Brother Death by Steve Perry Read Free Book Online Page B

had asked around and found that it had to do with a kind of vegetable made by soaking something called a cucumber in some kind of brine solution. The resulting product was shaped vaguely like a penis, which didn't really help much, unless you had been into Pickle's private office and seen what she kept in a jar on her desk. It was still fairly esoteric even so, unless you knew that the pale pinkish-blue thing in the jar had once been attached to Pickle herself.
    Even during the most crowded times, there were always tables kept free for the local police. Having cools in the restaurant guaranteed that the most rowdy crowds would stay relatively calm, and if you were a cool, you could eat free. Taz had sometimes taken advantage of that, though not often, given how reasonable the prices were. If Internal Investigations intended to hang her for graft, she'd be in a line that included the Supervisor and the head of Eye-eye, not to mention half the street POs working.
    So there'd be room for her and Saval, that wasn't the bad luck, even though the place was mostly packed and dozens of hopefuls milled around outside waiting for openings. No. The falling sky was, Ruul was there, holding court at the best table in the chi-chi looky-here corner reserved for celebrities.
    Fuck him.
    You wish.
    Fuck you, too. -
    Saval stood like a thousand-year-old hardwood tree as Pickle herself bustled up. She was an attractive woman, vibrantly alive, maybe thirty-five T.S., and she looked at Saval with a gaze that reminded Taz of feeding time at the vulp exhibit.
    Tel-lo, tall, wide one. New in town?"
    "Hello, Pickle," Taz said. "This is my brother, Saval, from Muto Kato. Saval, Noe Bicho, Pickle to her friends."
    The restaurant owner wore green and red whispersilks that revealed as much as they hid, held in place by static charges that changed polarities every so often to play show and tell with other parts of her. The cloth sang faint, breathy musical chords in minor keys as it moved. Her hair, red and green to match the silks, danced to similar charges. Her body was good, she worked out, and the effect was certainly erotic.
    The outfit and hairstyle had to set her back a chunk equal to two weeks' of Taz's pay, easy. Maybe three.
    Pickle could take her pick of a thousand men on any given night with whom to share her favors, with another five or ten thousand wishing for a chance just to make the short list.
    "Are you this big where it doesn't show?" Pickle said. She put one hand on Saval's arm. "Heysoo Damn, honey, you wearing armor under those 'skins? Oh, my, I think I'm in love!" She slid her hand up Saval's arm, then down again. "A hard man is so good to find."
    "He's married-" Taz began.
    "Sweet cheeks, that never bothers me in the least." ,
    '-married to an Albino Exotic, Pickle."
    The woman blinked, looked away from Saval at Taz. "Shit, Chief, you really know how to hurt a girl, don't you?" She turned her gaze back to Saval. "You a monopoker, big man? Exclusive contract?"
    "Yes."
    "An Exotic; figures. Damn. All the good ones are taken. Well, if you get lonely while visiting our lovely planet, just touch the com and call my name and I'll be there before you get undressed." She waved one hand. "Herzio, get Chief Bork and her brother a table, and a bottle of that qar vine in the lockroom, my treat."
    With that, Pickle flounced away in a flash of skin and silk. Before she took two steps, however, she turned back. Smiled. It was the expression of a savage queen condemning somebody to torture; you could cast it and sell it to scare small children. "I'll tell Ruul you're here, Chief."
    Ouch.
    Your point, Taz conceded with a nod. Saval is a grown man; he could have protected himself. Shouldn't have mentioned his wife.
    Pickle twisted the bitchy smile a hair, collecting her due. She loved to win, but if you were a good loser she was usually merciful. Maybe she wouldn't say anything to Ruul.
    The waiter led them to a table, and Taz was most careful to