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Stories from the Verse
Con Version
Chapter 146: Brown 334
Table of Contents
Previous chapter: Cooper 47
After Marlon left, Derek began praying. When Vashti awoke, he told her what he knew and what he suspected. She cooked up some grits for them and insisted he eat some, then joined him in prayer until it was time to go to the diner.
The concern on Derek’s face was so evident that each of the others in turn, plus Henry, simply asked, “What?” He responded, “Music first, then news.” He said it four times.
With a deep breath he began their set, and managed to get through it. Then they moved to the table, and everyone looked at him expectantly as their lunch was being delivered.
“Last night,” he began, “it appears that Marion Malcolm was kidnapped.”
“How you know this?” Lei asked.
“Marlon came by this morning. He says his mother seems completely unworried about it, as if she knew it was going to happen, and his brothers are afraid to cross her by trying to do anything about it. I think she made a deal with Scratch to have the Carters kidnap him.”
“So what do we do?” Maurice asked.
“After lunch we get our weapons and instruments, and follow the trail to the crypt. If they took him, he’ll probably be there; if they didn’t, maybe we can put an end to the killing.”
Everyone ate in silence. Lei excused himself to use the bathroom before he was done, but came back looking a bit sick.
“You don’t have to come,” Pierre said.
“Yes, I do,” he answered, and that was the end of it.
Since it wasn’t raining, Pierre had come by trolley. He was going to have to go home for his derringer two-shot pistol and blessed bullets. Maurice had his rusty old knife, and would take the shotgun from the shack; Lei didn’t have any weapons, so the four of them would stop at the shack for weapons and then rendezvous with Pierre. They identified a familiar landmark near the bridge Morach had found, and agreed to meet there.
“I’m not sure what to say,” Derek said to Pierre before he departed. “On the one hand, our music is in some ways our most potent weapon; on the other hand, I’m not sure about negotiating the marsh trail with a Sousaphone.”
“I’ll manage,” he said, and took off in the opposite direction from the rest of them.
Derek always carried his sprite bow and arrows, but for this he wanted everything–the chain, the frying pan, both knives, the darts, and the laser rifle. He had no idea what would work against the enemy, but to his mind that was more reason to bring everything. Vashti had only her good fighting knife and her wood practice knife, and Maurice retrieved the shotgun and a box of shells.
Thus equipped they headed to the rendezvous point, picked up a waiting Pierre, and started walking toward the primitive wooden bridge that would take them to the head of the trail.
“Last chance, if anyone wants to quit now,” Derek said. No one did.
As to the old stories that have long been here:
