Quite a few people were gathered at the docks later that evening, as Clyde and the rest of Danjo were marched back to their ship. For folks who ordinarily frowned on weapons in public, there were enough of them on display for this send-off. Though after the scene at Bankshot, no reasonable person would fault them for it.
Ranged along the way were DJ and Rod, Twyla and Dusk, Max and his friends, Dagmar and Kalika, Wilkins, Rude Bones, and Ma’Quiver, as well as some tough-looking locals. In spite of his injuries, even Bruno was on hand to preside over their expulsion, wincing with every move at the shifting of the bandaged burns on his arm and torso, glaring at Graham. Who also sported his share of burns, glaring back.
Though none could match the withering gaze of Clyde Voidt, the only one still bound, despite still being shaky on his feet from spamming Shanshou-jin more times than his body could handle, as a condition until they were well away from Para-Para.
Save, perhaps, for Felicia.
“You just had to go after him, didn’t you?…” she could be overheard muttering. “I thought we weren’t going to draw attention to ourselves here, Clyde? Now this is just another place we can’t come back to. Ever since you fucked things up with the Tanistas…”
“You’re the one who wanted the early inheritance…” he reminded her.
“Yeah,” she spat, “and we still can’t go back to New Cali.”
She turned and shot Justin and Shades death-ray eyes, as well.
“So, uh,” Shades had been meaning to ask him, but things were just too awkward back there, “what were you hanging around with someone like her for anyway?”
“I don’t know…” Justin admitted, feeling every bit as sheepish as he sounded. “She just kinda wandered in… How the hell was I supposed to know her friends were all a bunch of assholes?”
“I see,” Shades chuckled.
“What?” Justin’s tone turning defensive. “What’s so funny about that?”
“Nothing, I suppose,” Shades replied, diverting his attention to the crate being delivered from Lamar’s. “But I do believe this would have to be the first time I’ve ever seen anybody literally get their just desserts.”
“What do you mean by that?” Max asked, thankful for the change of subject.
“Are those what I think they are?” Justin demanded.
“Yup!” Twyla laughed. “A free supply of Dookie Bars!”
“But why!?” Justin stammered. “Dammit! I was gonna buy more of ’em…”
“A pity,” Dusk shrugged, “because according to Lamar, they just weren’t selling.”
“But why them?” Max asked.
“Because they only have a couple days’ worth of food left,” Rod explained. “We’re not monsters here, so we sent them with our least valuable stuff.”
“I think I get the picture.” Shades nodded.
“Dey made a huge mistake,” DJ remarked, “thinking that just because we have no laws…”
“That we have no ways of dealing with this sort of crap,” Bruno finished.
“After all, everyone agrees,” Rod told them: “they’re not welcome here anymore.”
They all had a good laugh for a moment.
“In addition to being disarmed,” Ma’Quiver informed them, “they were so ashamed, they donated their remaining money as ‘reparations’ for Bankshot, as well as treating injuries. To think Clyde had fallen so far…”
“It’s not your fault,” Shades assured him.
“I know,” Ma’Quiver sighed. “But in a way, he helped me lift a burden I didn’t even realize I was carrying anymore. In spite of all of my training, I’ve dreaded facing him for so long…”
“I guess that just means you became strong enough to carry that burden without even noticing,” Max remarked.
“Perhaps,” he conceded.
“Well, good riddance!” was Justin’s two cents on the matter as Danjo sailed off into the sunset.
“It’s ironic,” Ma’Quiver told them, “Not only was I avoiding him to try to prevent a mess like this, but I was originally on my way to say goodbye when I heard about a brawl at Bankshot.”
“Goodbye?” Shades intoned, recalling Ma’Quiver’s words from their confrontation earlier. “What are you talking about?”
“I knew it was only a matter of time before Clyde discovered I was here,” Ma’Quiver elaborated. “I was hoping to leave before he could cause a scene. So I threw in my lot with a ship crew that’s leaving soon.”
“But you don’t have to leave anymore,” Max protested. “Clyde’s been taken care of.”
“True, but I still gave them my word,” Ma’Quiver countered, “so it’s too late for me to back out now. Don’t worry, I wasn’t planning to leave without saying goodbye, but things didn’t work out as planned. I owe you guys big for helping me out back in Bodeen, but anymore, it’s hard to stay put knowing Master Lazlo is still out there, and probably doesn’t even know I’m still alive…”
“I’m sure he knows,” Shades reassured him. “If that bastard has heard of you, surely Lazlo has, too, by now. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s also looking for you.”
“Thanks.” Ma’Quiver smiled. “I hadn’t thought about it like that. Even so, after you’ve been searching for your friends for a long as I have, you’ll probably find it hard to linger, too.”
“I imagine I would,” Shades conceded, “though I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“Nor do I,” Ma’Quiver told him, “but whatever you do, don’t ever give up. Someday, I’ll find my master, and someday, you will find your friends.”
“Damn straight!” Rod laughed, clapping Shades on the back.
“You’ve got potential,” Ma’Quiver told Shades, “but no matter how hard you train, you’ll probably never have the same level of stopping power that Max can. Even so, you’ve got something he’ll never have, no matter how much he trains. It’s been a long time since I met anyone with such strong chi. You just need to keep exploring what you can do with it.”
Shades bowed his head, already fairly certain his dreams contained clues, if he could just remember more.
“And you keep working on your basics,” Ma’Quiver told Justin. Still, he knew he was going to miss the reinvigorating challenge of training with them, but had no more answer to the Maximum’s limited crew capacity than he had when he first hitched a ride with them. “You’ve already got good instincts, but you need to play more to your strengths. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Justin nodded. “If you say so.”
“I’ll give you time,” Ma’Quiver told Max. “I think we both know I could still defeat you as you are now, but you’ve still got a lot of potential.” Patting Max on the shoulder: “You seem like somebody who gets around, so I imagine I’ll meet you again somewhere. If I see you again, I’ll take you up on your promise.”
“And we’ll be sure to stay alive in the meantime,” Max promised him.
“You’ve got the makings of a great swordsman, and I want to see what you’re truly capable of.” Then he returned Max’s words: “Win or lose, I’ll hold no grudge.”
“So, when are you leaving?” Twyla asked.
“At the crack of dawn,” Ma’Quiver answered, “so I’m afraid I don’t have much time left to prepare. A technique like Shanshou-jin really takes it outta you. And I dare say we’re all too worn-out for sparring, so maybe one last dinner?”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Shades agreed, and he could tell he was not the only one realizing how much they would miss him in spite of the short time he had shared their company.
Author's Chapter Notes:
agreements and understandings
