Cage slid the neck of his bolt pistol from its mooring, discreetly under the table, as the watch officer sat. He was thick and puffy like most officers in the dock, sweating under the heat light, mopping his brow with a cloth. Easy prey. The bar was emptying, there were two guardsmen with him, carrying rifles. The watch officer ordered a drink and his men took their places behind him. Great globs of sweat went racing down his fat face. Cage took a drink.
"what," the officer asked, sort of asked.
"excuse me?"
"what?" definitely a question this time. The two guards both stared at Cage with vacant eyes.
"what the hell do you mean by "what?" You just come walking up here and sit down at my table and say "what," like you aint got no sense?"
"Its juss the way you been looking at me is all," he said.
"oh, zat right?"
"yeah. you been sitting there with yer wiskey casting me an evil eye," he said.
"youre fucked," Cage laughed, "and is that somehow against the law officer," he read the name off the tag, "Lewinson? what kind of a damn name is that?"
"why dont you shut your mouth," one of the guards started, but the officer put up his hand.
"listen," he began.
"you got identification?"
"nope."
"oh really? how'm I supposed to believe you is who you say you is then?"
"listen, Cage, you're in a whole shitload of trouble, so why don't you just listen for one goddamn minute afore I have to get violent with you all," he stood up, and for all his largess, he looked strong as a bull, and was a terrifying sight to behold, "and we wouldnt want any undue violence now would we?"
"I guess not," said Cage.
"thats good," said the officer, "youre being a real help with all this you know." Cage spat in the dirt of the floor.
"what do you mean by that?"
"you juss been kind is all," he said
"kind?"
"most folks aint all that kind, you see, when you come and get em. Most folks is libel so fly off the handle with their pistols, if you catch my meaning."
"I do," Cage said, his hand sliding onto the handle of his own pistol.
"most folks is damn foolish about it, why, even in a place, not THIS place, mind you, but a place very much like it; even in a place like this some damn foolish idiot of a man could make the choice to put his mettle to the test against some fine, upstanding, and law abiding, headhunters? But hell naw, you wouldnt go and do a damn idiotic thing like that? Would you?"
"Why, is there some other way you're thinking it could possibly go down?" Cage said. The officer was quiet for a moment, then he smiled.
"No, I suppose there isnt," he said, "good luck to you sir"
It was then Cage fired off his pistol under the table.