The Widowmaker: Volume 1 in the Widowmaker Trilogy by Mike Resnick Read Free Book Online

He held out his arm for inspection. “You should have seen what I did to geiger counters for the next three years! Drove my doctors crazy. And of course, I had to dump my gold for a tenth of its value; it's got to sit in a vault somewhere for a couple of centuries before anyone can touch it."
    "But you're not hot anymore?"
    "Nope. I can walk through a spaceport today and not set off a single machine. One day I woke up and all the radiation was gone. Drove my doctors crazy a second time!” Malloy chuckled in amusement. “Whenever I need to raise a grubstake, I go back to the hospital and let them try to figure out what happened."
    "I assume they haven't come up with an answer?"
    Malloy shook his head. “Nope. I'm one of Nature's mysteries.” He paused. “You'll find a lot of us on the Frontier, one way or another.” He gestured to the approaching bartender. “Even Gold Eyes here is one of us. Only he was born that way."
    The bartender set their drinks on the table and grinned down at Malloy. “Word is out that he's looking for you,” he said.
    "Now tell me something I don't know."
    The bartender chuckled and walked back to the bar.
    Malloy rose to his feet. “I gotta get out of here.” He was overcome by dizziness, tried to steady himself, and collapsed back onto his chair.
    "The only place you should be going is a hospital,” said Nighthawk.
    The small man shook his head vigorously. “I'll be okay in another minute."
    "Sure you will,” said Nighthawk sardonically.
    "They don't call me Lizard just for the scales,” said Malloy. “The damned nova gave me a lizard's metabolism, too. I get too cold, I go comatose. You warm me up, I'm fine.” Suddenly he grinned a reptilian grin. “Put me in a sauna, I have so much energy I can't sit still.” He paused. “Anyway, I'll be fine soon, and then I'm gone before he knows I was here."
    "Who are you talking about?"
    "Who else? The Marquis."
    "The Marquis of Queensbury?” asked Nighthawk.
    Malloy grimaced. “You know any other Marquises?"
    "What does he have against you?"
    "Well, that's kind of a long and involved story,” said Malloy. “I'm sure it wouldn't interest someone like you."
    "Everything about the Marquis interests me,” said Nighthawk.
    Malloy stared at him long and hard. “Look, Jefferson Nighthawk,” he said, “you saved my life, so let me return the favor. You're a nice young man. If you want to live to be a nice old man, go home."
    "Explain yourself."
    "There are only two reasons for a man on Tundra to be interested in the Marquis. You either want to join him or kill him—and somehow you don't strike me as the joining type.” He paused. “You're just a kid. He's the Marquis. You haven't got a chance."
    Nighthawk downed his Dust Whore. “I haven't got a choice."
    "He'll kill you."
    "I doubt it,” said Nighthawk seriously. “I'm pretty good."
    "Every graveyard on the Frontier is filled with kids who were pretty good,” said Malloy. “Go home."
    "I can't. But there's something I can do. From this moment on, you're under my protection."
    "What are you talking about?” demanded Malloy.
    "Just what I said,” replied Nighthawk. “Anyone wants you, they have to go through me to get to you."
    "Fuck it!” said Malloy, jumping to his feet. “I've got better things to do than play bait for the Marquis. He'll kill us both.” He turned toward the door. “I'm out of here!"
    Nighthawk shoved the small man back onto his chair, and an instant later Malloy was looking down the barrel of a wicked-looking gun.
    "You don't have any choice in the matter,” said Nighthawk, his conversational tone belying the meaning of his words. “I saved you. Your life is mine. I'll spend it any way that I choose."
    Malloy looked long and hard into Nighthawk's eyes before moving, or even breathing deeply.
    "You'd really do it, wouldn't you?” he said at last. “You'd really kill me!"
    "I'd prefer not to."
    "Yeah, but you'd do it."
    "Without hesitation,” said