Ren+! moved into the room behind LeRoy, and when he did I stepped back the way you might when something large passes very close to you, say a mobile home, or some great African beast. Rene" was only six-three or six-four, but his body possessed size in the way a dirigible possesses size, as if there were a quality to its bulk that could block out the sun. He had a tiny round head and diin, sandy hair and fingers as thick as my wrists. He wore humongously thick glasses that made his eyes seem tiny and far away, and the lenses were speckled with white flecks of matter. There were liver-colored blotches on his forearms and ears that looked like birthmarks, and a large misshapen lump riding the top of his right shoulder like a second head. His skin looked like tree bark. I said, "Jesus Christ."

Jimmie Ray said, "That Ren+! is somethin', idin' he? Had him a job in a carnival down 'round Bossier City. Useta bill him d' Swamp Monster." Jimmie Ray liked Ren+! the same way he liked the two-headed turtle. Something in a jar.

LeRoy still had the narrow eyes on Jimmie Ray. "Jus' some guy? You callin' names wi' jus' some guy? How goddamn stupid you are?"

Jimmie Ray raised his hands like what's the big deal? "It's nothin', man. Eve'body cool here." The sharp smile fell away and you could see that Jimmie was scared.

LeRoy said something in French.

Jimmie Ray nodded. "Hey, Cole, there's nothin' I can tell ya, all right? Now, I got business. Go on."

LeRoy had put the narrow eyes on me. "Whatchu lookin' at, podnuh?"

Rebenack came around the desk and took my arm. "C'mon, Cole. Out. I gotta go." Now he was trying to get me out of there and damned anxious to do it.

I said, "Are you okay with this?"

Jimmie Ray Rebenack looked at me with wide, surprised eyes. "Hey, yeah, no problem."

LeRoy squinted at me, then at Rebenack. "Who dis guy?" Then back at me. "You his boyfrien', what?"

I said, "If you're in trouble with these guys, Rebenack, don't go with them."

Rebenack waved me toward the door, making a big deal out of showing me that everything was fine. "Hey, these are just a couple of pals. It's not your business, man. Now, c'mon, I gotta lock up."

I let myself get shown out, and then I went down the stairs and back across to the little coffee shop. In a couple of minutes, LeRoy and Ren+! and Jimmie Ray came down and climbed into a rusty, gold Polara double-parked at the curb. When Ren+! got in, the Polara groaned and settled on its springs. They eased away down the street, did a slow K-turn, then headed back to Main Street and swung left.