Swearoath. Cudget told me all I -all he knew.’
The other man heard; ‘fatherly’ used to mean ‘patronizing’, and the flash of ego
in the tough called Shadowspawn. Chips on his shoulders out to here. The other
man did not smile. How to tell Hanse how many Hanses he had known, over so many
years?
‘Listen. One night a while ago I killed. Two men.’ Hanse did not lower his voice
for that statement-not-admission; he kept it low. The shadow of a voice.
‘Not men, Hanse. Hawk-masks. Jubal’s bravoes. Hardly men.’
‘They were men, Tempus. They were all men. So is Hanse and even Kadaki – the
prince-governor.’
‘Kitty-Cat.’
‘I do not call him that,’ Hanse said, with austerity. Then he said, ‘It’s you
I’m not sure of, Tempus. Are you a man?’
‘I’m a man,’ Tempus said, with a sigh that seemed to come from the weight of
decades and decades. ‘Tonight I asked you to call me Thales. Go ahead, Hanse.
You killed two men, while helping me. Were you, by the way? Or were you lurking
around my horse that night thinking of laying hands on some krrf?’
‘I use no drugs and little alcohol.’
‘That isn’t what I asked,’ Tempus said, not bothering to refute.
Dark eyes met Tempus’s, which impressed him. ‘Yes. That is why I was there, T
Thales. Why “Thay-lees”?’
‘Since all things are presently full of gods, why not “Thales”? Thank you,
Hanse. I appreciate your honesty. We can -‘
‘Honesty?’ A man, once well built and now wearing his chest all over his broad
belt and bulging under it as well, had been passing their small round table.
‘Did I hear something about Hanse’s honesty? Hanse?’ His laugh was a