"Older and meaner," said Zeb. "Twisted fuck should have been vulture pellets long ago. He must have friends in high places, though, because he's back managing SecretBurgers, over in the Sewage Lagoon."
"As long as he stays there," said Toby. She tried to make her voice sound strong.
"The bees can wait," said Zeb. He took her arm. "You need to sit down. I'll do a snoop. Maybe he's forgotten all about you."
He took Toby to the kitchen. "Sweetheart, you look beat," said Rebecca. "What's wrong?" Toby told her.
"Oh shit," said Rebecca. "I'll make you some Rescue Tea, you look like you need it. Don't you worry -- that man's karma will kill him one day." But, thought Toby, one day was far too distant.
It was afternoon. Many of the general-membership Gardeners were gathered on the roof. Some were retying the tomatoes and climbing zucchinis that had blown over in the storm, a more violent one than usual. Others sat in the shade, working at their knitting, their knotting, their mending. The Adams and Eves were restless, as they always were when they were harbouring a runaway -- what if the Hammerhead had been followed? Adam One had posted sentinels; he himself was standing over by the roof's edge in one-legged meditation pose, keeping an eye on the street below.
The Hammerhead had woken up, and Toby had set her to work picking snails off the lettuces; she'd told the rank-and-file Gardeners this was a new convert, and shy. They'd seen so many new converts come and go.
"If we have a visit," Toby said to the Hammerhead, "anything like an inspection, pull your sunhat down and go on with the snails. Act like background." She herself was smoking the bees, on the theory that it was best to carry on as usual.
Then Shackleton and Crozier and young Oates came pounding up the fire-escape stairs, followed by Amanda, then Zeb. They headed straight over to Adam One. He motioned to Toby with his chin: join us.
"There's been a scuffle in the Sewage Lagoon," said Zeb after they'd grouped around Adam One.
"Scuffle?" said Adam One.
"We were just looking," said Shackleton. "But he saw us."
"He called us fucking meat-stealers," said Crozier. "He was drunk."
"Not drunk: wasted," said Amanda with authority. "He tried to hit me, but I did a satsuma." Toby smiled a little: it was a mistake to underestimate Amanda. She was a tall sinewy Amazon by now, and she'd been studying Urban Bloodshed Limitation with Zeb. As had her two devoted henchmen. There were three if you counted Oates, though he was merely at the hopeless crush level.
"Who is 'he'?" said Adam One. "Where was this?"
"SecretBurgers," said Zeb. "We were checking it out -- we heard Blanco was back."
"Zeb pulled an unagi on him," said Shackleton. "It was
neat!"
"Did you have to actually go there?" said Adam One, a little peevishly. "We have other ways of ..."
"Then the Asian Fusions swarmed him," said Oates excitedly. "They had bottles!"
"He pulled a killer knife," said Croze. "He notched a couple."
"I hope there was no lasting damage," said Adam One. "Much as we deplore the very existence of SecretBurgers, and the depredations of this -- this unlucky individual, we want no violence."
"Booth overturned, meat thrown around. All he suffered was cuts and bruises," said Zeb.
"That is unfortunate," said Adam One. "It's true that we sometimes have to defend ourselves, and we've had trouble with this -- with him before. But on this occasion, do I have the impression that we attacked first?" He frowned at Zeb. "Or provoked an attack? Is this correct?"
"Asshole had it coming," said Zeb. "We should be getting medals."
"Our way is the way of peace," said Adam One, frowning even more.
"Peace goes only so far," said Zeb. "There's at least a hundred new extinct species since this time last month. They got fucking eaten! We can't just sit here and watch the lights blink out. Have to begin somewhere. Today SecretBurgers, tomorrow that fucking gourmet restaurant chain. Rarity. That needs to go."
"Our role in respect to the Creatures is to bear witness," said Adam One. "And to guard the memories and the genomes of the departed. You can't fight blood with blood. I thought we'd agreed on that."
There was a silence. Shackleton and Crozier and Oates and Amanda were staring at Zeb. Zeb and Adam One were staring at each other.
"Anyway, it's too late now," said Zeb. "Blanco's raging."