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"I need to see Tifty"
"So I hear Tifty, I’m afraid, is indisposed at the moment A very private fellow, our Tifty"
"Cut the bullshit," Hollis said "I told you, I’ll vouch for them Tifty needs to hear what they have to say"
"This is your mess, my friend I don’t think you’re exactly in a position to beLore and Michael "What do you have to say for yourselves?"
"We’re oilers," Michael replied
"Interesting Did you bring us any oil?" His gaze narrowed on Lore; a sht with menace, flickered over his face "Now, you I think I know Poker, wasn’t it? Or dice Probably you don’t reet?"
Grinning, Dunk rose and rubbed hisall of you A real pleasure Before we kill you, does anyone have anything else to say? Goodbye, maybe?"
"Tell Tifty it’s about the field," said Hollis
Soed; Peter could sense it at once The words fell over Dunk’s face like a shadow
"Tell him," Hollis said
The man appeared stunned into inaction Then he drew his pistol
"Let’s go"
Dunk and hiscorridor Peter took stock of their surroundings, though there wasn’t much to see, just more halls and closed doors Many of the doors had keypads on the walls beside theht theave it three hard raps
"Enter"
The great gangster Tifty Laain Peter found his expectations overturned He was a physically co, hooked nose His pale hair flowed over his neck, thin at the top with a crown of pink scalp beneath Seated behind a largethe i a tower out of wooden sticks
"Yes, Dunk?" he said, not looking up "What is it?"
"We’ve captured three intruders, sir Hollis brought the "And you did not kill them because ?"
Dunk cleared his throat "It’s about the field, sir They say they know so"
Tifty’s hands halted over theat thelasses
"Who says?"
Peter stepped forward "I do"
Tifty studied him a moment "And the others? What do they know?"
"They ith me when I saw her"
"Saho, exactly?"
"The woid as a blind ed a finger toward Peter "What’s your name?"
"Peter Jaxon"
"Except for Mr Jaxon"
"What do you want ination They look hungry-why don’t you give the to eat?"
"What about Hollis?"
"I’ht the He showed thehed heavily "Well, that is a wrinkle Hollis, what a to do with you? There are rules There’s a code Honor a thieves How many tiht you needed to hear what he had to say"
"Well, sorry doesn’t cut it This is a very aard position you’ve put me in" He cast his eyes wearily around the roo its shelves and files "Very well Where are you on the roster?"
"Nue until I say otherwise I kno enerous here"
Hollis’s face showed nothing What was the cage? Peter thought
"Thank you, Tifty," Hollis said "Now all of you get the hell out"
The door sealed behind them Peter waited for Tifty to speak first The man rose from behind his desk and stepped to a slass and drank it down Just when the silence had begun to strain, he addressed Peter with his back turned
"What was she wearing?"
"A dark cloak and glasses"
"What else did you see? Was there a truck?"
Peter recounted the events on the Oil Road Tifty let him talk When Peter had concluded, the "
He opened the top drawer, removed a sheet of paper, and slid it across the desktop A charcoal drawing, the paper stiffened and slightly discolored, of a woirls
"You’ve seen one of these before, haven’t you? I can tell"
Peter nodded The picture wasn’t anything he could easily pull his eyes fro hauntedness, as if the woe from someplace beyond the ordinary parahosts
"Yes, in Colorado Greer showed it tostack of the hi a test "Why do you have a copy?"
"Because I loved them," Tifty replied "Vor and I had our difficulties, but he always kne I felt They were ave this to me"
"They died in the field"
"Dee, yes, and the little one, Siri Both were killed outright It was fast, though you know the saying: Make it quick, but not today The older girl, Nitia, was never found" He frowned "You’re surprised by all this? Not quite what you expected?"
Peter couldn’t even begin to answer
"I’s so you understand who and e are All these ive theer Take Dunk, for instance Henow, but when I look at him, do you knohat I see? An eleven-year-old kid He was in the field, too Father,the trade has to do with that"