The Perdition Score by Richard Kadrey Page B

going to say?”
    â€œI don’t know. I’m going to see him right after this.”
    â€œDid the police see you?” says Allegra.
    â€œNo, but there were a million witnesses and I’m sure a gruesome amount of video.”
    â€œThis isn’t good,” says Vidocq.
    â€œShe was out of her mind. If I didn’t fight back she would have killed me and everyone on the boulevard. This isn’t my fault.”
    â€œI didn’t mean that. What I meant is that if angels are free to battle in the streets, Heaven must be in extreme disarray.”
    â€œThat’s the impression I got.”
    â€œHave you heard from your friend Samael? Or Mr. Muninn?”
    â€œNot a word. I get the feeling they’re pretty busy. And it’s not like I can go and see them anymore.”
    â€œYou must watch yourself,” Vidocq says. “You’re in danger from Earth and the celestial realms.”
    Allegra finishes with the salve and wraps my arm in gauze. She smiles.
    â€œMaybe we should have tried some of the black milk on your arm. I bet it would have fixed you right up.”
    I get up as soon as Allegra finishes wrapping me. She helps me put my coat on. I go to the counter and put the milk vial back in its box and put the box in my pocket.
    â€œNo one is trying black milk on anything anymore.”
    Allegra makes a face.
    â€œCan’t you leave us just a little? A few drops.”
    â€œI’m not having some liquored-up angel come after you. This stuff stays with me until I know exactly what’s going on.”
    Vidocq nods at Allegra.
    â€œIt’s probably for the best. Things regarding the milk seem to have moved from our world into James’s.”
    â€œIt looks that way,” she says. “What are you going to do with it?”
    â€œHide it,” I say. “I don’t know where. The augur is smart. Maybe he’ll have an idea.”
    â€œYou can’t go to him in broad daylight. You could be recognized,” says Vidocq.
    â€œWay ahead of you.”
    I improvise a quick glamour spell and change from my face to Charlie Anpu’s.
    â€œHow do I look?”
    â€œDistressing,” says Vidocq.
    Allegra wipes her hands on a towel.
    â€œDon’t let Chihiro see you like that. You’re entirely unfuckable right now.”
    I check myself in a mirror over the sink.
    â€œPerfect, then. Thanks for the help.”
    I give Allegra a hug and she squirms away.
    â€œEw. Take that face and go do whatever it is you have to do to fix things.”
    I head for the door.
    â€œMaybe I’ll see you two at Bamboo House later?”
    â€œNot if you’re going to look like that,” Allegra says.
    â€œBamboo House is safe. I’ll be me by the time you get there.”
    â€œPlease do,” says Vidocq. “And be careful.”
    I open the door.
    â€œI’m always careful. I’m just not lucky.”
    I head out. Fairuza lets out a little scream when she sees me. Now I just hope I don’t spook all the cabbies. It’s a long walk to Marina del Rey.
    I T TAKES A while, but I finally get a ride. The fare all the way out to Abbot’s place is soul-sucking, but I pay the cabbie off with a wad of the cash I get paid for being on the council.
    So, this is how regular people live. They get paid to do a job, then have to spend the money on clothes they don’t want to wear somewhere they don’t like, then spend even more money commuting. And that doesn’t count the years of their lives spent going from home to a desk and back again. Fuck that. At least in the arena in Hell they didn’t charge us for our weapons. And we got to steal better ones from who or whatever we killed that day. Sure, we didn’t have 401(k)s, but if there was a boss who wouldn’t get off your back, we didn’t have to go to HR about it. We just cut the fucker’s throat. That’s job satisfaction.
    I go through the