Part Two
Avon’s managed to convince Blake that we need the Detector Shield fixed before we do any more lookin’ for Star One. And that means the pair of us get to go down to a nice safe planet to buy the parts. It’s not Del Ten but it’s better than the usual places we get sent to. Of course he told Blake it could take us all day to find exactly what he wanted an’ that it might cost a fair bit.
"So where now?" I ask when we’re leaving the second parts shop in the town.
"How does lunch sound?" He pulls something out of his pocket. "After all Blake would be very suspicious if we came back with too much change." I look at what he’s got.
"Thought you said that one wasn’t what you wanted."
"I lied." He looks ridiculously pleased with himself. "You never saw me take it, did you?"
Bloody typical. But if I didn’t spot him no one else would’ve so he’s bin listening to what I’ve bin telling him anyway. We’re supposed to be havin’ some fun and we can’t do that unless one of us gets the money from somewhere. But shoplifting? It comes somewhere below picking pockets where I come from. Not something you do if you don’t have to; not when you could be spending the time planning a nice smooth burglary or bank job.
"So where d’you think we’ll find a pub?" I ask him, meaning our sort of pub, obviously. There are plenty of drinking establishments around here but I don’t like the look of most of ’em.
"How about across the market square and back another three streets?" Avon seems to have a knack of predicting these things so I follow him.
Yeah, this looks like what we’re lookin’ for. Few too many groups of folks wearing the colours of one gang or another to be entirely to my liking but it’s prob’ly the best we’re going to get without wasting time asking around. I grab a table and leave Avon to get the drinks in.
"I ordered food," he says as he puts a beer in front of me and sits himself down wi’ something clear an’ fizzy.
"What?"
"Just sandwiches. Something akin to cheese, and local vegetables." He pulls something out of a pocket and starts turning it over between his fingers.
"What you got there?"
"Just an eyeliner pencil. I picked it up... somewhere."
"Oh no. Computer bits I can deal with but stuff you could just as well pay for?"
"You’ve not been developing morals have you, Vila?"
"No, just standard self-preservation. You don’t know who’s runnin’ a town, you don’t do stuff to draw attention to yourself." How to explain it to him? I’m sure he just looks on it all as one big game an’ one of these days he’s going to get us both into trouble.
"Look," I say, "you never got any hassle for handlin’ stolen goods on Earth ’cos Big Ray the Sociopath had a soft spot for you."
"Not quite how I’d put it." He smirks. Bastard. I’d almost forgotten about that particular rumour.
"So’s true then? He did have you in the alley?"
"Maybe." Smug git. Not that he hasn’t bin on his knees in nearly as many alleys as Second Cousin Lyzbet from what I’ve heard but well, at least she charges.
"But anyways, you can’t just go nickin’ stuff wi’out knowing who’s running the show. For all you know they don’t take kindly to outsiders on their turf." He looks over at the bar.
"I think our food’s ready." He puts the eyeliner back in his pocket and heads over to the bar.
Git.
The sandwiches aren’t bad all said an’ done. It’s my round so I take the plates back and get another vodka an’ soda for him- less said about that, the better- and a beer for me. When I get back he’s fiddling with that damn eyeliner again.
I put the drinks down on the table then get hold of his hand with the eyeliner in it.
"Stop worryin’ about it," I tell him.
"And what makes you think I’ve anything to be worrying about?"
Does he want a list? He can be so bloody transparent sometimes.
"We’re supposed to be havin’ fun, remember? Whatever Blake’s got planned for us can wait another couple hours I’m sure. They’ve got a pool table upstairs."
Now that gets his attention. Thought it might, of course.
"A pool table?" he says, thinking about it. "When was the last time you played?"
"Prob’ly more recently than you. I was getting quite good too after you stopped drinkin’ in the Pear Tree." Until it got closed down, obviously. I’ve not played since but neither has he, far as I know.
The pool room’s empty when we get up there. I set up while Avon takes his time picking out a cue. He seems to be back into the idea of us havin’ a little holiday, which is good. I don’t like him frettin’ over stuff neither of us can do much about an’ Blake’s not been what you’d call accommodating of late.
Can’t be good for any of us, all this stress an’ no breaks. Avon’s answer seems to be to snap at Blake during the day and come round to my cabin at night. Not that I’m objecting. Jenna’s started smoking more of those ‘interesting’ cigarillos she picked up on Lindor and doesn’t seem too keen on sharing them with anyone else. Cally’s, actually I’m not sure what Cally’s doin’ about it, she just keeps disappearing to her cabin. Maybe I should have another go at talking to Blake when we get back. Or maybe not, he’s not bin very approachable since the girls finished fixing his conditioning for him.
We’re on our third game an’ Avon’s winning for the second time when I hear footsteps coming up the stairs. I watch the door ready to size up the situation. Heavy boots by the sound of it. Yep, I was right, construction worker boots, faded jeans and a fancy leather jacket over an old check shirt. An’ the slip of a thing behind her wearin’ the skirt that’s more like a belt has to be her ‘best girl’. Looks like we’re on their patch, which could be interesting, in a not entirely good way.
"Your shot, Vila." Avon sounds amused. "Or are you too busy looking at someone’s legs?"
"Okay, okay." I go back to the table. As if I’d be eyeing up anyone else’s girlfriend in front of- her, definitely not in front of her- wouldn’t bother me if it was just Avon here, even if we have been more... whatever, of late. Now what was I supposed to be doing?
The butch dyke comes over an’ stands looking at us while her girlfriend hovers in the back.
"I’ll play the winner." Well, that was more friendly than, say, ‘stop looking at my girl or I’ll break your arms’. Avon’s got that look on his face though, the one where he’s figuring out just how much he can get out of the situation.
"Why ever not? Do you play for money?" he asks her.
I knew it. He’s going to try a bit of hustling. Marginally safer than upsetting the local crime bosses but I may as well be ready to do a runner. Of course there’s always the chance of me winning this game of ours but somehow I doubt it.
Avon’s definitely on form. He plays pool like he plays chess, planning everything well ahead of where he is in the game. And if you watch him closely you can see him calculating all the angles for every single shot. Andie, our butch friend, obviously has a nice earner going winning money off anyone who’s just passin’ through. Just wonder how long it’ll take her to cotton on to the fact that Avon used to play that game too...
Andie’s girlfriend steps over to me.
"I’m getting her another beer. How about you guys?"
"I’ll have another," I say, looking to see if Avon’s still got a drink, "s’pose I’d better get him one as well."
"So have you always lived here?" I ask while we’re waiting to be served. She nods. "Decent enough place, is it?"
"I wouldn’t know what to compare it to. Andie’s been offworld and come back so I suppose it must be better than some. The people I know are friendly enough, I suppose. You thinking of settling?"
I hadn’t really considered it. I’d just got used to the idea that I was stuck on Liberator with the others. No reason why I couldn’t just slip into the crowd somewhere like here. I mean it’s not like the Federation’s going to be that bothered about chasin’ after me when they could go after Blake... I wonder if Avon still thinks about leaving; I haven’t spotted him looking up suitable bolt holes for a while but that doesn’t mean anything. I’m not sure he’d want to leave Blake anyway, not even the way things are at the moment. Me though, I quite like the idea of somewhere safe with decent beer an’ friendly locals. And if the dykes don’t get any hassle then no one’s going to bother about my equal opportunities policy. Not that Deltas ever get much bother about that sort of thing but I’m a bit too used to fancy livin’ these days to go back to down where I come from. Yeah, nice independent planet, make a few contacts, settle down with one of each and maybe a couple of spares. I like that idea.
We get served at last an’ take our drinks back upstairs. The money’s piling up on the table, I hope Avon knows what he’s doing. If I do stay here, who’s going to keep him out of trouble? Not that I need to be the one to worry about him but it’s not like the others know him like I do and he’s bin takin’ things a little too personally of late. Still ’s his look out if I stay an’ he doesn’t.
I wait till they’ve finished a game an’ she’s rackin’ up for the next then go to have a quick word wi’ Avon.
"I’ve been doing some thinking," I say. He raises his eyebrows. "No, I have. Nice planet this. Could be all sorts of opportunities for those wi’ an eye for them."
He looks interested.
"We could- or at least you could or I could, separately like- do quite well for ourselves somewhere like here."
"You are suggesting we abandon Blake?"
"Not abandon as such, just go our separate ways for a while. I mean I know you’ve got a claim to the ship, same as Blake does, and Jenna come to think of it. And I probably deserve paying something out of the treasure room for all my hard work. But we’ve done our bit. If we’re that important to Blake, he could at least tell us occasionally."
Maybe that last bit was a bit too close to what’s botherin’ him. He turns back to the table anyway, but I know he’s thinking about what I’ve said. Not that it’s putting him off his game, which is good. He misses a couple of shots he should have got but I suspect that’s all for show.
It’s getting a bit close to when Blake is going to be wanting us back and I’m having another chat wi’ Andie’s girl. Tina her name is. And she _has_ got very nice legs. Not that I’m looking at them too much, for obvious reasons. Nice cleavage too, which I’m not looking at either. Pretty face, no real harm in looking at that...
"She’s a pretty good pool player, your girlfriend," I start. "Does she play here a lot?"
"We drink here most days," she says. "You know, if you guys were thinking of sticking around, you ought to ask the barman about getting a room where he stays. I know he’s been looking for someone to move in."
"It’s not ‘us guys’, it’s just me." There that’s halfway to a decision. "We just work together, mostly."
She smiles at me with that hint of disbelief. Damn lesbians. Just because they’re all happy an’ domestic. I mean, who in their right mind would want to get involved with Avon? Come to think of it, maybe I should stop encouraging him quite so much, make meself unavailable some nights or whatever. But then if I stay here an’ he goes back wi’ the others...
"Looks like he’s going to win this one, your... friend."
"Really?" I wasn’t listening to her just then, got distracted for some reason. May as well go watch the end of the game so I get up an’ go back over.
"It’s getting late," I say to Avon as he’s setting up for the next game.
"I know. One more, double or nothing?" he asks Andie.
"I shouldn’t really, you’ve just about cleared me out and I’m sure Tina’s going to be wanting to get me home soon."
"Go on, everything I’ve won against..." he looks round, "your jacket." I bet he’s had his eye on it all along an’ all. Black leather, rhinestones on the lapels an’ in a star pattern on the back, just his sort of thing. And it should fit him reasonably well too.
"I’m attached to my jacket, took me a long time to save up for it," she says.
"But," he gives her one of his best smiles "my winning streak can’t last forever. And surely one more game..."
"You’re on." She holds out her hand an’ they shake on it.
He wins, of course. Bastard. But he does at least stop for a word wi’ Tina when we’re leaving, an’ I hope he slips her some money to get themselves a decent meal. I don’t expect they’ve got much spare cash right about now an’ I sort of like them.
"So you’re going back then?" I ask when we’re outside.
"Are you?"
I think about it. I could do okay for meself here but I’ve not really seen enough of the place to know for sure. And if Avon goes back on his own there’ll be hell to pay, which does bother me more than it should. And I feel bad about not sayin’ ‘good bye’ to Cally.
"S’pose so," I say eventually.
Blake just looks at us when we get back. Especially at that jacket Avon’s wearin’. I don’t think he’ll be trustin’ us to go anywhere else by ourselves for a while.
***
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