Lennox
for we've never once met
In Central City on the planet Inops, Lillis and Townes ran southward at full speed down a narrow street. On their right was a wall of buildings, mostly derelict and abandoned, and on their left was a thirty foot drop to a canal, about six yards wide. Behind the two men by about fifty strides was a group of a half a dozen men, each of them armed. One of the men chasing the two finished reloading a compact rifle and fired it one-handed. Lillis’s hat, a black derby, was struck by the bullet and flew off his head. He leapt awkwardly to catch it before it hit the ground, stumbling slightly and falling a few paces behind. As he leapt a bullet struck the ground where his feet had been.
“Well, at least you picked a group what can’t shoot, eh Junior?” shouted Lillis
“Let’s hope they can’t run either!” replied Townes without looking back. Suddenly, he stopped short in his tracks, and Lillis did the same behind him. They had come to a ledge. About ten yards below them was a canal, the waters of which were opaque and brown in color, with a thick steam rising off of them. It smelt even worse here than it did in the dry parts of the city.
“Well” said the largest, meanest looking man among their pursuers, as he advanced toward Townes and Lillis “Looks as though you two rats’r cornered.”
“Alright” said Lillis, glancing down toward the canal “You got us. I reckon it’s about time you grant us the slow and painful death we deserve, eh?”
Noticing the downward glance, the man cocked his shotgun at Lillis
“Do not e’en think about jumping, got that? If’n the water don’t eat right through you, that what’s swimmin’ in it will do. And by the by, there’ll be nothing slow ‘bout your death. I intend to finish this right now. If you boys have any sense in you, trying to con Max Allandale is the biggest regret you got."
“Well actually” said Lillis, glancing down again “Right about now, my greatest regret is that the boat going underneath us is a garbage barge.”
Townes tipped his hat
“Better luck next time, eh?”
As he was speaking, he and Lillis leaned backward, falling from the ledge.
Townes landed on the barge with a splat, followed a few seconds afterward by Lillis. It was covered mostly with sludge which had been scraped off of the streets or filtered out of the canals.
“Quick” said Townes “Get under the trash”
“Townes, this is nigh to my very favorite suit I’m wearing here, and it’s close to ruined, but I know a dry cleaner on Cymbeline who might be able to—“
He was interrupted by a bullet landing just to the left of his ear, splashing up some sludge.
“Well, unless you want that wide with the rifle having his fair pick on where to clip you next” said Townes, burying himself deeper into the sludge “I recommend you go right ahead and start digging.”
Lillis reluctantly began nestling into the side of the trash mound.
“This is without a doubt the worst planet we have ever been to”
“Well, at least you picked a group what can’t shoot, eh Junior?” shouted Lillis
“Let’s hope they can’t run either!” replied Townes without looking back. Suddenly, he stopped short in his tracks, and Lillis did the same behind him. They had come to a ledge. About ten yards below them was a canal, the waters of which were opaque and brown in color, with a thick steam rising off of them. It smelt even worse here than it did in the dry parts of the city.
“Well” said the largest, meanest looking man among their pursuers, as he advanced toward Townes and Lillis “Looks as though you two rats’r cornered.”
“Alright” said Lillis, glancing down toward the canal “You got us. I reckon it’s about time you grant us the slow and painful death we deserve, eh?”
Noticing the downward glance, the man cocked his shotgun at Lillis
“Do not e’en think about jumping, got that? If’n the water don’t eat right through you, that what’s swimmin’ in it will do. And by the by, there’ll be nothing slow ‘bout your death. I intend to finish this right now. If you boys have any sense in you, trying to con Max Allandale is the biggest regret you got."
“Well actually” said Lillis, glancing down again “Right about now, my greatest regret is that the boat going underneath us is a garbage barge.”
Townes tipped his hat
“Better luck next time, eh?”
As he was speaking, he and Lillis leaned backward, falling from the ledge.
Townes landed on the barge with a splat, followed a few seconds afterward by Lillis. It was covered mostly with sludge which had been scraped off of the streets or filtered out of the canals.
“Quick” said Townes “Get under the trash”
“Townes, this is nigh to my very favorite suit I’m wearing here, and it’s close to ruined, but I know a dry cleaner on Cymbeline who might be able to—“
He was interrupted by a bullet landing just to the left of his ear, splashing up some sludge.
“Well, unless you want that wide with the rifle having his fair pick on where to clip you next” said Townes, burying himself deeper into the sludge “I recommend you go right ahead and start digging.”
Lillis reluctantly began nestling into the side of the trash mound.
“This is without a doubt the worst planet we have ever been to”
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