"What is it with you and that Nolan guy anyway?" "He saved me." " What did Nolan do to save you?" " He murdered my parents." "We need this Mag-Lev spur." "Not if it means taking a loan from the Earth Republic." "If Rynn is behind these killings, we need to find her before anybody else gets hurt." "I toss these pheromones, you all die." "Rynn, that nest gets any bigger, it's gonna kill everybody in town." "Is that what you really want?" "I'm going to prison!" "How can that be the correct path?" "Good morning, Defiance." "This is Alak Tarr on Raider Radio broadcasting from the top of the Arch." "And listen, I don't care if you're Castithan, Irathient, human, whatever." "This music is for you." "I've just received radar and visual confirmation that the land coach has arrived." "Hope I get my raisins from Fresno." "All right, so just a quick stop to unload cargo and pick up new passengers, then it heads on to Calexico and points west." "So if you got business with the big, bad outside world, you need to move it or wait another two weeks." "Safe journey, child of my spirit." " Crazy bitch." " Got that right." "Where's the prisoner going?" "Changes coaches in Yuma and boards a transport to Vegas prison." "Make sure she's chained good and tight." "I don't want any trouble." "Don't worry." "The lawkeeper himself's gonna escort this one." "That's not right, that's not what I ordered!" " Hmm, okay." " Let's go." "Well, mail call's quite the event around here." "Well, that'll change once we get our rail road line." "And remember, you're carrying the hopes and tax receipts of all the folks here that are footing' the bill." "Guess I better keep it safe and sound till we get to Calexico then." "Wow, this town's a lot bigger than I remember." "Shtako." "It's Olfin Tennety." "She's an E-Rep Ambassador." "I've been ducking her correspondence for weeks." "Oh, Amanda Rosewater." "You naughty girl." "You haven't been responding to my letters." "I haven't been ignoring them." "I'm just not interested in your offer." "Oh?" "These are my husbands Kaspar and Ziggy." "They're keeping me company while I do some E-Rep business in Calex." "Boys, this is Amanda." "She used to be an assistant at Republic HQ." "Why would you leave New York to come here?" "I mean, the washed-out roads and shoddy vehicles, bandits." " Your husbands are lovely." " I was drunk." "Oh, looks like we're sharing the same land coach." "Be the perfect opportunity for me to sell you on the benefits of working with us." "Don't bother." "We've raised the scrip to fund the rail road for ourselves." "I bet that's it in the case there, huh, Amanda?" "You know, the Votanis Collective will come calling eventually." "And when they do, trust me, they won't be offering cash incentives." "It's a really dangerous world out there, Amanda." "The Earth Republic is a good friend to have." "The land coach departs in 20 minutes." "Twenty minutes." "Boys." "Driver's compartment is off-limits to passengers." "Keep the aisles clear, please." "Two years will pass quickly." "Screw you." "Well, you weren't expecting a goodbye kiss, were you?" "Come here." "Now, can I trust you to be a good girl and behave yourself while I'm gone?" " Probably not." " There's my girl." " Thank you." " Thank you." " Can I get a drink right..." " Yeah, just up the block and to the right." "Hey." "What's wrong?" "Who is that guy?" "Nobody." "Thought it was someone I once knew." "I wonder what she did." "Why would they let her ride in here with us?" " I'm gonna say something." "I will." " Say something." "Excuse me!" "Lawkeeper?" "Your prisoner here, is she dangerous?" "Just steer clear of her, you should be just fine." "She stinks." "Can she ride up top?" "Like, strap her to the roof or something?" "Now, now, now." ""For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23." "Reverend Sy Preston, Church of Harmony." "Just out here spreading the good word." "Can I interest you folks in a Bible?" "Traveler's best friend." "Frankly, Reverend, I prefer scotch." "But thank you." "So listen to this." "They have Votan-Mex cuisine in Yuma." " I vote for the old-world ribs." " How about we hit 'em both, boys?" " Yes." " I can't wait!" "I gotta hand it to those two." "They actually found a survival technique that works." "Yeah, hook up with a powerful woman who pampers and protects 'em." "But you don't like polygamy?" "Or are you just against men in subservient roles?" "Oh, no." "I get the allure." "Two sets of hands, two mouths," " two dingalings..." " I get the picture." "I don't know, I think it's hard enough maintaining a relationship with one person." "Are you kidding me?" "This is great." "Actually, I've thought about it." "Group marriage, I mean." " Seriously?" " Yeah." "I mean, it seems practical in the world we live in." "Look, we all have different sides to ourselves." "Multiple husbands might give me the opportunity to be all that I can be." "Ooh, yeah." "Anyway, I don't buy into the whole find-one-true-love fantasy." " What?" " Oh, nothing, just a feeling I have about you." "Please, share." "Okay." "I think all that talk is just a smokescreen." "I think if you don't believe in love, it's because you have been in love and you got burned." "Hey, handsome." "When did you blow into town?" "Um..." "Just got off the land coach from Cedars." "Pleasant trip?" "Uh..." "It's murder on my back." "Hmm." "Why don't you come upstairs for a hot oil massage?" "I'll straighten out your kinks, teach you some new ones." "Thank you for the offer, young lady, but I'm married." "Um..." "Happily married." "What's this lucky lady's name?" "Gaya." "Um, she lives in New York with our daughter, Daimya." "Uh..." "I don't see nearly enough of her." "I travel so much for work." "Just seems like every time I see her, she's grown another couple inches." "Feels like I'm missing her childhood." "Poor baby." "Come on upstairs." "I'll make it all better for you." "Thank you." "I think it's time for me to go." "Can I help you?" "Hmm..." "Help me!" "Hello, Daigo." "Nasty cut." "Gonna leave a scar." "Ah!" "My name is Thesho Zajino." "I don't know who you think I am!" "You're lying, Daigo." "I know it's you." "I remember your smell." "I could never forget it." "Like a pig in shit." "Ah!" "You tortured me." "You're gonna confess." "That's crazy." "I've never even seen you before." "Tell me why you did what you did or you're gonna die here." "I don't know what's going through your head, but I know what's about to." "Lawkeeper scum!" "Yeah." "Sit." "Where is it?" "Don't make me strip-search you in front of all of these fine people." "Where is it?" "Bandage." "Hold on!" "Ugarti!" "Ugarti!" "Nolan?" "Something's coming." "We're being jacked." "That blast came from inside his compartment." "Nobody's been in there since we left." "The only person in there..." "Put the gun down and step away from it, Lawkeeper." "I'm just a merchant." "I buy and sell precious stones." "You know, antique pieces." "That's just something I bought in an outdoor market." "Uh, uh..." "I like the symbol." "You know, it's unique." "I have no idea what it means." "You should." "You taught it to me." "The devouring mother, possessor of both womb and grave." "I'm just a jewellery pedlar." "I have a 3:30 appointment with Cadmus Reilly in the Hollows." "You're lying!" "Oh, my God." "Whatever happened to you, I'm sorry." "How can I confess to something I didn't do?" "Ah!" "Ah!" "Wait." "Let me go!" "Please!" "You were right." "Quite a haul." "That's not all we came for, is it, Ambassador?" "Same source that tipped us to the case says you're loaded." "Well, you should get a better source." "Hey, Lash, which one of these pretty boys do you think the Ambassador fancies most?" "Oh!" "This one." "Definitely." " Ah!" " Oh!" " Oh, Kaspar!" " No, no, no, no!" "No." "No, no!" "Please, no!" "Don't shoot!" "Please!" "Please!" "Tennety, stop him!" "All right, all right." "Okay." " This is a scripchip." " Bring it to me." "Look, any E-Rep bank will pay up to its cash value, okay?" "Kaspar had that on him the whole time, and he didn't even know?" "He died for your money?" "You greedy bitch!" "I swear to God!" "Ah!" "Oh, my..." " I need to relieve myself." " Go right ahead." "What have you got in there?" " What are you doing here?" " Irisa." " I'm being held prisoner!" " Who is that?" " Help me!" " What the hell's going on?" "It's none of your business." "Get out!" "Help me!" "Help me!" "Oh, she's crazy!" "Don't." "We need a repair shop to get it rolling again." "Next coach isn't due through for 11 days." "Without water, we'll be dead in three." "Fewer in this heat." "Hey, Lawkeeper!" "I know you can hear me!" "Give us the scrip and we can part friends." "The Ambassador here is gonna have a bellyful of suffering before she dies." " Unless you're smart." " Staking Tennety out as bait." "Must be in a hurry to finish this thing." "We can't just let her die out there." " Man in the chair, speak." " She has me confused with someone else." "I mean, you're a lawkeeper." "Talk some sense into her." "Shut up." "You're him." "That's a fact." " I wanna know why before I kill you." " Kill him?" "You can die easy or you can die painfully." " Confess." " Irisa, what are you doing?" "This is crazy." "He told my parents their daughter was special." "That she had a destiny to fulfill and he needed to prepare her for it." "But it was just an excuse to hurt me!" "And my parents stood and watched!" "I have a daughter of my own, and the thought of somebody willingly" " having their child tortured, it's..." " You're a good liar." "Did it turn you on?" "Huh?" "Did you get off on hearing my screams?" " No, because I'm not that man!" " I told you!" "Easy or painful?" " Irisa, how do you know it's him?" " I know." " I remember his smell, the stink of him!" " Okay, what about his face?" "He wore a mask when he tortured me, but I found this in his case." "It matches the symbol for his I-DAA-ka church!" "That's it?" "Some junk jewellery and his smell?" "There." "That twitch under his eye." "He had that before." "I saw it." " You think I'd forget that, ZDAA-ke?" " A twitch?" "She's gonna kill me for a twitch?" "Irisa, come on!" "You're better than this." " I know what I saw!" " Okay." "You keep talking about my twitching eye." "But I bet you can't tell me what color they are right now." "What color are his eyes, Irisa?" "Blue." "No." "No." "You see?" "They're orange." " They're orange." " Look, he's got ID." " We can check it and see if he's still..." " No!" "Amanda!" "Nolan!" "Help me!" "Please!" "The wolves are getting closer." "We can't just let her be killed." "She was dead the moment Preston took her." "He's just using her to lure you out, and then he'll kill her and the rest of you." "Nah." "I tagged Preston pretty good in the leg." "He's losing blood." "He needs a doctor." "Which is why we're having this little drama." "Mmm, to force our hand." "Mmm-hmm." "I'm gonna cut her loose." "Someone's gotta do it." "Hold on." "You were pretty good with one of these fighting' the Volge." "All right, Preston will come out to meet me." "That big Casti, he'll go up there somewhere." "He's got a handgun." "He'll be high, but close." "What are you, clairvoyant now?" "It's where I'd be if I was gonna ambush somebody." "Now, once I've distracted them, you sneak out and get position." "When you spot that Casti, don't stop shootin'." "If they manage to kill me, you still have the money to bargain with." " Got it?" " Yep." "I thought you had more sense." "Guess you thought wrong." "You're doing this for her." "Don't get a big head about it." "Preston!" "Don't shoot." "I'm comin' out." "Mister, you got some hard bark walkin' up here like this." "You put a hole in me." "Obviously not in the right place." " Next time, I'll aim better." " There's not gonna be a next time." "All right." "Straight to the coach, okay?" "Thank you." "Noble gesture." "But you have to know that I can't let you people walk away from here." "Thought you said we'd part friends if I gave you the money." ""Trust not in a friend." "Put not your confidence in a companion." Micah 5:7." " What the hell is this?" " "Ask, and you shall receive." Matthew 7:7." "Funny." "You should tell that to the Almighty when you see him." "Hey!" "Ah!" "Looks like you're gonna see the Almighty before me." "So why don't you go clean?" "Tell me who set this up." " See you in hell." " Tell me who set this up." "Ziggy's asleep." " Find Rynn?" " No." "But I did get their roller keys, so she's not going far, and Preston's boys brought along plenty of water." "Huh." "Mmm, mmm." "Tennety, go easy on that." "It's gotta last us till we get back to Defiance." "Mmm." "Well, not all of us are gonna be going back." "The rest of you are going to be staying right here." "Drop the gun." "And the belt." "Come on." "And now, you're gonna tell me where you hid the rest of the money." "So you were the source that Preston was talking about." "Hey, you got to admit, it was a pretty brilliant plan." "He steals the money, we meet up later, and we split it." "Defiance goes into hock to the Earth Republic, and I get a promotion." "Now, if the two of you played ball, he would've lived through it." " But I wouldn't have." " No, honey." "You were dead either way." "So now, you take the cash and claim you're the sole survivor." "You really think your bosses are gonna buy that?" "Why look a gift horse in the mouth?" "I mean, with the two of you dead and Defiance broke, the E-Rep will have no problem moving in and how did you put it, Amanda?" "Sucking the town dry?" "Leave it." "It's not too late." "We'll track them down, but if you let him die here, he wins." " I want justice." " We'll get it, I promise." "But we have to get him to Yewll's while there's still time." "Okay." "No." "I was afraid." "But the snake brings clarity." "Everything you said is true." "You know, for years, I fled the truth, just like you." "I sought refuge in the things of this world." "A wife, child." "A home." "But none of it matters now, because you've shown me that I was wrong." "It's no accident that I came to this town." "It was ordained that we should meet again." "Why did you do all those things to me?" "The snakes?" "Tying me till my wrists bled?" "I took no joy in any of it, I swear to you." "It was all to test you, to prepare you." "You needed the serpent in your veins in order to embrace your true nature." "I sought you out." "I recruited your parents." "They came halfway across the galaxy, and you exploited them." "They gave you up willingly." "Ah!" "And you were the only one who survived." "That's how I knew that you were the one and that the prophecy of the sacred texts had been fulfilled." "You are Alacta, the Chosen One." "Chosen for what?" " Who am I?" " The destroyer." "The creator." "The revealer." "The devouring mother, possessor of both womb and grave." "It was the last leg of your journey." "And all that was left was for you to kill the supplicant, and you'd be complete." "Nobody move!" "Leave the girl alone!" "Hey." "Hi." "My name's Nolan." "It's okay." "Come here." "All right." "Now, look at me." "We're gonna go." "That's it." "I fled like a coward, basely clinging to my miserable life." "But I'm not afraid anymore, because we've been given a chance at redemption." "Don't you see?" "I am to be your sacrifice." "My life is your forfeit." "I understand that now." "Do it!" "Become!" "Ah!" "What are you doing?" "No!" "Finish it." "Please!" " What are you doing?" " Finishing it." "She was a child, you piece of shtako!" " Stop it!" " Why?" "Because it's what he wants." "Let's get him to Yewll." "I'm taking your rifle and one of your rollers." "If you follow me, I will kill you." "Why did you help us?" "You have your laws." "Out here, we have our own." "A man who risks his life for another cannot be left to die." "Do you think I could get a ride to the next town?" "I kept my mouth shut when you bailed, right?" "So..." " Well, keep it shut." " Oh, okay." "I don't like chatty passengers." "Okay." "Hey, have you ever thought about bounty hunting?" "I think we'd make a great team, man." " You want me to go after the Irath?" " I'm gonna let her off with time served." " You can do that?" " I just did, so let's assume yes." "Big question is, what do we do with this one?" "This one." "Well, I think we take a play out of the Ambassador's own book." "I say she died heroically defending her two beloved husbands." "She deserves it." "But like Rynn said, we have laws." "Let's take her back and prosecute her." "Hey, you're gonna love Vegas prison." "Make sure you catch a show at the Copa." "Take her away." "Ouch!" "I don't understand why we're just letting him go." "He wanted to create a messiah." "Now he has to go back to selling rocks." "That's the worst punishment for him." "An ordinary life." "Sorry I had to cuff you, Ambassador." "Appearances, you know?" "I want everything Headquarters has on Amanda Rosewater." "I want to know where she was born, who her friends and family are, every man she's ever slept with, and What she's having for dinner tomorrow night." "And I want it on my desk by the time we get to New York." "Yes, ma'am." "Sukar said I have a gift." "Daigo believes it, too, only..." "Only he believes it's a gift for destruction." "What if he's right?" "I would say you just proved him wrong." "Hey." "Um..." "I'm thinking Nolan doesn't have to know about all of this." "You would've killed him after defending him all that time." "Why?" "Because you're not the only one with nightmares." "And..." "Because..." "Good morning, Defiance." "This is Alak Tarr on Raider Radio, broadcasting from the top of the Arch." "I got a treat for everyone." "Gonna mix it up a bit today with some old-world vinyl." "And I got a dedication." "Christie..." "This one's for you."