At the Edge of the Universe, Part 4
“Is this piece of shit even going to make it that far?” Perconte asks, kicking the side of the Lady Luck and turning around to face Luz.
“Hey hey hey! Be nice! She’s old!” He runs a hand along the side of the ship lovingly. “She’ll take us wherever we need to go boys.”
Shifty smiles, ever the optimist, and follows Tab inside. His gun is already fixed in a separate cockpit on the top of the ship. Newer models have better armoring around their gunmen’s cockpits than the old Lady Luck does, but Luz is a brilliant pilot, and Shifty doesn’t miss. He’s not worried.
He climbs upward and loads the gun, checking to make sure everything’s working, and then sits back, satisfied. Frank and George are still arguing, and Tab pokes his head up the ladder.
“Hey, you got enough ammo?”
“Should be plenty, unless we run into more trouble than we’re expecting.”
Tab frowns. “You think we will?”
“Dunno.” Shifty shrugs. “Why’re we chasin’ after Liebgott anyway?”
“George wants a chance at Sobel I think. And probably to make sure Liebgott doesn’t disappear with a brand new ship and his money.” Tab speculates, squinting out the grimy windows surrounding the cockpit.
“You still okay up here?”
Shifty grins. “Well it beats stayin’ at home.”
Perconte’s head suddenly appears next to Tab’s, “Luz says get your ass down here and fix the fucking shifter, since you’re the only one who can get it to work.”
Tab grins and they both disappear, and there is suddenly much more yelling from below, followed by a triumphant shout.
“Floyd Talbert! I knew there was a reason I kept you around!” Luz announces, slapping him on the back.
He lights a cigarette and slides into the pilot’s chair.
“You good Shifty?” Luz calls, starting the ship and feeling her shudder to life.
“Good!” he hears Shifty answer, and he grins around his cigarette. He eases Lady Luck backwards and turns, getting her out of the docks. And then without warning he shifts her forward at high speed, throwing him back in his seat. There’s a thump from somewhere behind him and he laughs out loud.
“What the fuck George?!” Perconte yells, and he hears Tab laughing too.
Luz pulls back on the gear shift and lets them cruise out of Aldbourne. Time to go make himself useful.
**********************************************************
Kitty Grogan finishes wiping down the bar and drops her rag into the sink. Without it though, her hands feel awkward, and she toys with her apron strings nervously. So when Malarkey comes in from the back room, arms full of bottles, and Kitty grabs a couple from him to give herself something to do. They stock in silence until she can’t take it anymore.
“Do you really think he would propose?”
Malarkey looks up, surprised for a moment, and then starts laughing. “Who? Harry? I don’t know Kitty. For you, probably.”
Kitty groans.
Malarkey laughs again. “Why? Don’t you wanna get married? The man adores you. He practically pays our bills for us, the amount of time he spends in here ogling you.”
“I want to get married!” she protests “But maybe I don’t want to marry Harry. Maybe I…I don’t know.” She trails off.
Malarkey raises an eyebrow.
“What?”
“Nevermind.” He answers, and retreats into the back for more bottles.
Kitty lets out a quiet “Hmph.” and reaches for the tip jar. It overflows with appreciation for her new top. She grins, Skip is always complaining that she has such an unfair advantage and that they should all split the tips evenly. Malarkey then proceeded to tell him to shut the hell up and stop complaining, because he gets to own half the bar, and Kitty deserves her tips.
Tonight’s take will probably buy her another top, and maybe a skirt. A tight one. One Harry will like, she thinks, and smiles.
If he does come back with a ring, it had better be a damn big one.
“Hey hey hey! Be nice! She’s old!” He runs a hand along the side of the ship lovingly. “She’ll take us wherever we need to go boys.”
Shifty smiles, ever the optimist, and follows Tab inside. His gun is already fixed in a separate cockpit on the top of the ship. Newer models have better armoring around their gunmen’s cockpits than the old Lady Luck does, but Luz is a brilliant pilot, and Shifty doesn’t miss. He’s not worried.
He climbs upward and loads the gun, checking to make sure everything’s working, and then sits back, satisfied. Frank and George are still arguing, and Tab pokes his head up the ladder.
“Hey, you got enough ammo?”
“Should be plenty, unless we run into more trouble than we’re expecting.”
Tab frowns. “You think we will?”
“Dunno.” Shifty shrugs. “Why’re we chasin’ after Liebgott anyway?”
“George wants a chance at Sobel I think. And probably to make sure Liebgott doesn’t disappear with a brand new ship and his money.” Tab speculates, squinting out the grimy windows surrounding the cockpit.
“You still okay up here?”
Shifty grins. “Well it beats stayin’ at home.”
Perconte’s head suddenly appears next to Tab’s, “Luz says get your ass down here and fix the fucking shifter, since you’re the only one who can get it to work.”
Tab grins and they both disappear, and there is suddenly much more yelling from below, followed by a triumphant shout.
“Floyd Talbert! I knew there was a reason I kept you around!” Luz announces, slapping him on the back.
He lights a cigarette and slides into the pilot’s chair.
“You good Shifty?” Luz calls, starting the ship and feeling her shudder to life.
“Good!” he hears Shifty answer, and he grins around his cigarette. He eases Lady Luck backwards and turns, getting her out of the docks. And then without warning he shifts her forward at high speed, throwing him back in his seat. There’s a thump from somewhere behind him and he laughs out loud.
“What the fuck George?!” Perconte yells, and he hears Tab laughing too.
Luz pulls back on the gear shift and lets them cruise out of Aldbourne. Time to go make himself useful.
**********************************************************
Kitty Grogan finishes wiping down the bar and drops her rag into the sink. Without it though, her hands feel awkward, and she toys with her apron strings nervously. So when Malarkey comes in from the back room, arms full of bottles, and Kitty grabs a couple from him to give herself something to do. They stock in silence until she can’t take it anymore.
“Do you really think he would propose?”
Malarkey looks up, surprised for a moment, and then starts laughing. “Who? Harry? I don’t know Kitty. For you, probably.”
Kitty groans.
Malarkey laughs again. “Why? Don’t you wanna get married? The man adores you. He practically pays our bills for us, the amount of time he spends in here ogling you.”
“I want to get married!” she protests “But maybe I don’t want to marry Harry. Maybe I…I don’t know.” She trails off.
Malarkey raises an eyebrow.
“What?”
“Nevermind.” He answers, and retreats into the back for more bottles.
Kitty lets out a quiet “Hmph.” and reaches for the tip jar. It overflows with appreciation for her new top. She grins, Skip is always complaining that she has such an unfair advantage and that they should all split the tips evenly. Malarkey then proceeded to tell him to shut the hell up and stop complaining, because he gets to own half the bar, and Kitty deserves her tips.
Tonight’s take will probably buy her another top, and maybe a skirt. A tight one. One Harry will like, she thinks, and smiles.
If he does come back with a ring, it had better be a damn big one.