Zero History

ass buckle. He put it on. “Tie,” said Jun, offering one in paisley silk.
“I don’t wear them, thanks,” said Milgrim.
Jun put the tie down on the desk, helped Milgrim into the jacket, then picked up the tie
again, folded it, and tucked it into the jacket’s inside breast pocket. He smiled, patted
Milgrim on the shoulder, and left.
“That’s better,” said Bigend. “For Florence. Bella figura.”
“Am I going back to Camden?”
“No,” said Bigend. “That was why I had you give Fiona your key. She’s gone ’round to
pick up your things, check you out.”
“Where am I going?”
“You aren’t,” said Bigend. “You’re sleeping here.”
“Here?”
“A foam mattress and a sleeping bag. We’re just around the corner from Blue Ant, but
they don’t know.”
“Know what?”
“That I’m Tanky.”
“What does that mean?”
“Tanky and Tojo. Name of the shop. I’m Tanky, Jun’s Tojo. He’s amazing, really.”
“He is?”
“You look,” said Bigend, “like a foxhunting spiv. His grasp of contradiction is
brilliantly subversive.”
“Is there wifi?”
“No,” said Bigend, “there isn’t.”
“What she most particularly wanted to convey to you,” Milgrim said, “Winnie Tung
Whitaker, is that Gracie believes you’re his competitor. Which means, to him, that you’re
his enemy.”
“I’m not his enemy,” said Bigend.
“You had me steal the design of his pants.”
“ ‘Business intelligence.’ If you hadn’t thrown Foley under some random Russians, this
would all be much easier. And it wouldn’t be distracting me from more important things.
I am, however, glad that we had this opportunity to discuss the matter in greater detail,
privately.”
“Bent cops are one thing,” said Milgrim. “A bent former major in the Special Forces,
who does illegal arms deals? I think that might be something else.”
“A businessman. I’m one myself.”
“She said he believes he can do anything,” said Milgrim. “She said they sent him to
schools.”
“He wouldn’t be my first arms dealer, you know,” said Bigend, getting up. He
straightened his suit, which Milgrim noted was in need of a pressing. “Meanwhile, you
and Hollis can do the museums, enjoy the food. It’s extraordinary, really.”