"You're the Great Death - with a capital D? You? You know this to be true?"
"I do," Charlie said.
"I knew there was something different about you, but I thought that the Luminatus would be - I don't know - taller. "
"Don't start with that, okay. "
Minty swung the car off Van Ness into a hotel turnaround.
"Where are you going?" Charlie said.
"To run over some sewer harpies again. "
"Back to the Buddhist center?"
"Uh-huh. You have any weapons besides that stupid sword?"
"My cop friend told me I should get a gun. "
Minty Fresh reached into his moss-green jacket and came out with the biggest pistol Charlie had ever seen. He placed it on the seat. "Take it. Desert Eagle fifty-caliber. It'll stop a bear. "
Charlie picked up the chrome-plated pistol. It weighed like five pounds and the barrel looked big enough to stick your thumb in.
"This thing is huge. "
"I'm a big guy. Listen, it holds eight shots. There's a round in the chamber. You have to cock it and release the safety before you fire. There and there. " He pointed to the safety and the hammer. "Hold on to it if you have to shoot. It will knock you on your ass if you're not ready. "
"What about you?"
Minty patted the other side of his coat. "I have another one. "
Charlie turned the gun in his hand and watched the streetlights playing off its chromed surface. (Beta Males, who inherently feel they are always at a competitive disadvantage, are suckers for showy equalizers. ) "You have a lot going on under the surface, Mr. Fresh. You are not just the run-of-the-mill seven-foot-tall Death Merchant in a pastel-green suit. "
"Thank you, Mr. Asher. Very kind of you to say. "
"My pleasure. "
Charlie's cell phone rang and he flipped it open.
Rivera said, "Asher, where the hell are you? I've been circling the Mission and there's nothing here but a lot of black feathers flying in the air. "
"Yeah, it's okay. I'm okay, Inspector. I found Minty Fresh, the guy who owns the music store. I'm in the car with him. "
"So you're safe?"
"Relatively. "
"Good. Lay low and I'll call you, okay? I want to talk to your friend tomorrow. "
"You got it, Inspector. Thanks for coming to help. "
"Careful, Asher. "
> "Gotcha. I'm laying low. Bye. "
Charlie snapped the phone shut and turned to Minty Fresh. "You ready?"
"Absolutely," said the fresh one.