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of the
boy’s thoughts.
    Playmate told me, “It may be coincidence. Kip’s
always made up fantastic stories. But it was right after those
first two characters showed up that he started inventing things. I
mean, things that worked or looked like maybe you could make them
work.”
    The boy’s head is bursting with the images of the most
amazing mechanisms, Garrett.
    He seemed completely thrilled.
    I asked, “What would you suggest I do?”
    “Just stick with us for a while,” Playmate said.
    Investigate.
    “Investigate what?”
    Let your experience be your guide.
And,
Whatever
else you do, do try to catch one of those creatures and bring it
here to see me.
    “I’m the miracle worker of TunFaire, aren’t
I?”
    Aren’t I?
     
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7
    There was no sign of Katie when we stepped out the front door,
me freshly bathed and cleanly dressed in hand-me-down apparel that
approached the respectable. My sweetie had an hour head start now.
And would be boiling like an overheated teapot.
    Katie was going to require some cautious cooling down. I
definitely didn’t want her getting too cold.
    I did spot Dean. Headed home. Where the hell had he been? He
wasn’t carrying anything.
    He dropped a coin—a coin that belonged to me because
he’d never give away a chipped copper of his own—onto
the tattered blanket of a streetside fortune-teller. That caught
her completely by surprise. Nevertheless, she gave him a toothless
blessing.
    There was an idea. I ought to hang out a shingle proclaiming
myself a great psychic. Old Bones could rummage around inside their
heads and feed me the items I would use to impress them enough to
make them turn loose of their money.
    An open mouth precludes open ears.
    “What the hell does that mean?” I hadn’t said
anything. “I hate it when you talk that ancient wisdom stuff.
The butterfly is silent when the eagle walks upon the
sand.”
    I patted myself down. I was equipped with an arsenal
of—mostly—nonlethal tools of mayhem. “Lead on,
Play.”
    Playmate descended the steps and turned left. I followed,
keeping Kip between us.
    Dean met us at the foot of the steps. “Where you
been?” I asked.
    “Running a couple of errands.”
    “Ah.” I said no more. No point letting him know he
gave himself away whenever he was sneaking around doing something
on the Dead Man’s orders. “Let us continue, friend
Playmate.” I studied the street as we resumed moving. I saw
nothing out of place.
    Macunado Street is a busy thoroughfare, day or night. A
ferocious downpour or bitter winter weather are about all that will
clear it. The street was particularly busy today. But it was
conventionally busy. Not one known villain, nor a potential riot,
was anywhere in sight.
    “Who was that?” Playmate asked after I waved to a
neighbor.
    “Mrs. Cardonlos. The police spy. Sometimes tormenting her
is the only fun to be had.”
    “There’re occasions when I despair of you, Garrett.
There’re times when you appear to be your own worst enemy.
Why on earth would you want to taunt someone who has the power to
tell lies about you to people who’d just as soon feed you to
the rats?”
    “Because Relway’s bunch would be more suspicious if
I didn’t.” Deal Relway is the master of
TunFaire’s unacknowledged secret police force. I know him
because I was there when that particular terrorbird hatched. Its
existence has become an open secret, anyway.
    I do get nervous sometimes, knowing what I do know about some
key individuals. Relway wouldn’t hesitate to bend or break
the law in his determination to maintain law and order. He might
not hesitate to bend or break me.
    Playmate’s livery establishment was less than an hour
away. We reached it without running into trouble. Once we did I
borrowed his kitchen to brew myself a fresh mug of headache
medicine.
     
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8
    Kip’s little workshop didn’t tell me much. It was
evident the kid knew his tools, though. He had a hell of a
collection, half of