Robert Asprin – Thieves World 09 – Blood Ties

Chenaya nodded, but Jubal suspected that his attempts to make light of his feelings for Sanctuary had not deceived her in the slightest.

“Tempus wants me to organize the town’s defenses once he and his forces leave town.”

Jubal grimaced at her statement as if someone had placed something unpleasant on his plate.

“Unlikely. As shrewd as he may be militarily, Tempus still doesn’t know the heart of Sanctuary. He is an outsider as you are. The townspeople resent your coming in and clanging the mission bell to tell them how to solve their problem.

Even his own men are beginning to rebel against his high-handed ways after so long an absence. The truce was agreed to because it made sense, not because

Tempus proposed it. I doubt you could effectively unite the locals because you are an outsider. Any cooperation you got would be grudging at best.”

He considered pointing out that her betrayal of Zip made her decidedly untrustworthy in the eyes of any who knew of it, but decided against it. They were closing on one of the main reasons he had granted this audience, and he didn’t want the conversation to veer off on unwanted tangents.

“Who, then? You?”

“I told you before that I’ll never control this town again,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m a criminal, and an ex-slave to boot. Even if those difficulties were overcome, too many of the factions have old grievances with me and mine.

No, they might fight beside me, but they’d never willingly follow me.”

“Then in your opinion, the best leader would be…”