In the Deadlands by David Gerrold Read Free Book Online Page A

You’ll get it. But it’s...uncool to just kick and run. You’ve got to talk to us first. We like to talk.”
    â€œI don’t.” I looked at their eyes.
    â€œBut we do,” they answered patiently.
    â€œLook, I got the cash for it—just give it to me and we’ll go.”
    â€œDon’t want cash,” said one.
    â€œWant you,” said the other.
    â€œHuh?” I said.
    And, “Deet!” said Woozle. “Let’s get out of here.”
    I ignored the voice at my sleeve. “What’re you talking about?”
    â€œWe want you. To talk to. That’s our price.”
    â€œOh. I thought you meant something else.”
    â€œUh-uh,” she said.
    â€œGood. That’s not my bag.”
    â€œNot ours either.” She rearranged herself on the mattress. They looked at me again. Hungry. Patient bitches, weren’t they?
    â€œWhat is your thing?” they asked.
    â€œI don’t know. Just being me, I guess.”
    â€œBut who are you? Do you know?”
    I shook my head. To clear it. It wasn’t making sense any more. If it ever did. “Hey, enough of this already. Where’s the hit I came for?”
    â€œWe’re giving it to you,” said one.
    â€œWe’re trying to give it to you,” said the other.
    â€œRight now,” added the first.
    â€œUh-uh.” I shook my head. “Uh-uh, I’m not buying a shuck. I haven’t smoked anything. I haven’t dropped anything. So far, all we’ve done is talk—”
    â€œYes, yes,” she had a voice like a movie geisha, all treble and no bass. “That’s it. A communicating… thing.”
    â€œHuh? I don’t…? I mean, it doesn’t.”
    She cocked her head. “It is essential that—”
    Something was wrong; the whole thing was all tilty-slidy and kept creeping off at the edges. I tried to yank it back, but it wouldn’t. Somehow I kept missing the undertones.
    They were ignoring me. They were looking at each other and talking softly, words like, “...doesn’t want...needs a tangible...”
    The first one shook her head, as if in disagreement. “... does want...”
    â€œ...doesn’t...”
    â€œ... does ...just doesn’t know that he...”
    The second one shook her head now. “No...needs a tan gibble...trib won’t work unless...must believe...”
    The first one nodded at that. “Yes...is necessary...give something...”
    The second one made a suggestion.
    The first one glanced up sharply. “...not...”
    The second one: “...what else...trib is trib...he wants...we give...”
    â€œTrib is not trib...this bite is...”
    â€œBite is bite is bite...” snapped the second. “Want not hear about it...”
    â€œPossibility for ickle-ickle-ickle...”
    â€œAm aware...am aware...am aware...”
    â€œRather try communicor again...” insisted the first.
    â€œWon’t work...won’t work...doesn’t want...doesn’t want...” The second one seemed to have the upper hand in whatever it was. At last, the first one gave in and they looked at me. “Okay. We give.”
    â€œGreat. What do we do? Smoke it? Drink it? Eat it?”
    â€œNone of those,” they shook their heads.
    â€œThen how—?”
    â€œRub it on,” said one. The other was burrowing around under the mattress. “Take off your clothes,” she said.
    â€œHuh?”
    â€œTake off your clothes. That’s what you have to do.”
    â€œYou’re not putting me on?”
    â€œYou want the hit?”
    â€œAre you going to take one too?”
    They shook their heads. “We’re already on ours. We don’t need yours.”
    â€œOh.” I still didn’t move to drop my clothes.
    They waited. “Are you shy?”
    â€œNo. It’s just that—”
    â€œWould you like us to take off our clothes