they'll have a price on your life. I'll have some
friends of mine take your mother to a safe place. Why don't you call
her and let her know they're coming and that it's all right to go with
them?"
52 Bullet nodded, and picked up a nearby phone. In a few minutes he put
it down. "She'll be waiting," he announced.
53 "Good, replied The Young Speaker, "my mother's where I'm sending
her. They ought to get along real nice! Come on! I want to get home and
get some sleep. You can ride with me. Tell me, the other people you
killed- were they ALL Hoods?"
54 "Inner Circle only," explained Bullet, "nothing but chieftains, or,
above."
55 "Good!" said The Young Speaker, "so in reality, we can say you were
a public-minded citizen, serving as a kind of unofficial executioner."
56 Bullet laughed. "My uncle would love to hear THAT one!" A couple of
hours later he was sleeping in a comfortable bed, sharing a divided
room with another man. When he woke in the morning he found a robe and
a complete set of clothes laid out for him. He was surprised
to find running shoes, and even more surprised that they fit! "Golden
Hawks!" he thought, "Only the best!"
57 He found The Young Speaker and a lovely woman several seasons older
sitting at the kitchen table, several other men standing around. "This
is our host, Bullet," The Young Speaker explained, "Sweet Blossom
Turtle."
58 "Heard of you, ma'am," Bullet acknowledged. "Read a lot of your
articles. Not very well liked by the people I used to know!"
59 "I'll consider that a compliment, sir!" the woman answered.
60 "Well," announced The Young Speaker, "I like to run BEFORE we eat!
Builds up the appetite. What do