chapter 2 - the bait

to begin at the beginning click here

for previous chapter, click here

"the stately symmetry of her streets and squares, laid out in accordance with the prince of barracudas strict instructions, were the admiration of all - " darker closed the guide book. the streets and squares were indeed laid out in "stately symmetry" with no hiding places or blind spots. guard towers were mounted at the four corners of the square, with two others just outside the north and south walls, forming a kind of hexagram. the towers were there to guard the priceless treasures of the deposed pope's , princesses, prime ministers and presidents private collections that Dusso had piled up in his historic depredations. there was no harm in looking around. bandylegs was across the street, reading a newspaper. slowfield was at the northeast corner, fulfilling his life's dream by selling hot sausages from a cart. darker started to look around - then he saw him. Johnny! the miserable little punk -the curse of darker's exsitence - who had cost him his final score and driven him to he brink of the universe's extinction - back again! but who was he fronting for this time? johnny was crossing the square toward the southwest corner and a cart selling hot dogs and corn on the cob. behind the cart were a man with a huge beard and a little girl with blond curls. Blackbeard the pirate and Little Nell!! Corinna came out of the CVS and walked over to darker. she had a new pair of pink sunglasses on. "i saw them too", she said, "and you'll never guess who i just saw in the oral hygiene section".

next