BLOOD ORANGE
Chapter 3 With my britva in my pocket, I make my way down to the old Korova Milk Bar. Going back seems odd, given how much my life has changed since Alice was born. I'm only going there because it is the best place to get information on where all the gruppas might go and who is doing what and when. There aren't many people here. A couple devotchkas are drinking their milk plus at the end of the bar, giggling at I don't know what. Not much in this world to laugh about. None of my old droogs are here today. I wonder if they ever come in here. Do they think of me if they do? My mind wanders back to the job at hand. Find my daughter. Find Alice. Passing the giggling devotchkas, I head over to this chellovek drinking in the corner. "Govoreet to me something, my malenky brother," I say. "what have you heard of a recent kidnapping?" He ignores me and goes on drinking. "Viddy this," I warn him, "Either tell me what I wish to know or I will clop you upon the head. I doubt those cheenas over there would say much about it if I did. My daughter is the one who has been taken, and Bog help the ones who stand in my way." "Malenky Sam is the one you want to see," he tells me. "He is the one around here who arranges the ransoms between the kidnappers and the families. He can tell you where your daughter is." "And he is where?" "Nobody knows where he'll set up," this chellovek tells me. "It's different every week, Sometimes in the city, sometimes he uses an old house in the country." "Home?" "I think that's what he called it once." he tells me. With a grim look on my face, I leave the table, trying to find anyone in the Korova who knows where Malenky Sam might be holed up for the week. If any do, they're not saying. And I'm not taking the britva out here today. I haven't drawn it publicly in years and this isn't the place or time. I'll only use it if I have no choice. I'd prefer to stay out of the Staja for my molody devotchka. With dwindling hope, I make my way to the door. I'm almost there when an old cheena, about fifty years I'd guess, waves to me from behind, as if I, your humble narrator, could viddy her out the back of my head. Clearing her throat gets my attention. "You're seeking Malenky Sam," she asks. "What will you give me to find him?" "I have a little Pretty Polly on me," I offer. "I am not a whore," she tells me, sternly. "You need to offer me something a bit more personal than that." I don't want to part with my britva. I need it to rescue Alice from whoever has her. But I can't know where she is until I give it to this woman. I stand for a moment at another crossroads of my life, trying to decide which road to travel In the end, I reach into my pocket and pull out the little blade that has done so much hurt in the past. Now is the time to do horrorshow with it. To make amends for all the pain it has caused in my hand. For a moment, I viddy it's handle that once fit so well in my hand. Then I hand it over to her. She smiles and puts it in her pocket. Then offers me a seat. I take it and offer my hand to shake drawing it back when she does not offer hers in return. "Samantha Grey," she introduces herself. And it is then that I know she is the one I was looking for. "And you're Alex. Funny that. from your old pal's expression I expected something more fierce. Less… domesticated." I'm not here for a bit of malenky chit chat. I just want my daughter back. "The longer we stay here chatting, the higher the chance of someone hurting her," I say, "And Bog help you if she does." "Tsk tsk," Govoreets the devotchka across the table from me. "Still using the nadsat at your age." "Enough about my choice of language, cheena," I say to her. "Just tell me where Alice is." Standing, Sam motions me to follow her. We step outside the milk bar and she points northward to a skyline off in the distance. "She's in that city, in one of the buildings of that skyline. I don't know which. I only broker ransoms. I don't keep tabs on abductor locations." That did not reassure me at all.
Back Home Miscellaneous Movies Fanfic Page Next