Fleshworks (Necromunda) by Lucien Soulban

Author:Lucien Soulban [Soulban, Lucien]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Black Library
Published: 2015-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER: EIGHT

War is the absence of reason. But then, life often demands unreasonable responses.

– Delaque Operational Commandments

from the Book of Lies.

This had gone on long enough. Between the loss of the first implant to Kaden in Cantrall’s building, the ransacking of his hab and the information leak that had allowed Slag to ambush him, Uriah was tired of being on the defensive.

It was time to act. This was something he should have dealt with at the outset.

The first step was acquiring new tools, since the Orlocks had stripped him of this old ones. What hurt him the most was the loss of his beloved bolt pistol. He was fond of that weapon and would be hard pressed to replace it with something of equal worth. He doubted Weapon’s Master Coryin would offer him another chance on that front.

‘You lost the pistol?’ Coryin asked, disbelief stretched high on his eyebrow. The bald man was unhappy, that much was obvious.

‘I know,’ Uriah said, trying to soothe Coryin’s rising temper, but too tired to actually care. ‘It was a fine weapon, but I had little choice.’

‘So you’ve said,’ Coryin responded. He went back to work along the range, bucket in hand, collecting shell casings from the stands. ‘The truth is that weapon was worth more than your hide.’

‘Well of course you’d feel that way,’ Uriah said, snapping. ‘Believe it or not, your precious weapons are here to serve us, not the other way around.’

Coryin spun around and stormed to within a nose hair of the smaller handler. ‘Don’t you speak down to me, boy, don’t you ever! I didn’t say my equipment was worth more than a Delaque’s life. I said it was worth more than yours.’

The comment caught Uriah off guard. ‘So that’s the game. Where’s this spite coming from, eh Coryin?’

‘The great Uriah Storm,’ Coryin said. ‘Always laughing in the face of danger.’

‘That’s what this is, jealousy?’

‘No,’ Coryin said. ‘I’m tired of your cavalier attitude. I’m tired of you treating everything – everyone – around you as a joke. Like it’s all beneath your notice. Worthy of nothing but your contempt. So typical of Percal’s Handlers, but none more so than you.’

Uriah paused. ‘All right,’ he said. ‘Maybe I am cavalier with those around me, but that’s nothing to do with contempt.’

‘You don’t act like it.’

‘Why this sudden rush of animosity? You’ve never been one to hold your tongue, before. So why am I hearing this now?’

‘Like you don’t know,’ Coryin said, returning to his errands.

‘Enlighten me.’

‘You were protected, Uriah. Percal’s shining protégé. He said you were to want for nothing and though you were not of the Requisitioners, we provided for you as per the terms of our alliance, even when it meant holding our tongues.’

‘But you’re no longer holding your tongue. Why? You no longer scared of Percal? Or are you saying I no longer hold Percal’s favour?’

‘It doesn’t appear so, no.’

‘What have you heard?’ Uriah asked.

Coryin sighed and stopped. He didn’t turn around, but neither did he ignore Uriah.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.