"Your brother was a good man." "Luke had a dark side and you know it." " Madam Mayor." " We're not that formal around here." "Please, call me Amanda." " You're on!" " You're an idiot." "I know." " You're new in town?" " How can you tell?" "I'm proud to be your sister." "You two are sisters?" "Now you cut that man down!" "I've decided to pardon Elah Bandik of all violations of Castithan law." "What you're doing is brave and honourable." "After this, want to get a couple bowls of pow?" "I've been smelling it since we got here." "I could eat, yeah." "Look at this guy." "Move that junk-heap!" " Shit." " Fuck!" "Hey, girls." " You know who we work for?" " I do." "Your boss left a dead body on my doorstep." "What have we here?" "Oh!" "Welcome to the gun show." "You tell Datak Tarr I'm taking him apart a piece at a time." "I'm gonna use this money." "His money." "And I'm gonna pay off every snitch in town." "Anyone who's willing to give me information about his operations." "Whatever." "I'm gonna call it the Datak Tarr retirement plan." "We need this Mag-Lev spur." "Not if it means taking a loan from the Earth Republic." "Once they get their foot in the door..." "And I will massage that foot with scented oils." "Running this town is not cheap." "Access to a high-speed rail puts money into the town's treasury." " It's a win-win all around." " I agree." "You're new on the job, Amanda." "Why not let the older, wiser heads take point on this?" " I'll give you older, but not..." " Do I have a motion to take this to a vote?" " Yes." " Seconded." "Please, I need to see them!" "This cannot wait!" "Oh, shtako." "What do you want, Datak?" "Ladies and gentlemen of the town council, Madam Mayor..." "We're in the middle of a meeting." "The arms deal with the Votanis Collective is off." "What is this, some kind of shakedown?" "You made assurances to this council..." "My assurances assumed a base level of discretion." "The Votanis Collective is a global power." "They can't be seen selling arms to an unaffiliated town." "Hold on, who's selling arms?" "Your new lawkeeper intercepted a delivery of Vo-Tech rifles, intending to send me a message over the unfortunate death of that poor fellow, Elah Bandik." "You know." "And now his rash behaviour has spooked my suppliers in the Collective." "The town will receive no further shipments and your sizeable deposit is forfeit." "Son of a bitch." "Rafe." "Tell me that we have not been making deals with gun smugglers." "With the stasis nets destroyed, the town's a sitting duck for Spirit Riders, raiders, and anything else that wanders through the Bissel Pass." "Council made a deal with Datak to quietly bring in heavy ordnance for insurance." "And you didn't think to inform me?" "The operation was need-to-know, and quite frankly, you didn't." "I'm the mayor." "Appointed mayor." "And the next election's just around the corner." "If you wanna keep that chair you inherited," "I suggest you have a word or two with our friend, Nolan." "Make sure he's rowing in the same direction as everybody else." "Mayor Rosewater?" "Mayor Rosewater." "I hate to bother you, but may I have a word..." " Look, I'm running late." "I..." " No, no, you're gonna listen to this." "Your sister is destroying my family." "Who's she sleeping with?" "Your husband?" "And I can assume he's paying her." "It was supposed to be a drink." ""One drink," he says, "to take the edge off after the mines."" "Before you know it, one drink turns into two drinks." "Then he's creeping in before dawn." "My Rupert is a good man." "And your pig of a sister, that disgusting slut has no..." "My sister runs a legitimate business." "If your husband chooses to go there, that's on him." "You're as bad as your sister." "Your mother must be so proud." "Where's Mom?" "Amanda!" "You can't tell me what to do." "Where's Mom?" "Run as fast as you can!" "Move!" "Move!" "Mam was so brave." "She said to give you this." "It's St Finnegan, patron saint of lost children." "Get down!" " Where's Mom?" " Mom's dead." "Oh, I can't." "I have faith." "No, seriously, I need a grace period." "I believe in you, Nolan." "I'm a creature of infinite optimism." " You're gonna kill me." " Eventually somebody was bound to." "No, no, my dinner break's over." "I gotta get back to work so I can earn a living wage to pay for these little sessions." " Keep your jaja," " I'm sorry?" "Am I speaking Indo?" "I don't want your money." "Meaning?" "Meaning that when you come and see me," "I don't want it to be financial." " 'Cause you're fun." " Thank you." "And I'm fun." "Well, I think so, yeah." "And I think that we should be fun together." "And we should see how that goes." " So does that mean that you and I are..." " No." "No labels." "Hey, Jered." "I'm looking for the lawkeeper." " His deputy said he was..." " Upstairs in room 106." "106?" "What the hell are you doing in my sister's room?" "I mean, I know what you're doing in here." "I'm pretty sure if you did know what we were doing in here, you would have knocked first." "My eyes are up here." "Seriously, not in the mood." "What possessed you to mess with Datak?" "Well, I had information he was receiving illegal weapons." "Apart from that, it was just for kicks." "Why?" "What's with the attitude?" "The town was secretly purchasing weapons from the Votanis Collective." " Datak was brokering the deal." " You were trying to build an armoury." "Yeah, and your interference spooked the V.C., and now we're left defenseless." "So tell me, how is this my fault?" "You should have come and told me what you were planning to do." "And you should have told me what you were planning to do." "There are far safer ways to score firepower." " The operation was need-to-know." " Amanda?" "What are you doing?" "You can't come in here and yell at my friend." " Don't you mean customer?" " Look at you." " You're just dripping with judgement." " Judgement?" "Wow, I'm surprised you even know what that word means." "I mean, considering you don't actually have any." "Hey, Amanda." "Amanda." "Amanda, what was that?" "Do you have to sleep with married men?" "Uh..." "I do my job and sometimes, yeah." "Rupert Mirch's wife accosted me on the street." "She wanted to know if your mother was proud." "Why don't you tell her how Mom died?" "That ought to shut her up." "You're missing the point." "I raised you." "She didn't realise that she was talking about me." "And look, I try to deal with the fact that you're a prostitute." "No, no, no, you're not gonna start with that again." "I always wanted better for you." " People are happy here." " Do you think I enjoy" " seeing my lawkeeper paying you for sex?" " Mmm." "That's so old world of you." " You know what, don't even..." " Don't." "No, no." "You don't flatter yourself." "After mom died, I raised myself." "You didn't raise me." " You're not my parent." " Okay, fine." " It's fine." " Kenya?" "Kenya!" "What kind of a gyp joint are you running here?" " Excuse me?" " I had 200 scrip in this pouch." "Nobody else was in the room." " Your girl took it." " Which girl?" "That one there, on the cushions." "Tirra, can you come here, please?" "Tirra?" "Okay, no, no, no." "I'll take care of it." "Tirra, come back here." "Tirra." "Tirra!" "Tirra!" " Please?" " Not happening." " Come on, handsome." "I have scrip." " Can't sell you what I haven't got." "I know all kinds of tricks." "I know the Irathient swirl." "I'll show you a real good time." " Tirra, come here." " I'm sorry." "I want you to go back to the NeedWant." " Pack up your shtako." " No." "No, I need this job." "I should have kicked you to the street the last time this happened." "And you, if I catch you selling to my people," "I'm gonna have my lawkeeper trip your off switch again." "Get back in there." " No, no, no." "Come on, go." " Stop making noise!" "Idiots." "Quiet." "Okay, go." "Shh!" "Quiet." " Ah!" " Shh!" "Hmm." "Old school, huh?" "Hey!" " Why would we close the L-7?" " Just following orders." "That was my brother's vein and it's staying open." "I'm gonna work it myself." "You tell that to the person who gave you the order." "I gave the order." "Dad." "You said L-7 was mine." " That I could take up..." " It's unstable." "It's a safety issue." "Listen, I'll put you on one of the nines..." "Yeah, I read the hazard report, just like I read and interpret all the reports." " I can handle it." " Really?" "You major in geology?" "I said L-7 is too dangerous." "I'll find you something else." "With Luke gone, I thought my place in the family would change." " What?" " I never had an ego." "I never cared about not being the favourite, or the second favourite, or the least favourite." " But this is different." " We're getting way too dramatic." "Well, at least grow some balls and admit the truth!" "You don't trust me." "You say anything about this, I'll drop your dead body down a mineshaft." " Is that clear?" " Yes, sir, Mr McCawley." "Very clear." " Jered." " Have you seen Kenya?" "Uh, not since my dinner break." "Why?" "She's been gone for hours." "Missed two appointments." "Tell me everything." "What was she thinking coming out here alone?" " Nehi Street's bad enough in daylight." " Your sister can take care of herself." "You don't know who she really is." " She's fragile." " She's tough." "No, she's not." "I'm sorry." "I don't know what I'm saying." "Of course she's tough." "I'm just really worried about her." "Understood." "Hold on." "I think I'm getting activity on her hailer." "I'm gonna send a pulse." "There!" " Come here." " No!" " It's Kenya's necklace." " Where'd you get that?" " JA-pu, pig!" " Ah, tough guy, are ya?" "Tell you what, tough guy." "Why don't I tie you to the back of my roller and drag you around the Badlands until you answer my questions?" "Look, no one's gonna hurt you, okay?" "Okay." "What's your name?" "Fuck you, too." "This necklace was very important to my sister." "Our mom gave it to her when she was very little." "She never would just let it go." "Not unless something bad happened." " 20 scrip." " Oh, man." "Hey!" "Speak!" "I saw him take the two girls." " Who?" " The Bio-man." "He comes at night." "Takes people to make the Blue Devil." "Okay, kid, this is very important." "Where did the Bio-man take 'em?" "I told you all I know." "I keep the hailer, okay?" "Go." "Come on." "I've only seen one Bio-man in town and he works for Datak Tarr." "Look, what's with the Blue Devil?" " Ever hear of Adreno?" " No." "It's a synthetic neurotransmitter enhancer." "During the war, we used it to enhance physical performance." "It's a bad drug, to say the least." "What does this have to do with Kenya?" "Well, when E.M.C. ran out of the synthetic stuff, some enterprising chemist came up with a formula using actual adrenal fluids." " How did he drain the fluid?" " Prisoners." "Scare 'em to death, drain 'em dry." " Did your unit..." " Let's just focus on Kenya." "If he's draining her, she's got about 10 hours." "Are they dead?" "Not yet." "Oh, no." "No, no, no." "This is just perfect." "I'm gonna kill you." "Don't say things like that, Miko." "It hurts my feelings." "Ulysses, what did I tell you to do?" "Pick..." "Pick up people." "Slam heads." "Stim junkies." "People no one would miss or come looking for." "Which doesn't happen to include the Mayor's gods-be-damned sister." "Miko, she..." "She saw my load." "Everyone's gonna come after us now." " I'm sorry, Miko." " Let me think." "Here's what we're gonna do." "We're gonna process this last batch, we're gonna sell it for traveling money, and then we're gonna head south." " Just the two of us on our own?" " Sure." "Yeah." "Yeah, that would be nice." "Fine." "Whatever." "Now help me prep these two for the maze." "Run, Kenya, run!" "Run, Tirra!" " Where are we?" " I don't know." "Run!" "It's the lady mayor and the lawkeeper." "What the hell?" "This better be important." " Hey!" " Where is she?" " Let go of my dad!" " Nolan!" " Get off me, kid!" " Nolan, let him go!" " Where is she?" " McCawley was right." "This lawkeeper is completely beyond your control." " Stahma!" " Datak!" "I assume the "she" you're seeking is the lovely Kenya Rosewater." "So you know?" "Well, you two have been bumbling around the Hollows all night asking after her." "I was informed hours ago." " A witness said a Bio-man took her." " Ulysses." "And that's why you've come to me." "Guilt by association." "I assure you, if Ulysses misbehaved, it was without my knowledge." "He's full of it." "This is payback." "That's not really my style, is it?" "Now, if you found Kenya with her throat cut on somebody's doorstep..." "Did I say something wrong?" "Datak..." "When I choose to make a statement, I rarely leave it unsigned." "It's hubris, pure and simple." "A personal flaw, but my wife seems to like it." "All right, come on, let's cut the crap." "Datak, you and I both have a shared interest in getting Kenya back here safely." "And how's that exactly?" "Your financial support of the armistice celebration." "Your heroism against the Volge." "People in this town noticed." "Everyone knows Ulysses is your man." "If they see him acting without your approval, it could threaten everything you've done to elevate your status in this community." "Well, I'm very pleased to hear my recent efforts are appreciated." "For both our sakes, please help me find my sister." "Take Alak inside." "Prepare some E-ri-no." "Of course, my love." " Please." " Alak." "Please." "I need her back safe." "Please." "When you people look at me, you see a wild dog." "A fierce, unpredictable beast." "Occasionally useful when you need to smuggle illegal weapons or find a missing person." "But best kept on a short chain." "He's known to bite." "If you truly saw me as a citizen, you wouldn't have brought this blunt instrument to yank me from my sleep and lay hands on me in front of my family." " You think you're better than me." " No." "You lack respect!" "And that is why I will not help you find your sister." "Nolan, I just need a minute..." "Can we find somewhere to talk?" "Have I ever told you how fond I am of your sister?" "I wasn't aware you knew her." "My husband is no stranger to the girls of the NeedWant." "You know Castithan men." "Insatiable." "Well, some of the Night Porters, the lesser ones, avoid eye contact when they pass me in the street." ""Night Porters"?" "It's what your sister likes to call her prostitutes." "I didn't know that." "I think it's a lovely name." "A reflection of the pride your sister takes in her work." "Do you know what she does when she sees me in passing?" "The dear thing throws her arms around me and squeezes me so tight I can barely breathe, and whispers in my ear," ""Your husband is so wonderful." ""Thank you so much for agreeing to share him."" " Wow." " She has a rare gift" " for knowing exactly what people need." " Yeah." "Which is why I want to help her." "How?" "Your man Nolan is a hothead." "So is my Datak." "All Datak wants is the respect he deserves." "Give him that and your sister is as good as rescued." "In what precise form do you see this "respect" taking?" "It was so painful to lose Bel Jarret in the Volge attack." "He was very brave." "I can't even imagine how hard it must be knowing you have to appoint someone else to take over his seat on the town council." "With so much important work to be done, it can't stay vacant for long." "You want me to appoint Datak to the town council?" "We all need to heal." "Move forward." "Let me know what you decide." "Your sister is a very special young woman." "I'm rooting for her." "This way." "We have to hide." "Wait, Wait." " It's a Volge." "It's gonna kill us." " Shh!" "I know you're not helping us out of decency, so what deal did you do with the Mayor?" "Not your concern, lawkeeper." "Your job is to find Amanda's sister and you failed." "Why?" "Because law-keeping isn't thumping heads." "Oh?" " What is it, Datak?" " It's building relationships, understanding who the people in this community are, what they want, how they're connected." "For instance, see Dub Larkin over there at the butcher stand?" "Always has his wife or daughter with him." " Why?" " Well, they keep him off the slam." "That's Hanya Uritso." "She has no intention of buying a rug, but she's there every day." "Why?" "The rug pedlar's the father of her youngest." "Her husband has no idea." "This is the only way the pedlar can see his child." "Like those rugs, the Hollows is a pattern of interwoven threads." "If you know how they stitch together, you can find out anything you wanna know." "Knowledge is power, Nolan." "In the case of my Bio-man, it's the knowledge that he fancies Castithans." "Which is understandable." "The latest object of his affections holes up here." "Don't be stupid, pal." "Come, come, come, come, now, now, now." "Allow me to introduce the increasingly anxious Mr Skevur." "Lawkeeper Nolan has a few questions about your good friend, Ulysses." "He's all yours." "Thank you." "I'm not telling you anything." "Hmm, he talks tough." "You can see by his eyes, though, he's terrified." "Funny thing is, he's not looking at me, Datak." "He's looking at you, and I'm the guy with the gun." "Mr Skevur." "Ooh, well, that cut looks nasty." "I think Datak's boys got here before me." "I think they impressed on you the importance of not cooperating with me." "Then I get to beat on you fruitlessly for a while until Datak swoops in, whispers in your ear, and all of a sudden, the information flows." "I get to look like a big, dumb ape." "You get to look like a hero." " How close am I?" " Close enough." "But for the record, I had no intention of whispering in this disgusting man's ear." " So can I tell him?" " I don't care what you do." "Oh, thank RA-yet-so." "I helped Ulysses set up a lab in a downed strato-carrier, about 30 clicks beyond the Pass." "That's where you'll find her." " Going somewhere?" " I want out." "Out of everything." "The mine, you, all of it, I'm done." "You're not Luke." "You're never gonna be Luke." "I know." "There's a spot in my heart that's all his." "It's right next to the one for your sister and your mother." "And you." "I love exactly who you are." "You could terraform this entire mud ball all over again and nothing would change that." "I respect your professionalism." "I admire your ambition." "And if you had L-7, you would kick its ass." "Then why'd you shut it down?" "My boy, not everything's about you." "Well, you were right about your brother." "He was hiding something." "There are things I can't explain at the bottom of the L-7 shaft." "That's where your brother found this." "What is it?" "Damned if I know." "But I think Luke was killed because of it." "It knows we're here." "What's it waiting for?" "Don't be scared." "Defiance beat an entire army of those things." "Defiance lost 41 people." "Mom was so brave." "She said to give you this." "Patron saint of lost children." "It's St Finnegan." " I want you to hold this, okay?" " Okay." "It's gonna help you be very brave." "Help me prep these two for the maze." "I dropped this." "None of this is real." "I'm gonna kill Ulysses." "Tirra." "Tirra." "Tirra." "It's okay." "It's okay." " It's okay." "It's okay." " You killed Miko." "Why did you do this to me?" "You killed Miko!" "You're gonna pay for this!" "You Okay?" "Kenya, you okay?" " Here you go." " Thanks." " Yes." " Cheers." "What can I get you?" "Ah." "Hey, good looking." " Haven't seen you here..." " Tirra, Tirra, come." "Come here." "I have a gift for you." "This is St Finnegan and he watches over lost children." "There's no such saint as Finnegan." "That's St Christopher." "I grew up with nuns." "Thanks anyway." "Who's St Finnegan?" "How did Mom die?" "Tell me the truth." "I'm not sure." " They're getting closer." " Still mid-town." "Keep working." " Damn scavengers." "It's picked clean." " Aren't we scavenging right now?" "Hey, don't be smart." "We're just trying to put some food on the table for you and your sister." "It's different." "Get down!" "Mortars." "They've crossed Howston." "We gotta get to the river." " But Kenya's back there." " There's half a squad between us." " She's smart." "She'll go to the river." " No, she won't!" "We can't leave her!" " We're not gonna die here." "Come with me." " No." " Get down here!" " No!" "Listen, you must get your..." "You know where I'll be." " Five, six..." " Kenya!" " Pick up sticks." " Kenya." " Seven, eight, close..." " I told you to stay inside." "You can't tell me what to do." " Where's mom?" " Come on, they're coming." " Why are you crying?" " Run." " Where's Mom?" " Mom's dead." "Mom was so brave." "She said to give you this." "It's St Finnegan, patron saint of lost children." "And you came back for me." "She didn't." "All those years that I gave you shtako, you could have hit back with this at any time." "You could have shut me down." "Why didn't you?" "Because you're my sister." "I'd like to introduce our newest town council member, Mr Datak Tarr." "Good evening, everybody." "Very nice to be here, indeed." "You know, I've had my eye on the wrong snake." "You're the dangerous one." "You're very sweet."