Flinx's Folly by Alan Dean Foster

Author:Alan Dean Foster [Foster, Alan Dean]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: General, Fiction, Science fiction; American, Science Fiction, High Tech, Flinx (Fictitious character), Pip (Fictitious character: Foster), Space Opera, Humanx Commonwealth (Imaginary organization), Adventure, Pip (Fictitious character : Foster)
ISBN: 9780345450395
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: 2004-09-27T23:00:00+00:00

Ormann sensed something was wrong when there was no message for him, encrypted or otherwise, when he returned home that night. Nor did one arrive the following day. He called Clarity to inquire with forced pleasantries what she might be doing that evening, only to be told that she and her friend were once again having dinner. Concealing his disbelief, he learned that she had talked to him during her lunch break.

So the redheaded bastard was still around and apparently in excellent health. For the rest of that afternoon Ormann brooded in his office, hardly attending to work, wondering what the hell had gone wrong. The two men he had engaged had been recommended to him as the best at their business. If they had failed, who could he try next?

More important, why had they failed? And what had happened to them? Clarity had hinted on more than one occasion that there was more to her friend than was apparent. The reference now took on ominous overtones. Had his employees neglected to use proper care in handling the minidrag?

Greater than his shock at learning that Philip Lynx was still functional and healthy was Ormann’s response when he learned that raptor face and his companion were unharmed.

He managed to track them down and confront them at an infamous (for Nur) slothzone hangout where he had been told they could usually be found. There they were, in fine fettle and visibly unscathed, sitting in a back booth guzzling fancy concoctions paid for with his money. Perhaps he should have approached with more caution, or addressed them in a more conciliatory tone, but he was too angry.

“Took him apart, did you? Really beat him up? With what? Pillows?”

Raptor face swiveled his narrow, predatory visage around to confront Ormann. It appeared the hired killer was pleasantly intoxicated. “Hello, Bill.” He gestured toward the seat opposite. “Won’t you join us?”

“I’d rather take any explanations standing, thanks.”

“You’re too tense, Bill,” man mountain murmured solicitously. “You should get out more, have some fun.” Then he did something that shocked Ormann even more than the earlier news that his red-headed nemesis had survived unscathed. Man mountain giggled.

Reaching up with one lethal, steel-corded hand, raptor face patted his immense companion gently on the cheek. “Now, Emunde, don’t tease the poor man. He’s obviously a basket of frustration.”

Ormann swallowed. Hard. “You didn’t do what you were paid to do. It doesn’t look like you laid a hand on the kid. What the hell happened? It was the flying snake, wasn’t it? It drove you off. Or,” he continued, throwing caution aside, “it frightened you off.”

“We couldn’t hurt that nice young man.” Man mountain pushed out his plump lower lip. He almost looked as if he were going to cry. “I feel bad enough about dragging him halfway across town. We left him and his pet in a nice place, though. I’m sure he’s all right.”

“Oh, he’s just fine.” Ormann’s tone was tight enough to crack. “Too fine.” He looked from one jovial killer to the other.

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