Read Online The Best Rootin' Tootin' Shootin' Gunslinger in the Whole Damned Galaxy by Mike Resnick - Free Book Online Page B

restitution!"
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “Yeah. Well, a sentient being is also on his way to the hoosegow, in case that little tidbit of information has already slipped your mind."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “But what shall we do about the dead Tilarban?"
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “Mr. Ahasuerus?” said Flint softly.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “Yes?"
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “ Shut up !"
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “But Mr. Flint—"
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “Carnies take care of their own first, and in case you haven’t figured it out, the only reason the Dancer gave up his guns is because he’s still got a knife hidden in each boot.” Flint paused and sighed. “So if you want to make yourself useful, stop worrying about a corpse that’s already on its way to the morgue and hunt me up a map of whatever city they’ve carted the Dancer off to."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “I’ll do more than produce a map,” said the blue man firmly. “I’ll go with you."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  Flint shook his head. “Mr. Ahasuerus, I’m going into town to bribe my way up the ladder of justice. If I let you try to spread a little money around where it might do some good, I’ll wind up having to get two carnies out of jail instead of just one."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “But surely there must be something I can do."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “Besides dithering, you mean?” he said sarcastically. “Yeah, there’s one thing that pops to mind."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “Yes? And what is that?"
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “Try just as hard as you can not to come up with any more bright ideas for a new act while I’m gone."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “That was an unfair remark, Mr. Flint,” said the blue man reproachfully. “You know it was Billybuck’s idea."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “Well, I’m in an unfair mood tonight,” said Flint. “The sooner you get the hell out of here and hunt up that map, the sooner you won’t have to listen to me."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  Ten minutes later Flint was climbing into the poorly-heated landcar, an inadequate map in one pocket and a roll of bills in the other. As he punched the ignition combination and headed off to bully a bunch of orange aliens into releasing a demonstrably certifiable gunfighter, he concluded—for perhaps the hundredth time—that he was definitely getting too old for this kind of shit.
    Â 

 
    Chapter 5
    Â 
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  "Hey, Dancer—are you awake?"
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “Is that you, Thaddeus?"  
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “Right,” answered Flint, as the attendant unlocked the door to the Dancer’s cell. The young Texan emerged into the brightly lit corridor a moment later, rubbing his eyes.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “What time is it?” he asked.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “It’s seven-thirty in the morning, ship’s time, and I’ve been freezing my ass off all fucking night finding out what strings to pull to get you out of here," growled Flint. He looked at the sharpshooter. “You didn’t use your knife while you were here, did you?"
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “I was in solitary."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “Not a bad place for a killer who’s making headlines on all the newscasts."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “Really?” asked the Dancer, suddenly interested.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “Well, I don’t know about all of them, but you were on the two I happened to see.” Flint stuck his head into the darkened cell. “Got anything in here?"
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “Nope."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “Good. Then let’s get the hell out of here, before someone decides not to stay bought."
    Â Â Â Â Â Â  “No trial?” asked the Dancer.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â