Crimson Waters by James Axler Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: James Axler
back of his neck. “Plus the fact the island’s teeming with man-eating monsters, of course.”
Chapter Six
Mildred sat back in her chair. “Oh, great,” she said.
Ryan ignored her. He wasn’t any happier than she was about the news that the place where they might find an easy ride back to the mainland via a mat-trans was overrun with ravenous monsters. But fretting over the fact wouldn’t make it any less of one.
“Say we wanted to get back to the mainland,” he said when Lumpy had ordered a rum.
The server was a black-haired, green-eyed girl wearing a leather apron over a short skirt and carrying a tray. Lumpy, anyway, didn’t neglect to eye her backside appreciatively as she walked back toward the bar.
“How’d we go about that?” Ryan finished.
Lumpy sat back in his chair. He looked half-spent just from watching the girl.
“Got the jack?” he asked, still looking at her when she stood giving the order to McDugus Fish. “You can do pretty near anything, if you got the jack.”
Doc laughed in wry delight. “Isn’t that not ever the way of the world?” he asked.
“Say we aren’t exactly flush,” J.B. said. “Could we work passage?”
“You done pirate work before?” Lumpy asked. “You all look to know your way around them blades and blasters you’re loaded down with. I mean, not to pry or nothin’.”
“We were hoping for more peaceful employment,” Krysty said.
“Don’t traders work the port?” Mildred asked. “I mean, the, uh, Mermaid even sells fresh fruit. The island doesn’t look big enough to grow it all here. Unless it’s all brought in as pirate swag?”
He laughed. “Oh, nuke me, no. There’s traders ply here, right enough. Once they buy their export licenses off the Syndicate, they’re as safe on the open sea as you and me, sittin’ right here. Only they don’t much like to take on crew here, if you catch my drift. Not everybody’s reliable.”
“Imagine that,” Mildred said.
“What about other paying gigs?” Ryan asked. “Local work.”
The girl brought Lumpy’s rum. He grinned at her when she set it down. She ignored him as if he were an insect. She took the .22 round Ryan handed her and walked away without a word.
“Whoo,” Lumpy said, “that is purely fine. Where was I? Oh. Jobs. Well, the crews bring in plenty slaves. You could sign on for Monitors, but I reckon you’d have the same objections to that you have to signing on for pirates.”
He shook his head. “Can’t think of much. I do some odd jobs now and then since I lost my nerve, fish some. I can fix a few things, and that’s not always something you want slaves doing, know what I mean. But that’s just me, and I barely scrape by. There’s five of you.”
“Six, actually,” Mildred said. “But who’s counting?”
Lumpy shot back his rum and shook all over like a wet dog. He set his empty on the table upside down with a clack. It seemed to Ryan the single shot had hit him pretty hard. Of course, he didn’t know whether it was his first of the day.
“Spring for another?” Lumpy asked, looking around with eyes even less clear than they had been when he sat down.
J.B. signaled the server for another, then he leaned his leather-clad elbows on the table.
“So how about this Monster Island,” he said. “How about getting passage there?”
Lumpy shrugged. “Same story as the mainland. Go for a pirate, or pay your way. Gas, brass or ass—nobody rides for free.”
“So what do you think, Ryan?” J.B. asked.
“I’m thinking,” he admitted.
“You considering turning pirate, Ryan?” Mildred asked.
“Would you like signing up as Monitors better?” J.B. asked.
She scowled.
“Everything lives off other things,” Jak said. “Want eat, gotta kill.”
“Unusual loquacity, Jak,” Doc said. “And unusual eloquence. Albeit in the service of a doctrine of moral expediency.”
Jak scowled furiously.
“Don’t worry,” J.B. told him. “I didn’t get it,
Chapter Six
Mildred sat back in her chair. “Oh, great,” she said.
Ryan ignored her. He wasn’t any happier than she was about the news that the place where they might find an easy ride back to the mainland via a mat-trans was overrun with ravenous monsters. But fretting over the fact wouldn’t make it any less of one.
“Say we wanted to get back to the mainland,” he said when Lumpy had ordered a rum.
The server was a black-haired, green-eyed girl wearing a leather apron over a short skirt and carrying a tray. Lumpy, anyway, didn’t neglect to eye her backside appreciatively as she walked back toward the bar.
“How’d we go about that?” Ryan finished.
Lumpy sat back in his chair. He looked half-spent just from watching the girl.
“Got the jack?” he asked, still looking at her when she stood giving the order to McDugus Fish. “You can do pretty near anything, if you got the jack.”
Doc laughed in wry delight. “Isn’t that not ever the way of the world?” he asked.
“Say we aren’t exactly flush,” J.B. said. “Could we work passage?”
“You done pirate work before?” Lumpy asked. “You all look to know your way around them blades and blasters you’re loaded down with. I mean, not to pry or nothin’.”
“We were hoping for more peaceful employment,” Krysty said.
“Don’t traders work the port?” Mildred asked. “I mean, the, uh, Mermaid even sells fresh fruit. The island doesn’t look big enough to grow it all here. Unless it’s all brought in as pirate swag?”
He laughed. “Oh, nuke me, no. There’s traders ply here, right enough. Once they buy their export licenses off the Syndicate, they’re as safe on the open sea as you and me, sittin’ right here. Only they don’t much like to take on crew here, if you catch my drift. Not everybody’s reliable.”
“Imagine that,” Mildred said.
“What about other paying gigs?” Ryan asked. “Local work.”
The girl brought Lumpy’s rum. He grinned at her when she set it down. She ignored him as if he were an insect. She took the .22 round Ryan handed her and walked away without a word.
“Whoo,” Lumpy said, “that is purely fine. Where was I? Oh. Jobs. Well, the crews bring in plenty slaves. You could sign on for Monitors, but I reckon you’d have the same objections to that you have to signing on for pirates.”
He shook his head. “Can’t think of much. I do some odd jobs now and then since I lost my nerve, fish some. I can fix a few things, and that’s not always something you want slaves doing, know what I mean. But that’s just me, and I barely scrape by. There’s five of you.”
“Six, actually,” Mildred said. “But who’s counting?”
Lumpy shot back his rum and shook all over like a wet dog. He set his empty on the table upside down with a clack. It seemed to Ryan the single shot had hit him pretty hard. Of course, he didn’t know whether it was his first of the day.
“Spring for another?” Lumpy asked, looking around with eyes even less clear than they had been when he sat down.
J.B. signaled the server for another, then he leaned his leather-clad elbows on the table.
“So how about this Monster Island,” he said. “How about getting passage there?”
Lumpy shrugged. “Same story as the mainland. Go for a pirate, or pay your way. Gas, brass or ass—nobody rides for free.”
“So what do you think, Ryan?” J.B. asked.
“I’m thinking,” he admitted.
“You considering turning pirate, Ryan?” Mildred asked.
“Would you like signing up as Monitors better?” J.B. asked.
She scowled.
“Everything lives off other things,” Jak said. “Want eat, gotta kill.”
“Unusual loquacity, Jak,” Doc said. “And unusual eloquence. Albeit in the service of a doctrine of moral expediency.”
Jak scowled furiously.
“Don’t worry,” J.B. told him. “I didn’t get it,