NEAL STEPHENSON
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They hear someone yelling in English from the middle of the field. “Over here!” But he isn’t responding to Squeaky.
They walk into the hop field. Carefully. There is an enveloping smell, a resiny odor not unlike marijuana, the sharp smell that comes off an expensive beer. Squeaky motions for Him to stay behind him.
In other circumstances, Hiro would do so. He is half Japanese, and under certain circumstances, totally respectful of authority.
This is not one of those circumstances. If Raven comes anywhere near Hiro, Hiro is going to be talking to him with his katana. And if it comes to that, Hiro doesn’t want Squeaky anywhere near him, because he could lose a limb on the backswing.
“Yo, T-Bone!” Squeaky yells. “It’s The Enforcers, and we’re pissed! Get the fuck out of there, man. Let’s go home!”
T.Bone, or Hiro assumes it is T-Bone, responds only by firing a short burst from a machine pistol. The muzzle flash lights up the hop vines like a strobe light. Him aims one shoulder at the ground, buries himself in soft earth and foliage for a few seconds.
“Fucki” T.Bone says. It is a disappointed fuck, but a fuck with a heavy undertone of overwhelming frustration and not a little fear.
Him gets up into a conservative squat, looks around. Squeaky and the other Enforcer are nowhere to be seen.
Hiro forces his way through one of the trellises and into a row that is closer to the action.
The other Enforcer-the driver-is in the same row, about ten meters away, his back turned to Hiro. He glances over his shoulder in Him’s direction, then looks in the other direction and sees someone else-Hiro can’t quite see who, because The Enforcer is in the way.
“What the fuck,” The Enforcer says.
Then he jumps a little, as though startled, and something happens to the back of his jacket.
“Who is it?” Hiro says.
The Enforcer doesn’t say anything. He is trying to turn back around, but something prevents it. Something is shaking the vines around him.
The Enforcer shudders, careens sideways from foot to foot. “Cot to get loose,” he says, speaking loudly to no one in particu
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