spread it on bread. The boss was impassive, Lanky smiled and Freckles looked frankly miserable.
'Of course, we need not tell the Watch anything.' Lanky grinned and lifted the untouched goblet to me in a toast. The boss scowled at him but went on.
'You see, there are other pieces we would like to acquire whose owners are not keen to sell and I wonder if we could come to some arrangement. You clearly have talents we could use.'
Good, we were down to business. 'Why can't your tame conjuror just magic them out for you?'
'I need to know exactly where they are and to get a sight of them,' Lanky shrugged. 'Can't always be done.'
So, no problem with ethics here. That made things easier.
'What you're saying is work for you or you'll hand me over to the Watch and let them cut my hands off.' Freckles winced and I marked him down as the weak link in the chains they were trying to lock on me.
'Basically, yes.' The boss's stare was getting distinctly unfriendly.
'We'd make it worth your while,' Lanky assured me. 'You'd get a good percentage of the value.'
'Fat lot of use that'll be if I get caught.'
'I'll be able to get you out of any lock-up. Once I know you a little better, I'll be able to track you like a trail-hound.'
That was a thrilling prospect, a wizard on my tail whom I would not be able to shake off.
'What if some outraged noble sticks his sword into me to save the Watch the worry?' I challenged. 'Can you bring me back from Saedrin's lock-up too? I didn't think wizards did resurrections.'
'If you're good enough to find this,' the boss picked up my tankard again, 'you're good enough to take the time and care to not get caught.'
He laced his fingers and cracked his knuckles with a satisfied air which gave me one more reason to dislike him. 'In any case, I don't think you're in any position to argue the point, are you?'
Sadly, I had to agree. We could spend all day trading clever remarks, with Lanky playing friendly house-dog to the boss's nasty street-cur but I was not going to get out of here before they agreed to let me go, whatever wild ideas keeping me in here gave the innkeeper. I could give them a flat refusal but I did not like the idea of being handed over to the Watch. I could probably sob my way to a flogging or the pillory but what if the Commander decided to hang on to me until Turd-breath the would-be rapist got home? I kept my gambling face nailed on but I was cursing myself: that's where revenge gets you, you dozy bitch.
'All right,' I said slowly. I took the wine, drained the goblet and refilled it. That made me feel better. 'So what's your business? You're not just buying and selling with a wizard and a scholar in tow. What's so important that you have to hire a wall-crawler?'
'You need not worry about that. My name is Darni and my companions are Geris and Shivvalan.'
'Shiv, please,' Lanky smiled. 'Your name?'
'Terilla, I told you.' That was my aunt who had married a baker and grown as round as one of his loaves.
Shiv shook his head apologetically. 'You're lying again.'
That could get tiresome; I decided to think very carefully before volunteering any information about myself. Still, they had to call me something. Why not the real thing?
'I'm Livak.' I raised my goblet in an ironic toast and Shiv returned it.
Darni snorted. 'Right, we'll get you a room here. We're moving on tomorrow; in the meantime, keep yourself to yourself.'
I shook my head. 'Sorry, I'm staying at an inn back up the high road. I'll see you in the morning.'
Darni looked at me contemptuously. 'Don't ever make the mistake of thinking I'm stupid.'
'I've got luggage there and a bill to pay,' I snapped back.
'I'll go with her to collect it,' Shiv volunteered and Darni's angry colour subsided.
'While I'm out, you can decide on a proper deal for my services. I'll owe you for not ringing the Watch bell on me over the tankard but don't push it. I want half the value of everything I lift, for a start.'
Darni evidently didn't
'Of course, we need not tell the Watch anything.' Lanky grinned and lifted the untouched goblet to me in a toast. The boss scowled at him but went on.
'You see, there are other pieces we would like to acquire whose owners are not keen to sell and I wonder if we could come to some arrangement. You clearly have talents we could use.'
Good, we were down to business. 'Why can't your tame conjuror just magic them out for you?'
'I need to know exactly where they are and to get a sight of them,' Lanky shrugged. 'Can't always be done.'
So, no problem with ethics here. That made things easier.
'What you're saying is work for you or you'll hand me over to the Watch and let them cut my hands off.' Freckles winced and I marked him down as the weak link in the chains they were trying to lock on me.
'Basically, yes.' The boss's stare was getting distinctly unfriendly.
'We'd make it worth your while,' Lanky assured me. 'You'd get a good percentage of the value.'
'Fat lot of use that'll be if I get caught.'
'I'll be able to get you out of any lock-up. Once I know you a little better, I'll be able to track you like a trail-hound.'
That was a thrilling prospect, a wizard on my tail whom I would not be able to shake off.
'What if some outraged noble sticks his sword into me to save the Watch the worry?' I challenged. 'Can you bring me back from Saedrin's lock-up too? I didn't think wizards did resurrections.'
'If you're good enough to find this,' the boss picked up my tankard again, 'you're good enough to take the time and care to not get caught.'
He laced his fingers and cracked his knuckles with a satisfied air which gave me one more reason to dislike him. 'In any case, I don't think you're in any position to argue the point, are you?'
Sadly, I had to agree. We could spend all day trading clever remarks, with Lanky playing friendly house-dog to the boss's nasty street-cur but I was not going to get out of here before they agreed to let me go, whatever wild ideas keeping me in here gave the innkeeper. I could give them a flat refusal but I did not like the idea of being handed over to the Watch. I could probably sob my way to a flogging or the pillory but what if the Commander decided to hang on to me until Turd-breath the would-be rapist got home? I kept my gambling face nailed on but I was cursing myself: that's where revenge gets you, you dozy bitch.
'All right,' I said slowly. I took the wine, drained the goblet and refilled it. That made me feel better. 'So what's your business? You're not just buying and selling with a wizard and a scholar in tow. What's so important that you have to hire a wall-crawler?'
'You need not worry about that. My name is Darni and my companions are Geris and Shivvalan.'
'Shiv, please,' Lanky smiled. 'Your name?'
'Terilla, I told you.' That was my aunt who had married a baker and grown as round as one of his loaves.
Shiv shook his head apologetically. 'You're lying again.'
That could get tiresome; I decided to think very carefully before volunteering any information about myself. Still, they had to call me something. Why not the real thing?
'I'm Livak.' I raised my goblet in an ironic toast and Shiv returned it.
Darni snorted. 'Right, we'll get you a room here. We're moving on tomorrow; in the meantime, keep yourself to yourself.'
I shook my head. 'Sorry, I'm staying at an inn back up the high road. I'll see you in the morning.'
Darni looked at me contemptuously. 'Don't ever make the mistake of thinking I'm stupid.'
'I've got luggage there and a bill to pay,' I snapped back.
'I'll go with her to collect it,' Shiv volunteered and Darni's angry colour subsided.
'While I'm out, you can decide on a proper deal for my services. I'll owe you for not ringing the Watch bell on me over the tankard but don't push it. I want half the value of everything I lift, for a start.'
Darni evidently didn't
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