you a little friendly advice, if I may,” said the Iceman, studying the Kid intently.
    "What is it?"
    "Whether or not I'm as formidable as they say, I'm formidable enough .” He paused. “You can't see them, but there are four guns trained on you at this very moment, so my advice to you is not to do anything you might not live long enough to regret."
    "Four?” said the Kid, surprised. He looked around the room once more. “Where are they?"
    "That,” said the Iceman with a grim smile, “would be telling.” He paused again. “And speaking of telling, perhaps you'd like to tell me just what you're doing on Last Chance?"
    "I came here to find you."
    "Okay, you found me,” said the Iceman. “What now?"
    "Now I deliver the Gravedancer's message."
    The Iceman stared at him. “What do you know about the Gravedancer?” he asked at last.
    "You might say that we're partners, in a manner of speaking,” answered the Kid.
    "No, I don't think I'd say that,” replied the Iceman. “Men like Lomax don't take on partners."
    "Well,” said the Kid, mildly flustered, “he gave me his ship and he trusted me to deliver a message to you."
    "Okay,” said the Iceman. “What is it?"
    "Right here?” asked the Kid. “At the bar?"
    The Iceman looked amused. “There's no one within thirty feet of us. Would you rather tell me next to the roulette wheel—or maybe in the men's room?"
    The Kid shrugged and leaned on the bar. “The man who put out the hit on you is a religious cult leader called the Anointed One."
    The Iceman frowned. “I never heard of him. Why does he want me dead?"
    "I don't know."
    The Iceman began drying a glass with a bar towel while he considered what he'd been told. “Why didn't Lomax just radio me the message?” he asked. “Why send you?"
    "He was going off to meet with the Anointed One, and, well..."
    "And you weren't invited?"
    The Kid nodded his head.
    "Well, that's what comes of being a junior partner."
    "There's more,” said the Kid.
    "Oh?"
    The Kid pulled out Lomax's ring. “He said to show you this."
    "All right, I've seen it,” said the Iceman. “It's his. Now, what's the rest of the message?"
    "That no matter what you hear on the grapevine, he's not out to kill you."
    " Am I going to hear that on the grapevine?” asked the Iceman.
    "He seems to think so."
    "So he met with this Anointed One under the guise of a freelance killer?"
    "You're very quick."
    "Well, let's hope the Anointed One didn't offer him so much money that he forgets where his loyalties lie."
    "He wouldn't do that,” said the Kid.
    "You'd be surprised what people would do for money,” said the Iceman. He pulled a bottle out from behind the bar, picked up a couple of glasses, and limped over to an empty table not too far from the doorway. “Come on, young man,” he said. “We've got some talking to do."
    The Kid followed him to the table and sat down opposite him.
    "Have a drink,” said the Iceman, filling both glasses and shoving one over to the Kid. “On the house."
    "Thanks. What is it?"
    "A whiskey they make over in the Binder system."
    The Kid took a sip. It burned his tongue and throat,