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The Lunatic Cafe :: Гамильтон Лорел
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"Don't hurt him," I said.
Her eyes flicked back to me. "We are not allowed to attack the police." Her voice was thick with scorn. "I know the rules."
I wanted to say, "What rules?" but didn't. It was a good rule. The policeman could live with a rule like that. Of course, I wasn't a cop, and I was betting the rules didn't apply to me.
The cop came into view out of the comer of my eye. His gun was pointing at me. He kicked my gun out of reach. I saw it hit the building. A hand shoved into my back, getting my attention. "You don't need to know where the gun went."
He was right, for now. He frisked me one-handed. It wasn't very thorough, and I wondered where his partner was.
"Enough," the vampire said.
I felt the cop step back from me. "What's going on here?"
Her power slithered past me, like a great beast had brushed me in the dark. I heard the policeman gasp.
"Nothing is happening here," the vampire said. There was a flavoring of accent in her voice. German or Austrian, maybe.
I heard his voice say, "Nothing is happening here."
"Now go back to directing traffic," she said.
I turned, slowly, hands still on my head. The cop was standing there, face empty, eyes wide. His gun was pointed at the ground, as if he'd forgotten he was holding it.
"Go away," she said.
He stood there frozen. He was wearing his cross tie tack. He was wearing his blessed cross, just like he was supposed to, and it wasn't doing much good.
I backed away from both of them. If she stopped paying attention to the cop, I wanted to be armed. I lowered my arms slowly, watching the cop. If she took her control off suddenly, and I wasn't where I was supposed to be, he might shoot me. Probably not, but maybe. If he saw me with the gun in my hand a second time, almost certainly.
"I don't suppose you would remove his cross so I could order him about?"
My eyes flicked to the vampire. She was looking at me. The cop stirred, struggling like a dreamer in the grip of a nightmare. She turned her eyes back to him, and the struggles ceased.
"I don't think so," I said. I knelt, trying to keep my attention on both of them. I touched the Browning, and wrapped cold fingers around it. My hands were stiff from being exposed to the cold for so long. I wasn't sure how fast I could draw right at that moment. Maybe I should look into some gloves. Maybe ones with the fingertips cut out.
I shoved the Browning in my coat pocket, hand still gripping it.
"Don't hurt him," I said.
Her eyes flicked back to me. "We are not allowed to attack the police." Her voice was thick with scorn. "I know the rules."
I wanted to say, "What rules?" but didn't. It was a good rule. The policeman could live with a rule like that. Of course, I wasn't a cop, and I was betting the rules didn't apply to me.
The cop came into view out of the comer of my eye. His gun was pointing at me. He kicked my gun out of reach. I saw it hit the building. A hand shoved into my back, getting my attention. "You don't need to know where the gun went."
He was right, for now. He frisked me one-handed. It wasn't very thorough, and I wondered where his partner was.
"Enough," the vampire said.
I felt the cop step back from me. "What's going on here?"
Her power slithered past me, like a great beast had brushed me in the dark. I heard the policeman gasp.
"Nothing is happening here," the vampire said. There was a flavoring of accent in her voice. German or Austrian, maybe.
I heard his voice say, "Nothing is happening here."
"Now go back to directing traffic," she said.
I turned, slowly, hands still on my head. The cop was standing there, face empty, eyes wide. His gun was pointed at the ground, as if he'd forgotten he was holding it.
"Go away," she said.
He stood there frozen. He was wearing his cross tie tack. He was wearing his blessed cross, just like he was supposed to, and it wasn't doing much good.
I backed away from both of them. If she stopped paying attention to the cop, I wanted to be armed. I lowered my arms slowly, watching the cop. If she took her control off suddenly, and I wasn't where I was supposed to be, he might shoot me. Probably not, but maybe. If he saw me with the gun in my hand a second time, almost certainly.
"I don't suppose you would remove his cross so I could order him about?"
My eyes flicked to the vampire. She was looking at me. The cop stirred, struggling like a dreamer in the grip of a nightmare. She turned her eyes back to him, and the struggles ceased.
"I don't think so," I said. I knelt, trying to keep my attention on both of them. I touched the Browning, and wrapped cold fingers around it. My hands were stiff from being exposed to the cold for so long. I wasn't sure how fast I could draw right at that moment. Maybe I should look into some gloves. Maybe ones with the fingertips cut out.
I shoved the Browning in my coat pocket, hand still gripping it.