Virdin counted out the amount of bills I needed to pay him for all the things. “This should do it. Three crowns, twenty-five shills, and twenty-eight pence.” He began making change.
I asked if he could break a few more bills, but he could only break one. That was fine.
“Yer sure ya kin handle that thar hogleg?” the old-timer asked.
I finished tying the leg thong around my thigh and, with the aplomb of a gunfighter, pulled out the g*n, twirled it around my finger—much heavier than a toy g*n, believe me—and slid it back into place. I turned and collected my change from the counter.
I knew from the old-timer"s loud laughter I had impressed him. He laughed so wide I could count the remaining teeth in his head—six.
A rowdy trio of men sauntered through the door; one of them kicked over a b
