“Charlie . . .” He spoke directly to the self-appointed leader. “Shekel’s a lot of moolah . . . what say a bunch of us go down, make sure there’s no monkey-business, keep it sweet . . .”

The garuda called Charlie strode over as the other male was speaking and punched him hard in the face.

There was a communal shriek from the congregation. With a tumult of wings and feathers, great numbers of the garuda burst up and out from the roof like an explosion. Some circled briefly and returned to watch warily, but many others disappeared into the upper floors of other blocks, or off into the cloudless sky.

Charlie stood over his stunned victim, who had fallen to one knee.

“Who’s the big man?” shouted Charlie in a strident bird-call. “Who’s the big man?”

Lin tugged at Isaac’s shirt, began to pull him towards the stairwell door. Isaac resisted half-heartedly. He was visibly appalled at the turn his request had taken, but he was also fascinated to see the confrontation. She dragged him slowly away from the scene.

The fallen garuda looked up at Charlie.

“You the big man,” he muttered.

“I’m the big man. I’m the big man ’cause I take care of you, right? I make sure you’re all right, don’t I? Don’t I? And what’d I always tell you? Steer clear of groundcrawlers! And steer clearest of the anthros. They’re the worst, they’ll tear you up, take your wings away, kill you dead! Don’t trust any of ’em! And that includes fatboy with the fat wallet over there.” For the first time in his tirade he looked up at Isaac and Lin. “You!” he shouted, and pointed at Isaac. “Fuck off out of it ’fore I show you exactly what it’s like to fly . . . straight fucking down!”

Lin saw Isaac open his mouth, attempt one last conciliatory explanation. She stamped in irritation and pulled him hard through the door.

Learn to read a damned situation, Isaac. Time to go, Lin signed furiously as they descended.

“All right Lin, Jabber’s arse, I get the idea!” He was angry, stamping his great bulk down the stairs without any complaints this time. He was energized by his blistering irritation and bewilderment.

“I just don’t see,” he continued, “why they were so fucking antagonistic . . .”

Lin turned to him in exasperation. She made him stop, would not let him pass.

Because they’re xenian and poor and scared, you cretin, she signed slowly. Big fat bastard waving money comes to Spatters, for Jabber’s sake, not much of a haven but all they’ve got, and starts trying to get them to leave it for reasons he won’t explain. Seems to me that Charlie’s bang-on right. Place like this needs someone to look after its own. If I was garuda, I’d listen to him, I tell you.

Isaac was calming down, even looking a little shamed.