Mardock Scramble

He had to try the number a few times before he eventually got through. “Hello…this is Sky…Skyscraper here. The other party in the negotiations…um…that is…they’d like to speak to you directly. Er…yes, surely…”

He passed the phone back to Balot with a trembling hand. Balot didn’t even bother putting the earpiece to her ear. All she needed to do was connect to the part of Oeufcoque that was inside her suit.

“Mr. Cleanwill John October? Director at OctoberCorp? This is Oeufcoque-Penteano here, PI and Trustee for this case.” Oeufcoque spoke out loud so that Skyscraper could hear too. Balot was starting to get fed up with Skyscraper’s miserable face, so she got up and wandered over to the bar in search of the carton of milk.

Then they heard the sneering laughter of Cleanwill John October on the phone.

–That was quite a show you put on for us back at the casino. How did you use your last ten thousand dollars? A fancy meal at some restaurant you couldn’t normally afford? A holiday to take your mind off your woes, perhaps?

“The game’s up. We’re arresting you for attempted kidnapping and blackmail.”

–Where’s your proof that I’m behind this? You have no witnesses. No one will arrest me.

Balot shrugged. Thinking how she was grateful that she didn’t have to talk directly to such a person, she placed her gun on the counter, took a carton of milk from the refrigerator below the counter, picked up one of the few glasses that remained intact, and poured herself a glass. She was effectively committing robbery, she realized, but there wasn’t any other way she was going to get her drink.

She added a couple of ice cubes to her drink and took a seat at the bar. She stared into the mirror at the end of the bar, repelled by the nearby phone conversation.

–More importantly, why don’t you think about settling? The trial’s going to be a washout.

“Washout? It’s too late for you to try and bring our case down by establishing a counter-case, if that’s what you mean.”

–Not if we’ve already applied for our own case. Looks like we’ll be taking the same defendant to court.

“The same defendant?”

–Shell-Septinos has brought about considerable damage to OctoberCorp. The man has tarnished our good name and standing, took on fraudulent loans for his own personal advantage, and even had the audacity to demand a share of our assets.

“How convenient for you. By assets I assume you’re referring to the dowry he would presumably have received as a matter of course in marrying your daughter?”

–Marrying her? Ah, yes, there was such talk at one stage, wasn’t there?

John paused to laugh, a most peculiar sound.

–Ours is a family business—family is our rock and the foundation of our success. I was actually pleased to think that I had managed to find someone suitable to take that woman off my hands.

Balot squeezed her glass tightly. Suddenly she had a feeling that she was missing something. Something to do with the building they were in…

–Shell—I didn’t actually dislike him, truth be told. He had a good head on his shoulders and a certain tenacity of spirit. I admire that in a man. It’s no lie to say that he had excellent prospects, and we’re telling the truth when we say his current prospects are most lamentable.

Balot’s feeling of unease started to solidify inside her. John’s words were triggering alarm bells somewhere deep inside her unconscious. Balot tried to put her finger on the reason.