Thieves World 01 – Thieves World by Asprin, Robert

question sincere.

‘During the night the Rankan priests will leave the governor’s palace for the

estate called Land’s End. They will bear Marilla with them. We will have to stop

them and replace Marilla with our corpse, without their knowledge.’

The smith’s eyes widened with disillusion. ‘Lyra, it is not the same as stealing

fruit from Blind Jakob! The girl will be alive. He is dead. Surely the priests

will see.’

She shook her head clinging desperately to the image she had found in

meditation. ‘It rains. There will be no moonlight, and their torches will give

more smoke than light. I gave the girl cylantha. They will have to carry her as

if she were dead.’

‘Will she take the drug?’

‘Yes!’

But Illyra wasn’t sure – couldn’t be sure – until they actually saw the

procession. So many questions: if Marilla had taken the drug, if the procession

were small, unguarded and slowed by their burden, if the ritual were like the

one in her dream. The cold panic she had felt as the stone descended on her

returned. The Face of Chaos loomed, laughing, in her mind’s eye.

‘Yes! She took the drug last night,’ she said firmly, dispelling the Face by

force of will.

‘How do you know this?’ Dubro asked incredulously. ‘I know.’

There was no more discussion as Illyra threw herself into the preparation of a

macabre feast that they ate on a table spread over their dead guest. The vague

point of sundown passed, leaving Sanctuary in a dark rainy night, as Illyra had

foreseen. The continuing rain bolstered her confidence as they moved slowly