‘You led me astray, “Thales”. That temple or store or whatever it was. It …
collapsed? – erupted, like a volcano? Something. Next the prince-‘
‘You really do respect him, don’t you?’
‘I don’t work for him though,’ Hanse pointed out; Tempus did. ‘He impounded the
… the god-weapons? – that place sold, or _ tried to. Hell Hounds paying people
for things they bought – or else! Things! New wealth in the city, because some
of them had been stolen and now are bought from thieves. People are laughing at
dealing with the new changer: the palace!’
Changer, Tempus knew, meant fence in this – city? 0 my God Vashanka – this? A
city?!
‘Two ships sitting out there in the harbour,’ Hanse went on, ‘guarded up to
here. I know those Things, those dark weapons of sorcery, are being loaded
aboard. Then what? Out to sea and straight to the bottom?’
‘The very best place for them,’ Tempus said, turning and slowly turning his
glazed earthenware mug. This one was striped garishly in yellow waves.’ Believe
it. There is too much power in those devices.’
‘Meanwhile some “enforcers” from the mageguild have been trying to get hands on
them first.’
That Tempus also knew. Three of the toughs had been eliminated in the past
twenty hours, unless another or two had been slain tonight, by local Watchmen or
those special guardsmen called Hell Hounds. ‘Unions will try to protect their
members, yes. No matter what. A union is a mindless animal.’
‘You paid me well -fair, to fetch you the diamond wand-things that woman wears
in her hair. I did, and she has them back. You gave them back.’