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TRUMPSOFDOOM
THEAMBERCHRONICLES-BOOKSIX
RogerZelaznyCHAPTER1Itisapainintheasswaitingaroundforsomeonetotrytokillyou.ButitwasApril30,andof courseitwouldhappenasitalwaysdid.Ithadtakenmeawhiletocatchon,butnowIatleastknewwhenitwascoming.Inthepast,I’dbintoobusytodoanythingaboutit.Butmyjobwasfinishednow.I’donlystayedaroundforthis.IfeltthatIreallyoughttoclearthematterupbeforeIdeparted.Igotoutofbed,visitedthebathroom,showered,brushedmyteeth,etcetera.I’dgrownabeardagain,soIdidn’thavetoshave.Iwasnotjanglingwithstrangeapprehensions,asIhadbeenonthatApril30threeyearsagowhenI’dawakenedwithaheadacheandapremonition,thrownopenthewindows,andgonetothekitchentodiscoverallofthegasburnersturnedonandflameless.No.Itwasn’tevenliketheApril30twoyearsagointheotherapartmentwhenIawokebeforedawntoafaintsmellofsmoketolearnthattheplacewasonfire.Still,Istayedoutofdirectlineofthelightfixturesincasethebulbswerefilledwithsomethingflammable,andIflippedalloftheswitchesratherthanpushingthem.Nothinguntowardfollowedtheseactions.Usually,Isetupthecoffeemakerthenightbeforewithatimer.Thismorning,though,Ididn’.twantcoffeethathadbeenproducedoutofmysight.IsetafreshpotgoingandcheckedmypackingwhileIwaitedforittobrew.EverythingIvaluedinthisplaceresidedintwomedium-sizedcratesclothing, books,paintings,someinstruments,afewsouvenirss,andsoforth.Isealedthecases.Achangeof clothing,asweatshirt,agoodpaperback,andawadoftraveler’scheckswentintothebackpack.I’ddropmykeyoffatthemanager’sonthewayout,sohecouldletthemoversin.Thecrateswouldgointostorage.Nojoggingformethismorning.AsIsippedmycoffee,passingfromwindowtowindowandpausingbesideeachforsidelongsurveysofthestreetsbelowandthebuildingsacrosstheway(lastyear’sattempthadbeen-bysomeonewitharifle},Ithoughtbacktothefirsttimeithadhappened,sevenyearsago.Ihadsimply beenwalkingdownthestreetonabrightspringafternoonwhenanoncomingtruckhadswerved, jumpedthecurb,andnearlycombinedmewithportionsofabrickwall.Iwasabletodiveoutofthewayandroll.Thedriverneverregainedconsciousness.Ithadseemedoneofthosefreak occurrencesthatoccasionallyinvadethelivesofusall.Thefollowingyeartotheday,however,Iwaswalkinghomefrommyladyfriend’splacelateintheeveningwhenthreemenattackedme-onewithaknife,theothertwowithlengthsofpipe-withouteventhecourtesyoffirstaskingformywallet.Ilefttheremainsinthedoorwayofanearbyrecordstore,andwhileIthoughtaboutitonthewayhomeitdidnotstrikemeuntilthefollowingdaythatithadbeentheanniversaryofthetruckcrash.Eventhen,Idismisseditasanoddcoincidence.Thematterofthemailbombthathaddestroyedhalf ofanotherapartmentthefollowingyeardidcausemetobeginwonderingwhetherthestatisticalnatureofrealitymightnotbeunderastraininmyvicinityatthatseason.Andtheeventsof subsequentyearsservedtoturnthisintoaconviction.
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Someoneenjoyedtryingtokillmeonceayear,itwasassimpleasthat.Theeffortfailing,therewouldbeanotheryear’spausebeforeanattemptwasmadeagain.Itseemedalmostagame.ButthisyearIwantedtoplay,too.Mymainconcernwasthathe,she,oritseemednevertobe presentwhentheeventoccurred,favoringstealthandgimmicksoragents.IwillrefertothispersonasS(whichsometimesstandsfor“sneak”andsometimesfor“shithead”inmyprivatecosmology), becauseXhasbeenoverworkedandbecauseIdonotliketoscrewaroundwithpronounswithdisputableantecedents.Irinsedmycoffeecupandthepotandsetthemintherack.ThenIpickedupmybaganddeparted.Mr.Mulliganwasn’tin,orwassleeping,soIleftmykeyinhismailboxbeforeheadingupthestreettotakemybreakfastatanearbydiner.Trafficwaslight,andallofthevehicleswellbehaved.Iwalkedslowly,listeningandlooking.Itwasapleasantmorning,promisingabeautifulday.Ihopedtosettlethingsquickly,soIcouldenjoyitatmyleisure.Ireachedthedinerunmolested.Itookaseatbesidethewindow.JustasthewaitercametotakemyorderIsawafamiliarfigureswingingalongthestreet-aformerclassmateandlaterfellowemployeeLucasRaynard:sixfeettall,red-haired,handsomeinspite,orperhapsbecause,ofanartisticallybrokennose,withthevoiceandmannerofthesalesmanhewas.Iknockedonthewindowandhesawme,waved,turnedandentered.“Merle,Iwasright,”hesaid,cominguptothetable,claspingmyshoulderbriefly,seatinghimself andtakingthemenuoutofmyhands.“Missedyouatyourplaceandguessedyoumightbehere.”Heloweredhiseyesandbeganreadingthemenu.“Why?”Iasked.“If’youneedmoretimetoconsider,I’llcomeback,”thewaitersaid.“No,”Lukeansweredandreadoffanenormousorder.Iaddedmyown.Then:“Becauseyou’reacreatureofhabit.”“Habit?”Ireplied.“Ihardlyeathereanymore.”“Iknow,”heanswered,“butyouusuallydidwhenthepressurewason.Like,rightbeforeexams-orifsomethingwasbotheringyou.”“Hm,”Isaid:Theredidseemtobesomethingtothat,thoughIhadneverbeforerealizedit.Ispuntheashtraywithitsimprintofaunicorn’shead,asmallerversionofthestained-glassonethatstoodaspartofapartitionbesidethedoorway:“Ican’tsaywhy,”Ifinallystated.“Besides,whatmakesyouthinksomething’sbotheringme?”“IrememberedthatparanoidthingyouhaveaboutApril30,becauseofacoupleofaccidents.”
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“Morethanacouple.Inevertoldyouaboutallofthem.”“Soyoustillbelieveit?”“Yes.”Heshrugged.Thewaitercamebyandfilledourcoffeecups.“Okay,”hefinallyagreed.“Haveyouhadityettoday?”“No.”“Toobad.Ihopeitdoesn’tpallyourthinking.”Itookasipofcoffee.“Noproblem,”Itoldhim.“Good.”Hesighedandstretched.“Listen,Ijustgotbacktotownyesterday...”“Haveagoodtrip?”“Setanewsalesrecord.”“Great.”“Anyhow...IjustlearnedwhenIcheckedinthatyou’dleft.”“Yeah.Iquitaboutamonthago.”“Miller’sbeentryingtoreachyou.Butwithyourphonedisconnectedhecouldn’tcall.Heevenstoppedbyacoupleoftimes,butyouwereout.”“Toobad.”“Hewantsyouback.”“I’mfinishedthere.”“Wait’llyouheartheproposition,huh?Bradygetskickedupstairsandyou’rethenewheadof Design-foratwentypercentpayhike:That’swhathetoldmetotellyou.”Ichuckledsoftly.“Actually..itdoesn’tsoundbadatall.But,likeIsaid,I’mfinished.”“Oh.”Hiseyesglistenedashegavemeaslysmile.“Youdohavesomethinglinedupsomeplaceelse.Hewaswondering.Okay,ifthat’sthecasehetoldmetotellyoutobringhimwhatevertheotherguysoffer.He’lltrylikehelltotopit.”Ishookmyhead.“IguessI’mnotgettingthrough,”Isaid:“I’mfinished.Period.Idon’twanttogoback.I’mnotgoingtoworkforanyoneelseeither.I’mdonewiththissortofthing.I’mtiredofcomputers.”
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Stormwind

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reply07 / 04 / 2009
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