10 – Aftermath by Asprin, Robert

“I remember that each of us was very wary indeed of the other, yes, that day on the road up in Maidenhead Wood. You had a young woman with you, I remember-and of course the singularly large cat. Red.”

Hanse nodded. “Aye. Name’s Notable. First cat I ever hked. First cat I ever didn’t dislike! As soon as I came here-“

“From Firaqa?”

“Uh, well, aye, along with a, uh, stopover along the way. As soon as I got here I went to Sly’s. I left Notable with goodole Ahdio, who told me about you. Hearing a lot more about you from other people was easy. You responsible for this ridiculous silver hair so many people have bro- ken out in?”

“I suppose.”

“Not the bare-jigglies fashion though, hmm? That came from the snake-eyed fish-faces.”

“Urn. You might try to stop calling them names, Hanse. Fact is fact, and the fact of their continuing presence in Sanctuary has to be ac- cepted.”

“I’ll work on it,” Hanse said without enthusiasm. “Lots of other changes since I left. Lots of construction work-reconstruction work. Noticed repairs to this building and the new paint job outside, too; really like blue, don’t you! You were wearing mostly dust last time I saw you- first and last time. And liveried guards, too. Even Avenestra in matching blue. Pretty place, your ‘shop.’ Handsome cover on that table; handsome carpet, too.”

Strick continued to gaze at him from those large blue eyes above the droopy, yellowish-russet mustache. He shrugged.

“I’m also hearing about mysterious disappearances in town, and ru- mors of slavers, operating right here in Sanctuary?”