"Like to ha' killed all three of us," Ahdio laughed, slapping his belly and reaching over to pour another mug of his better beer.
"Well, I told you we should have moved the clothespress when we first got there and weren't already tired," Shadowspawn said, and Throde chuckled.
"Should have seen it," Ahdio said. "You should have seen it!"
"The gods know I've heard enough about it," Jodeera said.
"Not enough," he said, and laughed anew. "Never enough!"
"I druther see the look on that bullying shithead's face," Throde said, staring wistfully into his severalth beer.
"Like to killed all three of us," Ahdio said, "boosting and pulling and grunting that huge press out the window and up onto the roof! These two were pushing and grunting and cursing and I was dragging and sweating and grunting-and cursing, pulling it up with the ropes ... That damned press is bigger'n I am."
"You could have hurt yourself," Jodeera said.
"Arrr, m'gal, your husband's big enough to handle a little moving job for a friend," Ahdiovizun said, shaking as his voice rose into another laugh.
It kept rising, and Ahdio kept shaking, and the tailless cat named Sweetboy scuttled with a sulky look as the big man nearly fell out of his chair laughing.
"Besides, I had that dry-tack glue on my feet," he said. "The stuff Hanse got from Cholly. It made it easy for me to go up that wall-almost as well and easily as these two wall-climbers." He beamed at his employee and his friend the cat burglar. "Come on back, Sweetboy. Here, I'll pour you a tot."
"But what if someone had seen you?" Jodeera asked.
"Some-who d'you think might've seen us?"
"Someone walking along the street-" she said, and broke off to glance at Hanse, who had snorted.
"We was down in Downwind." Throde said. "Up a wall above an alley. TVobody walks down alleys in Downwind, day or night!"
"Oh," she said. "I've never been ... well. A mean trick on a mean man," she said, and again she could not hold back a smile. "D'you think Tarkle will ever find his things?"
"How?" Throde said. "Nobody but Shadowspawn 'n' me could get up on that roof to see all that stuff!"
Despite the impolite noises Sweetboy was making lapping beer out of his bowl, they all looked at Hanse, who had been nursing one mug of beer for a long, long while. He was not laughing, or even smiling, and he spoke to his mug.
"So much for Tarkle," he said grimly. "Now for that swine Marype."
Audio's face went serious. "It's time I told you something Throde heard that little piece of excrement Hakky say the other night."
Hanse turned his dark-eyed gaze on Throde.
"Somebody was talking about you seeming to drop out of sight again," Throde told him, "and Hakky told him-quietly, grinning-that Tarkle told him Amoli had hired him to get rid of you, and even told him how to go about it."
Ahdio snorted. "He said that she said that he said that I said that she c__"
"Who's Amoli?" Jodeera broke in, and Ahdio had to laugh.
"Not someone you'd be likely to know, sweetheart. She's the proprietor of a whorehouse called the Lily Garden."
The homely woman blinked. She looked at Hanse. "But why-whatever have you done to offend a ho'house madam, Hanse?"
But Shadowspawn was staring at Throde. His face registered astonishment, or perhaps it was revelation. Whatever it was, his eyes showed that he had gone back inside himself, where he was deep in cerebration, and calculation, and machination.
Abruptly he rose and left. The other three stared at the doorway through which he had departed their company. Ahdio gave his head a shake.
"And good night to you too, Hanse," he muttered.
Hanse returned to his room long enough to don his padded vest, collect a delighted Notable, and, once they were outside, wait without patience while the cat relieved himself. He was walking away before Notable was satisfied with his ritual sniffing of his urine. The cat snapped his tail to attention and hurried after him, making a complaining noise.
"Be quiet, Notable," Hanse muttered. "We're on business."
Notable replied with a small burbling sound from the throat. It became a hissy noise while he bristled at the dark-cloaked figure that moved toward them just as they stepped out onto the street. When Notable bristled he became about twice as big as he was, which was large enough to frighten big dogs and bigger humans. Yet the smallish approacher took no note, but moved almost stiffly toward Hanse with fixed purpose. Shadowspawn saw, too, and although he made no sound a knife appeared in his left fist too fast for him to have drawn it. But he had.
"Hanse," Mignureal said in an intense tone. "Hanse!"
"Easy, Notable! Jileel-what are you doing here at this time of ni-" Hanse's nape bristled and he broke off.
He had heard Mignue's voice, and knew it was Jileel, and yet he had heard more, too: it was that strange voice he had heard from Mignue, on a few occasions. Always when he was off on business; always when she had no idea as to his intent, much less his goal. He stepped leftward so that she had to turn. That way a bit of light from a window up the street showed him her eyes. Yes, and that eerie feeling enveloped him. Her eyes were all fixed and starey, really looking as if she weren't at home in there.
"Hanse-be sure to take that knife with the silver blade."
Hanse shivered. 0 Father Us! Jileel had it too, then! The S'danzo Seeing ability. And it was as it manifested itself in her older sister, rather than in their murdered mother and indeed any other S'danzo Hanse knew or knew about; Jilee! and Mignue didn't have to be given anything, didn't have to try to See. They just did.
His voice a little shaky, he was putting away his knife as he said or started to say, "I have it-" and another, taller figure in a cloak came up, and the cloak's hood was up, and this one had two others behind itIhimI her, and the sticker was right back in Shadowspawn's hand.
"My hands are in plain sight and you will not need the knife, young man. Do please calm that huge dog as well."
"Termagant!" Hanse said.
"Termagant?" Jileel said in a more normal voice, although it sounded weak. She was reeling, and the tall woman swung an arm around her.
"Mrrrraowww ..."
"A cat?!"
"No. Notable: Easy. No danger." And to the much respected Old Woman of the S'danzo: "What are you doing here?"
At the same time Jileel was saying, "What are we doing here?"
The tall older woman tore her gaze away from the astonishing cat. "I think this wants an explanation, young man."
"His name is Hanse. What are you doing here, Hanse?"
"I have a name, old woman. My name is Hanse."
Blinking in surprise and some confusion if not quite revelation, the Termagant looked down at the girl. "No, Jileel, that is the wrong question. What are you doing here?"
"Uhh ... out ... walking with you? I feel a little funny ..."
"Termagant," Shadowspawn said in a quiet and decisive voice that commanded the gaze of all eyes. "Those are your bodyguards?"
She seemed to grow taller. "Escorts."
He nodded. "Uh-huh. Jileel, you just had a fainting spell. Take it easy, but step over there with the escorts while I have a few words with the Termagant. Careful, now."
The confused Jileel allowed herself to be eased away by one of the two tall cloaks, while Shadowspawn never took his black-eyed gaze off the senior S'danzo.
"Is this where you live, Hanse?"
"Yes."
"And how is it that Jileel knows where you live?"
"Termagant, I swear to you that she does not. You just heard her ask what I'm doing here. She came to warn me without knowing where I was going or where I live." Seeing her lips part, he raised a hand. "Wait. Listen a moment."
He told her about Mignureal, and how she had more than once warned him, as if with a knowledge she could not have. "But did, Termagant, did," he said. "And now Jileel's done it, just like her sister."
She looked surprised, but not as much as she
might have. "I know the truth of that about Mignureal," she said. "Her mother told me of it. It is part of the reason I have been interested in Jileel beyond my usual concern for a blooming young woman of my people. Girl, girl," she corrected herself, too hurriedly.
Hanse knew she was reminding herself to keep reminding him that Jileel was only a girl. And keep your thieving un-S'danzo paws off 'er, streetboy. he thought, but showed nothing.
"Did what she said to you make sense?"
"As it did with Mignue. Once she just seemed to appear-as Jileel did just now-to warn me to be sure to take the striped bowl. It was true I had one, but she had never seen it. It contained lime. If I had not had lime with me that night, I'd have died of Kurd's sorcery."
"Kurd!"
"Another time she bobbed up to warn me to 'take the big red cat.' She had never even seen Notable-this big red cat, here."
"Big, indeed."
"But if I'd not taken him along, I'd have died that night of a Stare-eye snake. A Beysib's, uh ..."
"Beynit," she supplied. "You do live an exciting life, young m-Hanse. That monster, Kurd. I think I'll just not ask about that occasion. And on neither occasion Mignureal knew where you were going?"
Rather than risk an error in deciphering that question, Hanse nodded. At least he'd blocked an older person's snotty habit of saying "young man" and "young woman" by the trick of calling her "old woman." He said, "Both times she had no idea. And other times, up in Firaqa."
"And tonight
"I assure you. Termagant, no one knows where I am going. A very bad man tried to have me sold as slave, and I think he has already profited from the sale of many others. I intend to stop him."
"Please ... would you please say to me her words to you? Jileel's, I mean, tonight."
"Right after you tell me what you are doing here-I mean, did you follow her or go out walking and lose her, or what?"
It took her a moment to digest the fact that he was as demanding as she, even with her. If she found that indigestible, she at least packed it away somewhere in a corner of her craw.
"I was visiting her home. Suddenly she rose and left the room without a word. That is not like her. When we saw her slip out, very hurriedly and cloaked, I counseled her father to silence and I and my two escorts followed her. We followed not as spies, but as protectors, but we did not need to be stealthy; she seemed aware of nothing. She just hurried, hurried. Now I know why-I suppose. Hers and her sister's powers transcend even mi-most."
"Spies can be protectors," he said, letting her know that he knew when a person told a little lie, even the Termagant. And he answered her question: "She stared odd, just the way Mignue does. Did. Her voice was odd, too, just the way Mignue's was. She said my name two or three times, and warned me to take the knife with the silver blade."
"You have such a knife?"
"I'd show it to you, but I wouldn't want to upset your escorts."
She did not smile, but her eyes did, or nearly. "Now, Hanse ... can you imagine why such a knife might be of value to you this night?"
"Will be, Termagant, wilt be, ifJileel has the same power as her sister. You know about silver and sorcery."
Her little sigh was almost inaudible, but she let exasperation color her tone. "I know about silver and sorcery, Hanse." He said nothing; she started to speak; suddenly her eyes widened. "Don't tell me this very bad man you mentioned is a sorcerer."
"I hadn't intended to tell you. Termagant." When she stared without speaking, he told her. "He is."
She heaved a sigh, shook her head, glanced over at Jileel, looked back at the youthful man all in snug black.
"Hanse; A few days ago I referred to your reputation. Perhaps it is a bit more than it should be ... or a bit less ... well, perhaps those who talk do not know quite all there is to know about this Hanse person."
"No one does. Termagant, believe me."
"I promise not to try to leam more than you want me to know. Will you come and see me, Hanse?"
"Not tonight!?"
"No, no, not tonight, Hanse. At a reasonable time of day when this night's work is done and you can come and visit me in the next day or three, will you do so?"
"Termagant, I will."
"Good," she said, with an exuberant nod. "Then when you come to see me, Hanse, bring me this." Her long-fingered hands came out from within her cloak, and in an instant she had draped a piece of cord over his neck. Something thumped his chest and he looked down.
He was more than surprised. "You give me an amulet, Termagant?"
"I loan you a keepsake, Hanse."
"I thank you, I think. Uh-is it all right if I tuck it inside my tunic?"
For once, she chuckled. "Yes, Hanse, that will be all right."
He nodded, one sharp brief bob of his head. "Good. Thank you. I am glad to know that Mignu-that Jileel is in good hands. The Termagant herself, and two big escorts."
For the second time he had made her chuckle, even while she rankled at not having terminated their conversation before he did. A very nervy and decisive young man-and didn't he just love and perhaps live for danger and excitement! No tools or concentration were necessary for her to see that, not her. She well knew that her own abilities were almost equal parts intuition, and observation, and the S'danzo ability.
"Good night, Hanse, and good fortune."
"Notable, we have to be on our way. Good night to you, Termagant, and Jileel, and to you too, you great big pair of escorts, you."
With tail high Notable moved along beside his human, who almost at once took up his nighttime habit of keeping to shadows and alleys. Notable saw quite well in such environs at night, and surely gave no thought to the fact that the black-clad man moved just as unerringly. As a matter of fact Hanse was moving almost without seeing. His brain was busy, working to match Jodeera's information with what had happened to him.
Any city such as Sanctuary had its share of whorehouses; good ones, low ones, and intermediate- True. Sanctuary probably had more than its share, particularly of low and intermediate houses. That described the one owned and operated by Amoli: the Lily Garden was not far from the Maze and yet not within those low and dangerous precincts. Thus it was one of the respectable brothels in the town called Thieves' World. Amoli had been friend to the drug dealer Lastel, who had disappeared. Shadowspawn knew of the tunnel leading from Amoli's house-not-home up to the fine home that had belonged to Lastel and was now owned or at least occupied by Marype the mage. In fact Shadowspawn had made use of that tunnel. His nocturnal visit to Marype's den had saved the life of a client of Strick's; in gratitude the fellow had sold tKe Vulgar Unicorn to Strick at a decent price. Unfortunately that same visit had resulted in Marype's taking vengeance on Thieves' World's thief of thieves. Shadowspawn was sure of that. Yet one aspect of the affair had nagged at his mind: how had Marype known who had been in his lair?
So it was Amoli who sent Tarkle after me. So Tarkle works for her? Or she and Tarkle both work for Marype-or she and that slimebag mage are partners or lovers or both. And the moment I visited his house I was brilliant enough to let her know! Damn! Stupid, Hanse, stupid! Two minutes after I left her that night she must've been hustling her hippy self along the tunnel to tell Marypel
"What we ought to do," he muttered, "is shave some of that fat off the bitch and feed it to her!"
"Mmmaw?"
"Hush, Notable, damn it, I told you to be qui-oh. I thought aloud, didn't I?"
Notable made no comment. He was only an unusually large and unusually smart cat, although once he had been a man.
Abruptly his human seemed to disappear, and in some shock the cat had to spend a second or three finding him- He blinked pupils gone huge and round as a pigeon's eggs as he stared up at the lean man in black, who was ascending a brick wall in a way that could have been used as training for frightened kittens. Unfrightened, Notable followed. He was almost as quiet, almost as competent at wall-climbing. Almost.
Shadowspawn paused on a ledge formed b
y a set-in second floor.
"Here," he whispered, "you're too slow. Get on my back."
Notable let him know he'd rather just do his own climbing, but he went along. Resentful, he sank his claws well in. Hanse didn't mind; that was the reason he had so recently acquired the padded vest-black. With Notable riding his back without the hint of a purr, Shadowspawn went on up and onto the roof.
Notable might or might not have been capable or willing to make the necessary jump across the long black rectangle that was an alley, but Shadowspawn did not consult the cat. He gathered himself, crouched, measured, shifted to allow for the change in balance caused by the cat's weight on his back. He did reach back with one hand to press and stroke, once, while he murmured a friendly sound. Then he jumped.
Notable made no comment. He just clung, and clung tightly-meaning deeply. Had it not been for the vest, Hanse might well have been wearing several claws to a depth of a foot or so. Again he reached back to give him an encouraging stroke and tried to press his face against Notable's.
Notable moved his head and averted his face.
"Goo-ood Notable," Shadowspawn whispered.
His miffed rider did not deign to acknowledge those sounds he had come to know and love. He began wriggling, preparing to jump down. Shadowspawn pressed harder.
He murmured, "Just hang on, Notable. See, we cross this roof-uh." He broke off while someone passed on the street or "street" below. "Then we break into a trot an'-"
He jumped again, pouncing more as Notable might have done than in the way of a man. He landed almost noiselessly on another roof with his knees bent nearly up to his chest. This roof sloped and Shadowspawn dropped both hands to it, and pressed. He remained in that position long enough to be sure he was not going to lose footing.
Notable meanwhile drew in all claws, gathering himself, then shot out the rearward ones long enough to leap past this maniacal human's head and onto the roof. He ran right up and stopped only when he was on the ridgepole, which was not so narrow as the pointed-wedge sort. Tail lashing, he pretended to have been solely interested all along in gnawing a particular place in his coat. He peeped around casually to see Shadowspawn sitting athwart the ridgepole, unraveling a slender and expensive rope from around his waist.
Stealers' Sky tw-12 Page 4
