Forsyth

"If you'd rather, I could haul you off to the tender hands of the Law. You don't know anything that can help me." "Fine," she said, and started to stalk off. "Be careful," I said. "I can take care of myself," Luck said, without turning around. I let her go. I didn't mention that Succession might be breaking down. She didn't want help, she could take care of herself. But then again, so could Justice. That hadn't really helped her. But I wasn't sure, yet. Spreading rumors, even if I was right, would probably instigate Nomos into locking me up. - I was going about this wrong. Sure, I could walk all over the city and browbeat anybody who ha

I found my suspect at the table of the many games of chance designed to separate people from their worldly goods, as quickly and addictively as possible. She wasn't playing.  She never did.  And not just because the casino wouldn't let her.  She was playing arm-candy for somebody I didn't know.  As I approached, he flashed a fancy money clip.  A new Greed. I stopped behind them.  "Hello," I said. She turned and smiled at me.  "Why hello!  It's been so long, I thought you didn't like me any more." "I never did.  We need to talk, Luck.  Now." - Greed looked up.  He wasn't as piggish as the last one.  Yet.  More crocodilian.  "Hey.  The la

These things always start with a body or a woman. Tonight it was both. Not just any dead woman. I'd known her. I could smell blood a block away, even over the delicate flowers that scented every breeze. A crowd of gawkers had already formed around the body when I arrived. I shouldered thorough. I'd already known what waited for me. She lay sprawled where she'd fallen, her robes stained red from the small hole in the center of her chest. No accident, this. I doubted anyone would pay me, but now I had a case. Someone had killed Justice. - The crowd started shuffling around me. "Move aside, nothing to see here, move along." Only one person

Chapter 4 "That wasn't there yesterday." They did, indeed, seem to have done this before.  Though Jayridge really wasn't sure at all about the monkey pressing buttons, at the very least it hadn't flooded the sub and drowned them all yet.  And once they were out from the wreckage of the docks, it was very pretty.  The sunlight coming down through the water, schools of fish flashing like anti-missile chaff, strange alien growths and lots of mud coating the ocean floor beneath them.  Jayridge watched these rapt for at least ten minutes, just seeing everything completely differently underneath.  And yes, with no waves, no seasickness at all.

Chapter 3 "Trust us, we do this all the time." "Why don't I hear any sirens?" Jayridge asked. Twink paused for a moment, searching for links.  "There's no SWAT team or anything here, this is a little tourist town.  I imagine the cops are taking the better part of valor and staying out of the way until it's over." "Great.  Let's find a boat out of here before everything blows up." "My internal GPS points the docks as this way," Twink said, pointing down toward the ocean. "Uh, yeah.  Thanks, I can find the ocean myself," Jayridge said. "Fine, see if I help you any more," Twink said, going dark again. Jayridge sighed and shifted