Blood Ties (35 page)

Authors: Peter David

BOOK: Blood Ties

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“A big girl,” he corrected me. “I used to think you'd grown up to a woman, but I demoted you.”

“I'll tell you this,” I said. “If she went to this much trouble to get me to go to her, I might as well accommodate her. You coming?”

“Maybe eventually. But I got somewhere else I'd rather go right now.”

“Yeah? Where?”

“I thought I'd go visit with Reaver for a while.”

“âVisit'? You mean you're going to hang around Reaver's mansion and hurl insults at him?”

“Him. Visitors. Anyone who gets within earshot.”

“It's going to drive him insane!”

“That's the general idea.”

“He might try to shoot you,” I said. “Plus, remember, they caught you once.”

“Acchh,” he said dismissively. “They never could've caught me that time if I hadn't let 'em. I was getting bored. Don't worry about me.” Then he cocked his head like an interested puppy. “
Were
you worried about me? I could see a girl like you getting all concerned . . .”

“No, I'm not worried.”

I stuck out a hand. He looked at it curiously. Then, very slowly, he reached out and took it. We shook hands as gravely as two individuals could.

“You know,” I said as I picked up my bag and prepared to head out, “you'll probably just insult me again, but I have to take one final shot at finding out.”

“Finding out what?”

“What's your name?”

The gnome gave me a long look, then said, “Ginjer. With a âj' in the middle, not a âg.'”

“Ginjer?”

“Yes.”

“But . . . that's a girl's name.”

“Right. All gnomes are female.”

“What?”

“Of course. How do you think I knew every step of the way exactly how to manipulate women? Why else was Page the only one of you lot that I could tolerate? Why else would I think that all men are idiots?”

“Wait a minute! Women don't think all men are idiots!”

“Now you're trying to tell
me
how women think?” said the gnome. “Considering you're standing here wasting time, arguing with me, while you're letting the best thing that ever happened to you get away? Not only do you not know how women think, but you don't even know your own mind or what's good for you.”

I stared at the creature in front of me and shook my head. “You know what? I think you're having me off. I don't buy what you're saying for a moment. You just enjoy lying to me.”

“Don't believe me. Suit yourself,” said the gnome.

I walked out into a bright new day and realized that I would have to leave Clash behind. Clash, who had been such a marvelous and strong companion, left here in this nowhere town, back to being in the care of Trevor, who wasn't a particularly good horseman since he only had the one arm. Plus he was a bit of an ass.

Of course, I could offer to buy the horse from him.

Or I could just steal Clash out from under Trevor's nose.

Not a really tough choice when you're Ben Finn.

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Fable novels by Peter David

FABLE: THE BALVERINE ORDER
FABLE: BLOOD TIES