convinced? Ask me why things in Sanctuary have gone to hell-come in damn well
late and find fault with me when I’ve kept this town alive and kept the blood
from running down the damn gutters-“
Crit came down the steps and leaned on either wooden railing. “That’s not what
I’m talking about. It’s your choice of allies. Strat, dammit, wake up.”
“We’re public. We’ll talk about it later. Later isn’t tonight.”
Crit came a step further, checked him on the step. “Listen to me. We’ve got the
witch-bitch out. The other one’s got you. Command of this city, hell, you lost
it. Ace, you lost it a long time ago. I don’t know how the hell you’re still
alive but if the Riddler gets his hands on you now you’re done-dammit, Strat,
where’s your sense? You know what she is, you know what she does-“
“She killed me weeks ago. I’m a walking corpse. Sure, Crit. I’m best at full of
moon. Dammit, that woman’s why we’re clear of the Nisi witch, she’s why you had
a city left down here, and why the empire has a backside left at all. I’ll tell
you what it is with you, Crit; it’s knowing your partner was damn well right and
you were wrong; it’s having your mind made up before you got here and riding in
there to haul me out for a traitor-that’s what you came to do, isn’t it? To
shoot me down without a chance if I went for your throat? It’s not catching,
Crit. It’s not even true. They blame her for every body that turns up in the
alleys; in the Maze, for the gods’ sake- as if corpses never happened before she
came to town. Well, I’ve been with her when those stories spread; I know damn