came out with a flat-bladed knife while his left hand clamped her right wrist,
the unbraceleted one. The point of the knife touched the knot of her expensive
cerulean sash.
‘Do not scream. This is a throwing knife. I throw it well, but I prefer not to
kill. Unless I have to, understand.me? All I want is that nice little snake
you’re wearing.’
‘Oh!’ Her eyes were huge and she tucked in her belly, away from the point of
several inches of dull-silvery leaf-shape he held to her middle. ‘It-it was a
gift…’
‘I will accept it as a gift. Oh you are smart, very smart not to try yelling. I
just hate to have to stick pretty women in the belly. It’s messy, and it could
give this end of town a bad name. I hate to throw a knife into their backs, for
that matter. Do you believe me?’
Her voice was a squeak: ‘Yes.’
‘Good.’ He released her wrist and kept his hand outstretched, palm up. ‘The
bracelet then. I am not so rude as to tear such a pretty bauble off a pretty
lady’s pretty wrist.’
Staring at him as if entranced, she backed a pace. He flipped the knife, caught
it by the tip. His left palm remained extended, a waiting receptacle. The right
hefted the knife in a throwing attitude and she swiftly twisted off the
bracelet. Better than he had thought, he realized with a flash of greed and
gratification; the serpent’s eyes appeared to be nice topazes! All right then,
he’d let her keep the expensive sash.
She did not drop the bracelet into his palm; she placed it there. Nice hard cold
gold, marvellously weighty. Only slightly warmed from a wrist the colour of