Read Baldur's Gate II Shadows of Amn for Free Online

as bad, and smelled as bad, as Abdel remembered. He’d been there several times but had made no friends. He had not a single coin and nothing to barter with, so he knew he’d have to rely on something that was always in short supply in a place like this: charity.
    “Oy,” a drunk old man sitting near the door exclaimed when Abdel strode confidently into the tavern with Minsc and Yoshimo in tow, “whatta we got ‘ere?”
    “Hey, now,” the bartender barked, a look of stern disapproval crossing his distinctly ugly face, “what kind of place you boys think this is?”
    “We were waylaid,” Abdel said, looking the barkeep directly in the eyes. “They stole everything.”
    “You ever learn how to use those muscles?” the old man asked incredulously, then coughed out a series of guttural grunts that might have been a laugh.
    Abdel ignored the old drunk but nudged Minsc when the madman started talking to his pet again. The red-haired man looked up, but was curious, not embarrassed. “Alas,” Yoshimo broke in, speaking first to the old drunk, then to the dark, swarthy barkeep, “our enemies had muscles too, and the aid of more than one wu-jen.”
    “I need clothes,” Abdel said, clearing his throat uncomfortably. “I need clothes, maybe something to eat, and some water, and I need to speak with Captain Belars Orhotek as soon as one of your boys can fetch him here.”
    The barkeep looked at the sellsword blankly for a long time, so long in fact that Abdel narrowed his eyes to peer at the man, checking to see if he was still alive or had died, staring, on his feet.
    “Did you—” Abdel started to say but was stopped by the barkeep’s loud whoop of laughter. Tears streamed out of the man’s eyes, and he quickly lost the rhythm of his breath and started gasping between body-wracking guffaws. This did not make Abdel happy, but short of strangling or pummeling the bartender, he had no idea what to do.
    “Indeed,” Yoshimo started to say, “it is amusing, but—”
    “Easy there, stranger,” the barkeep said, glancing back and forth between Yoshimo and Abdel. “Word travels faster in Athkatla than you do, boys, and the three of you are hard to miss. Her name’s Imogen, right?”
    Abdel’s jaw fell open, and without thinking he said, “Imoen.”
    “Imoen, then,” the barkeep said. “Anyway, I know where she is and who’s holding her, but information costs in Athkatla.”
    Fire rose in Abdel’s blood, and his head throbbed. The barkeep’s eyes went wide, and he took a step back, suddenly not confident that the bar would keep him safe from the massive sellsword.
    “I need to make a living,” the man said, “and your lady friend has made some very, very powerful enemies. If they know I sold them out, they’ll be… unhappy with me, if you know what I mean. I might need to pick up stakes, right? Make a fresh start in a new town.”
    “How could you possibly—?” Abdel started. “I suggested this place for a reason, my friend Abdel,” Yoshimo interrupted. “This man is Gaelan Bayle, and there is little that might go on in—or under—this city that escapes his notice. He demands a stiff price, because his information is always correct.” Abdel glowered at Yoshimo and said, “I’m no fool, Kozakuran. What’s going on here?”
    “Yoshy-boy brought you here because he knows I know what’s going on around here, Abdel Adrian, Son of Bhaal, Savior of Baldur’s Gate, friend of the missing Imoen who was taken by Shadow Thieves who were none too happy about your late half-brother’s bandying their not-so-good name about the Gate … oh,” he said, “does that sound like I might know what I’m—”
    Abdel was over the bar and standing in front of the barkeep in less than the time it took for Yoshimo to blink. Abdel’s hand was coming up toward the startled man’s face, and before Gaelan could duck, Abdel pulled the punch short.
    “You can tell me who you are now and what you want from me,” Abdel