Read The price of victory- - Thieves World 13 for Free Online
Authors: Robert Asprin, Lynn Abbey
Sarah answered.
"Out here? But it's dark. Cade says—"
"Never mind what Cade says," she interrupted. "Tell the Lady Marissa to come out here."
He shrugged and did as he was told.
Marissa came out moments later, holding a lantern and a goblet of wine. She handed Sarah the drink.
CADE 27
"I thought you could use it," Marissa said in her soft voice. Sarah smiled. Marissa was so thoughtful. At first Sarah had been put off by the other's title and light, Rankan good looks. Now she wondered if she could have made it this far without her friend.
"Thank you, Marissa. I think you're right." She took a sip of wine, letting the liquid numb her mouth, enjoying the sensation of it sliding down her throat.
"Cade's really getting to you, huh?" Marissa said with a raised eye Page 46
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brow.
"Oh, that man. I don't understand him." Sarah's voice dropped to a whisper. "He frightens me."
Marissa laughed. "He frightens everyone," she answered, "even Targ."
"I can't believe that." Sarah considered the notion that anyone or anything could frighten Marissa's strange mercenary and found it ludi crous. As ludicrous as, well, as thinking anything scared Cade.
*'0h, it's true," Marissa said. "Targ snorts and struts around every time Cade walks into a room." She smiled though Sarah thought it looked a little strained. "I swear his hair stands orTend." Sarah laughed at that. Targ's excessive hairiness had been a running'joke between the two for some time. The thought of all that red hair standing up straight was amusing. "Just like a little porcupine," she said, and the two laughed again.
"Marissa," Sarah said, her voice losing all trace of amusement, "why have you hired more mercenaries?" Marissa was quiet. She hated this. She liked Sarah and longed to tell her the truth, all of it. The lies between the two of them kept them apart, but she owed people and she had always paid her debts.
Page 47
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"Well, I'll tell you, Sarah," she said. "This town, it is so dangerous, I just feel safer-Gods know I have the money to spare."
"How many did you hire?"
"Three, not counting Targ, of course." Marissa bit her lip. "I'll tell you a secret." She looked around-"I've told them to keep an eye out on your house, too. So that . . ." She left the rest unfinished. Sarah looked away, but her hand patted her friend's knee briefly.
"Thank you, Marissa." She turned back. "But I don't think anyone is going to bother us with Cade around." She took a large swallow of wine.
"You know why Cade is here, don't you." It was a statement, not a question. Again Sarah was struck by Marissa's odd unease at her words. Marissa was hiding something, but Sarah did not intend to pry, respect ing the other's private pain.
"Yes," Marissa said, "yes, he's here to find Terrel's, uh, murderer."
"He is going to kill whoever is responsible, Marissa."
28
AFTERMATH
"Well, Terrel was his brother."
Page 48
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"I know, but it all seems"—Sarah shrugged—"so dramatic." Marissa laughed. "Oh, really, Sarah, that sounds so silly."
"No, I'm serious." Sarah turned to her friend. "Six months ago I was the wife of a potter. I had"—she swept her arm in an arc behind her—"a nice house, nice things, two wonderful children, and a man I loved dearly," Marissa laid a hand on her friend's shoulder. "And now - . ." Sarah shook her head. "Now I don't know.
"My husband has been murdered, tortured to death in that same house, while my children and I slept. Why? I don't even know. Then this man shows up. This strange man. My husband's brother, but the two are not anything alike. My mysterious brother-in-law shows up. With his words and his armor, his dark looks, and dark ways. Suddenly, suddenly I find myself in the middle of a conspiracy, a
"Out here? But it's dark. Cade says—"
"Never mind what Cade says," she interrupted. "Tell the Lady Marissa to come out here."
He shrugged and did as he was told.
Marissa came out moments later, holding a lantern and a goblet of wine. She handed Sarah the drink.
CADE 27
"I thought you could use it," Marissa said in her soft voice. Sarah smiled. Marissa was so thoughtful. At first Sarah had been put off by the other's title and light, Rankan good looks. Now she wondered if she could have made it this far without her friend.
"Thank you, Marissa. I think you're right." She took a sip of wine, letting the liquid numb her mouth, enjoying the sensation of it sliding down her throat.
"Cade's really getting to you, huh?" Marissa said with a raised eye Page 46
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
brow.
"Oh, that man. I don't understand him." Sarah's voice dropped to a whisper. "He frightens me."
Marissa laughed. "He frightens everyone," she answered, "even Targ."
"I can't believe that." Sarah considered the notion that anyone or anything could frighten Marissa's strange mercenary and found it ludi crous. As ludicrous as, well, as thinking anything scared Cade.
*'0h, it's true," Marissa said. "Targ snorts and struts around every time Cade walks into a room." She smiled though Sarah thought it looked a little strained. "I swear his hair stands orTend." Sarah laughed at that. Targ's excessive hairiness had been a running'joke between the two for some time. The thought of all that red hair standing up straight was amusing. "Just like a little porcupine," she said, and the two laughed again.
"Marissa," Sarah said, her voice losing all trace of amusement, "why have you hired more mercenaries?" Marissa was quiet. She hated this. She liked Sarah and longed to tell her the truth, all of it. The lies between the two of them kept them apart, but she owed people and she had always paid her debts.
Page 47
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Well, I'll tell you, Sarah," she said. "This town, it is so dangerous, I just feel safer-Gods know I have the money to spare."
"How many did you hire?"
"Three, not counting Targ, of course." Marissa bit her lip. "I'll tell you a secret." She looked around-"I've told them to keep an eye out on your house, too. So that . . ." She left the rest unfinished. Sarah looked away, but her hand patted her friend's knee briefly.
"Thank you, Marissa." She turned back. "But I don't think anyone is going to bother us with Cade around." She took a large swallow of wine.
"You know why Cade is here, don't you." It was a statement, not a question. Again Sarah was struck by Marissa's odd unease at her words. Marissa was hiding something, but Sarah did not intend to pry, respect ing the other's private pain.
"Yes," Marissa said, "yes, he's here to find Terrel's, uh, murderer."
"He is going to kill whoever is responsible, Marissa."
28
AFTERMATH
"Well, Terrel was his brother."
Page 48
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"I know, but it all seems"—Sarah shrugged—"so dramatic." Marissa laughed. "Oh, really, Sarah, that sounds so silly."
"No, I'm serious." Sarah turned to her friend. "Six months ago I was the wife of a potter. I had"—she swept her arm in an arc behind her—"a nice house, nice things, two wonderful children, and a man I loved dearly," Marissa laid a hand on her friend's shoulder. "And now - . ." Sarah shook her head. "Now I don't know.
"My husband has been murdered, tortured to death in that same house, while my children and I slept. Why? I don't even know. Then this man shows up. This strange man. My husband's brother, but the two are not anything alike. My mysterious brother-in-law shows up. With his words and his armor, his dark looks, and dark ways. Suddenly, suddenly I find myself in the middle of a conspiracy, a
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