Bread Alone by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

Author:Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Liaden, Space Opera
Publisher: Pinbeam Books
Published: 2021-11-25T00:00:00+00:00

Three

His feet took him home.

Which was to say, to the customer entrance of Bendi's House of Joy. He tried to bring his meager influence to bear; to force his purposeful march past the front and round to the back of the house, the delivery door, and the stairs to the attic room where he slept, which he was let to have so that his luck would shield the house.

Of course, his preference counted for nothing.

Cray was on the front door, a man big even for a Terran, and who thought more quickly with his fists than his head.

Still, they had never fallen out, nor had much to do with each other, beyond a nod, and a murmured greeting.

Today, however, Cray saw him approaching, and shifted to stand in the center of the door, muscled arms crossed over powerful chest.

"Go away," he said.

Mar Tyn stopped just out of grabbing distance.

"I need to see Bendi."

"Go away," Cray repeated, and Mar Tyn was wondering if his feet were so eager that they would try a dart around the big man, and through the door.

Possibly, he would be fast enough, even with the odd balance lent by the sling.

It was not put to the test however, for here came Bendi out of the house, to stand beside Cray, fists on her hips, and her face flushed so dark that the ragged gash along the left side of her face stood out like ivory.

"You! Find a cush job somewhere else, did you, Luck? See what's happened to me while you were gone! I've got three hurt, and a broken water pipe, because you couldn't be bothered to pay your rent! Do you think I'm letting you back in here now?"

"I–" began Mar Tyn, but Bendi had noticed the sling.

She stiffened, her fists fell to her sides.

"Get out," she snarled.

"Bendi–"

"Get out! Your luck's broken, hasn't it? Get away from me and mine before you bring down worse upon us!"

"I'll go," Mar Tyn said; understanding that this was not an argument he could win. "Only let me get my clothes from upstairs, and the money I had asked you to hold– "

"The money went to repair the pipe," she interrupted, "and I know better than to let broken Luck into my house. Go away, now, or Cray will kill you."

That, Mar Tyn thought, was possible. Bendi was beyond angry; she was terrified. Terrified that his broken luck would visit more grief on her house.

He was inclined to mourn the money he had given to bind her trust, and his other shirt–nearly new! But . . . he had money, he reminded himself. He could buy another shirt.

So, he went away; his feet walking him to the right, down the long block of fallen-in buildings, and right again, round the corner, and up the alley that ran between Bendi's house and the grab-a-bite next door. That was where the bolt-door was, and there–there stood Jonsie, Bendi's partner and sometimes worker, holding a sack, which he held out as Mar Tyn came near.

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.