The Austin Job by David Mark Brown

Author:David Mark Brown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: A dieselpunk Thriller. A novel of the Lost DMB Files
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink
Published: 2011-12-28T16:00:00+00:00

FOURTEEN

Ballroom Games

The high ceilings and marble columns of the ballroom created a sense of lostness, a fear that one could lose his way between one end of the room and the other. But the aroma of Ms. Lloyd’s favorite coffee countered the feeling with a comforting warmth.

By the time Starr poured Daisy and himself steaming cups, the couple had spent half an hour greeting bankers, wildcatters, investors, tycoons and venture capitalists, including a young gentleman named Ponzi. Starr could swear he’d seen a mugshot of the man in the papers.

Overall the crowd represented a cross section of the upper echelons of American society. The glitter enamored him, even as he found the lack of sincerity repulsive. Starr caught Daisy’s eye with a wink as she politely shared her opinion on border relations for the third time.

Repeatedly, and in hushed tones, people referred to the happenings of the gala using phrases like “unfortunate” and “mysterious.” The topic surfaced like a fish rising in a pond, only to disappear, leaving nothing but ripples behind.

Through discussions of war in Europe, the Brown menace, the Motorcycle Mexican and the coming of federal prohibition, only those whose immediate loved ones had been reduced to charred remains littering the capitol lawn seemed genuinely effected. Even then, they had chosen to gather the very next day, anxious for the business at hand—the auctioning of the same weapons recently used against them. These were a breed of people Starr had not encountered previously. Involuntarily he wondered if he wouldn’t be more comfortable with Oleg’s ilk.

Starr smiled as Daisy directed the conversation toward him by raising the politics behind American isolationism. Addressing the shock in the older gentleman’s eyes, clearly taken aback by the attractive, young lady’s grasp on such masculine issues, Starr shrugged and clapped him on the shoulder. While he explained his hesitancy to drain American resources into wars abroad, he kept thinking about how right Oleg had been about one thing—the lusts of money and power seemed inextricably tied together.

The inane chatter continued for several minutes more, and just before an eccentric wildcatter could nail Starr down on his thoughts about the tenant farmer protests, Ms. Lloyd rescued him. Pulling him and Daisy aside, she spoke with low tones while maintaining a smile. “I allowed you in the door armed so you could keep on eye on Daisy and possibly myself, but you must promise not to go off half-cocked.” She leveled her eyes at him, waiting for a response. When she didn’t get one she continued, “My men will take care of Oleg.”

“Like last night?” Daisy was first to comment.

Ms. Lloyd took a deep breath. “Oleg is an evil man, and we all know he’s capable of planning something worse than last night.”

Daisy persisted. “Why would someone like Oleg want to show up for an event like this in the first place?” She batted her eyes, “If you don’t mind me asking.” Impressed Daisy had come to the same question he had, Starr regretted not asking it first.

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