Sharp Ends

by Joe Abercrombie

  The rope would still be dangling but there wasn’t much to do about that. Couldn’t afford a partner to hoist it back up. Have to hope she was long gone by the time they noticed.

  In and out quick, that’s the trick to it.

  She could still hear the whores screeching in the street, no doubt having attracted quite the crowd by now, folk betting on the outcome and everything. There’s something about women fighting that men can never seem to take their eyes away from. Specially if the women in question aren’t wearing much. Shev hooked a finger in her collar and dragged a bit of air in, squashing a stray instinct to go and take a peek herself, and padded softly down the corridor to the third door, already slipping out her picks.

  It was a damn good lock. Most thieves wouldn’t have even bothered with it. Would’ve moved along to something easier. But Shev wasn’t most thieves. She shut her eyes, and touched the tip of her tongue to her top lip, and slid her picks inside, and started to work the lock. It only took her a few moments to tease out the innards of it, to tickle the tumblers her way. It gave a little metal gasp as it opened up for her, and Shev slipped her tongue and her picks away, eased the knob around – though she was a lot less interested in knobs than locks, being honest – worked the door open a crack and slipped through just as she heard the boots on the stairs, and felt herself grinning in the darkness.

  She hadn’t wanted to admit it, least of all to herself, but God, she’d missed this. The fear. The excitement. The stakes. The thrill of taking what wasn’t hers. The thrill of knowing how damn good she was at it.

  ‘Best fucking thief in Westport,’ she mouthed and eased over to the table. The satchel was where Crandall had said it’d be, and she slipped the strap over her shoulder in blissful, velvet silence. Everything just the way she’d planned.

  Shev turned back towards the door and a board creaked under her heel.

  A woman sat bolt upright in the bed. A woman in a pale nightdress, staring straight at her.

  There wasn’t supposed to be anyone in here.

  Shev raised her gloved hand. ‘This is nothing like it looks—’

  The woman let go the most piercing scream Shev ever heard in her life.

  Cleverness, caution and plans will only get a thief so far. Then luck’s a treacherous bitch and won’t always play along, so boldness will have to take you the rest of the way. Shev raced to the window, raised her black boot and gave the shutters an almighty kick, splintering the latch, and sent them shuddering open as the woman heaved in a whooping breath.

  A square of night sky. The second storey of the buildings across the way. She caught a glimpse of a man with his head in his hands through the window directly opposite. She thought about how far down it was and made herself stop. You can’t think about the ground. The woman let blast another bladder-loosening scream. Shev heard the door wrenched wide, guards yelling. She jumped through.

  Wind tugged, flapped at her clothes, that lurching in her stomach as she started to fall. Like doing the high drop when she was tumbling with that travelling show, hands straining to catch Varini’s. The reassuring smack of her palms into his and the puff of chalk as he whisked her up to safety. Every time. Every time but that last time when he’d had a drink too many and the ground had caught her instead.

  She let it happen. Once you’re falling, you can’t fight it. There’s an urge to flail and struggle but the air won’t help you. No one will. No one ever will, in her experience.

  With a teeth-rattling thud she dropped straight into the wagon of fleeces she’d paid Jens to leave under the window. He looked suitably amazed to see her floundering out from his cargo, dragging the satchel after her and scurrying across the street, weaving between the people and into the darkness between the ale-shop and the ostler’s, the shouting fading behind her.

  She reeled against the wall, gripping at her side, growling with each breath and trying not to cry out. Rim of the cart had caught her in the ribs and from the sick pain and the way her head was spinning she reckoned at least one was broken, probably a few more.

  ‘Fucking ouch,’ she forced through gritted teeth. She glanced back towards the building as Jens shouted to his mule and the wagon rolled off, a guard leaning out of the open window, pointing wildly across the street towards her. She saw someone slip out of a side door and gently push it closed. Someone tall, and slim, a strand of blonde hair falling from a black hat and a satchel over her shoulder. Someone with a hell of a walk, hips swaying as she drifted quietly into the shadows.

  The guard roared something and Shev turned, stumbled on down the alley, squeezed through the little crack in the wall and away.

  Now she remembered why she’d wanted to stop and run a Smoke House instead.

  Most thieves don’t last long. Not even the good ones.

  ‘You’re hurt,’ said Severard.

  Shev really was hurt, but she’d learned to keep her hurts as hidden as she could. In her experience, people were like sharks, blood in the water only made them hungry. So she shook her head, tried to smile, tried to look not-hurt with her face twisted up and sweaty and her hand clamped to her ribs. ‘It’s nothing. We got customers?’

  ‘Just Berrick.’

  He nodded towards the old husk-head, sprawled out on the greasy cushions with eyes closed and mouth open, spent pipe beside him.

  ‘When did he smoke?’

  ‘Couple of hours past.’

  Shev gripped her side tight as she knelt beside him, touched him gently on the cheek. ‘Berrick? Best wake up, now.’

  His eyes fluttered open, and he saw Shev, and his lined face suddenly crushed up. ‘She’s dead,’ he whispered. ‘Keep remembering it fresh. She’s dead.’ And he closed his eyes and squeezed tears down his pale cheeks.

  ‘I know,’ said Shev. ‘I know and I’m sorry. I’d usually let you stay long as you need, and I hate to do this, but you got to get up, Berrick. Might be trouble. You can come back later. See him home, eh, Severard?’

  ‘I should stay here, I can watch your back—’

  More likely he’d do something stupid and get the pair of them killed. ‘I been watching my own back long as I can remember. Go feed your birds.’

  ‘Fed ’em already.’

  ‘Feed ’em again, then. Just promise me you’ll stay out till Crandall’s come and gone.’

  Severard worked his spotty jaw, sullen. Shit, the boy really was in love with her. ‘I promise.’ And he slipped an arm under Berrick’s and helped him stagger out of the door. Two less little worries, but still the big one to negotiate. Shev stared about, wondering how she could be ready for Crandall’s visit. Routes of escape, hidden weapons, backup plans in case something went wrong.

  The coals they used to light the pipes were smouldering away in the tin bowl on their stand. Shev picked up the water jug, thinking to douse them, then reckoned maybe she could fling them in someone’s face if she had to and moved the stand back against the wall in easy reach instead, coals sliding and popping as she set it down.

  ‘Evening, Shev.’ She spun about, trying not to wince at the stab of pain in her side. For a big, big man, Mason sure had a light tread when he felt the need.

  Crandall ducked into the Smoke House, looking even more sour than usual. She watched two of his thugs crowd in behind him. Big-Coat with his big coat on and Hands-in-Pockets with his hands still stuffed in his pockets.

  The door to the yard creaked open and Pock-Face sidled through and shouldered it shut. So much for the escape route. Shev swallowed. Just say as little as possible, do nothing to rile them and get them out quick as she could. That was the trick to it.

  ‘Black suits you,’ said Mason, looking her up and down.

  ‘That’s why I wear it,’ she said, trying to come across relaxed but only managing queasy. ‘That and the thieving.’

  ‘Got it?’ snapped Crandall.

  S
hev slipped the satchel from under the counter and tossed it to him, strap flapping.

  ‘Good girl,’ he said as he caught it. ‘Did you open it?’

  ‘None of my business.’

  Crandall pulled the satchel open. He poked around inside. He looked up at her with far from the satisfied-customer expression she’d been hoping for. ‘This a fucking joke?’

  ‘Why would it be?’

  ‘It’s not here.’

  ‘What’s not?’

  ‘What was supposed to be in here!’ Crandall shook the satchel at her and the frowns his men wore grew a little bit harder.

  Shev swallowed again, a sinking feeling in her gut like she was standing at a cliff edge and could feel the earth crumbling at her feet. ‘You didn’t say there’d be anything in it. You didn’t say there’d be some champion screamer in the room, either. You said get the satchel, and I got it!’

  Crandall flung the empty satchel on the floor. ‘Thought you’d fucking sell it to someone else, didn’t you?’

  ‘What? I don’t even know what it is! And if I’d screwed you I wouldn’t be standing here waiting with nothing but a smile, would I?’

  ‘Take me for a fool, do you? Think I didn’t see Carcolf leaving here earlier?’

  ‘Carcolf? She just came cause she had a job … in Talins …’ Shev trailed off with that same feeling she’d felt when her hands slipped from Varini’s and she’d seen the ground flying up to greet her. Crandall’s men shifted, Pock-Face pulling a jagged-edged knife out, and Mason gave a grimace even bigger’n usual, and slowly shook his head.

  Oh, God. Carcolf had finally fucked her. But not in a good way. Not in a good way at all.

  Shev held her hands up, calming, trying to give herself time to think of something. ‘Look! You said get the satchel and I got it.’ She hated the whine in her voice. Knew there was no point begging but couldn’t help herself. Looked to the doors, the thugs slowly closing on her, knew the only question left was how bad they’d hurt her. Crandall stepped towards her, face twisting.

  ‘Look!’ she screeched, and he punched her in the side. Far from the hardest punch she’d ever taken, but as bad luck had it his fist landed right where the wagon had, there was a flash of pain through her guts and straight away she doubled up and puked all down his trousers.

  ‘Oh, that’s it, you fucking little bitch! Hold her.’

  The one with the pocked face caught her left arm, and the one with the stupid coat her right, and stuck his forearm in her throat and pinned her against the wall, both of them grinning like it was a while since they’d had so much fun. Shev could’ve been enjoying herself more as Pock-Face waved his knife in her face, her mouth acrid with sick and her side on fire and her eyes crossed as she stared at the bright point.

  Crandall snapped his fingers at Mason. ‘Give me your axe.’

  Mason puffed his cheeks out. ‘More’n likely it’s that bitch Carcolf behind all this. Nothing Shevedieh could’ve done. We kill her she can’t help us find what we’re after, eh?’

  ‘It’s past business now,’ said Crandall, the little rat-faced nothing, ‘and on to teaching a lesson.’

  ‘What lesson will this teach? And to who?’

  ‘Just give me your fucking axe!’

  Mason didn’t like it, but he made a living doing things he didn’t like. Wasn’t as if this crossed some line. His expression said, I’m real sorry, but he pulled out his hatchet and slapped the polished handle into Crandall’s palm anyway, turning away in disgust.

  Shev twisted like a worm cut in half but could hardly breathe for the pain in her ribs, and the two bastards had her fast. Crandall leaned closer, caught a fistful of her shirt and twisted it. ‘I would say it’s been nice knowing you, but it fucking hasn’t.’

  ‘Try not to spatter me this time, boss,’ said Pock-Face, closing the bulging eye nearest to her so he didn’t get her brains in it.

  Shev gave a stupid whimper, squeezing her eyes shut as Crandall raised the axe.

  So that was it, then, was it? That was her life? A shit one, when you thought about it. A few good moments shared with halfway decent folk. A few small kindnesses done. A few little victories clawed from all those defeats. She’d always supposed the good stuff was coming. The good stuff she’d be given. The good stuff she’d give. Turned out this was all there was.

  ‘It is a long time since I last saw Prayer Bells.’

  Shev opened her eyes again. The red-haired woman she’d dragged into her bed that morning and forgotten all about was standing larger than life in Shev’s smoking room in that ripped leather vest, peering at the bells on the shelf.

  ‘This is a very fine one.’ And she brushed the bronze with her scabbed fingertips. ‘Second Dynasty.’

  ‘Who’s this fucking joker?’ snarled Crandall, weighing the hatchet in his hand.

  Her eyes shifted lazily over to him. Or the one eye Shev could see did, tangled red hair hanging across the other. That hard-boned face was spattered with bruises, the nose cut and swollen and crusted with blood, the lips split and bloated. But she had this look in that one bloodshot eye as it flickered across Crandall and his four thugs, lingered on Mason a moment, then away. An easy contempt. As though she’d taken their whole measure in that single glance, and wasn’t troubled by it one bit.

  ‘I am Javre,’ said the woman Shev found unconscious in her doorway. She had some strange kind of an accent. From up north somewhere, maybe. ‘Lioness of Hoskopp and, far from being a joker, I am in fact often told I have a poor sense of humour. Who put me to bed?’

  Pinned against the wall by three men, the most Shev could do was raise one finger.

  Javre nodded. ‘That was a kindness I will not forget. Do you have my sword?’

  ‘Sword?’ Shev managed to croak, the forearm across her throat easing off as its owner turned to sneer at the new arrival.

  Javre hissed through her teeth. ‘It could be very dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands. It is forged from the metal of a fallen star.’

  ‘She’s mad,’ said Crandall.

  ‘Fucking loon,’ grunted Hands-in-Pockets.

  ‘Lioness of Hoskopp,’ said Big Coat, and gave a little giggle.

  ‘I will have to steal it back,’ she was musing. ‘Do any of you know a decent thief?’

  There was a pause, then Shev raised that one finger again.

  ‘Ah!’ Javre’s blood-clotted brow went up. ‘It is said the Goddess places the right people in each other’s paths.’ She frowned as though she was only just making sense of the situation. ‘Are these men inconveniencing you?’

  ‘A little,’ Shev whispered, grimacing at the dull ache that had spread from her side right to the tips of her fingers.

  ‘Best to check. You never can tell what people enjoy.’ Javre slowly worked her bare shoulders. They reminded Shev of the Amazing Zaraquon’s, too, woody hard and split into a hundred little fluttering shreds of muscle. ‘I will ask you once to put the dark-skinned girl down and leave.’

  Crandall snorted. ‘And if we don’t?’

  That one eye narrowed slightly. ‘Then long after we are gone to the Goddess, the grandchildren of the grandchildren of those who witness will whisper fearful stories of the way I broke you.’

  Hands-in-Pockets shoved his hands down further still. ‘You ain’t even got a weapon,’ he snarled.

  But Javre only smiled. ‘My friend, I am the weapon.’

  Crandall jerked his head towards her. ‘Put this bitch out o’ my misery.’

  Pock-Face and Big-Coat let go of Shev, which was a blessing, but closed in towards Javre, which didn’t seem to be. Big-Coat pulled a stick from his coat, which was a little disappointing since he had ample room for a greatsword in there. Pock-Face spun his jagged-edged dagger around in his fingers and stuck out his tongue, which was uglier than the blade, if anything.

&
nbsp; Javre just stood, hands on her hips. ‘Well? Do you await a written invitation?’

  Pock-Face lunged at her but his knife caught nothing. She dodged with a speed even Shev could hardly follow and her white hand flashed out and chopped him across the side of the neck with a sound like a cleaver chopping meat. He dropped as if he had no bones in him at all, knife bouncing from his hand, flopping and thrashing on the floor like a landed fish, spitting and gurgling and his eyes popping out further than ever.

  Big-Coat hit her in the side with his stick. If he’d hit a pillar, that was the sound of it. Javre hardly even flinched. Muscle bulged in her arm as she sank her fist into his gut and he bent right over with a breathy wheeze. Javre caught him by the hair with her big right fist and smashed his head into Shev’s butcher-block counter, blood spattering the cheap hangings.

  ‘Shit,’ breathed Crandall, the hand he was holding Shev with going limp.

  Javre looked over at the one with his hands rammed in his pockets, whose mouth had just dropped open. ‘No need to feel embarrassed,’ she said. ‘If I had a cock I would play with it all the time, too.’

  He jerked his hands out and flung a knife. Shev saw the metal flicker, heard the blade twitter.

  Javre caught it. She made no big show of it, like the jugglers in that travelling show used to. She simply plucked it from the air as easily as you might catch a coin you’d tossed yourself.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said. She tossed it back and it thudded into the man’s thigh. He gave a great spitty screech as he staggered back through the doorway and into the street.

  Mason had just pulled his own knife out, a monster of a thing you could’ve called a sword without much fear of correction. Javre planted her hands on her hips again. ‘Are you sure this is the way you want it?’