in the distance. Yes. Across Straight, heading north now past the tanners’ broad
open-front sheds, almost to the intersection with the Street called Slippery.
Several people were walking along Odours, just walking, heading south in Hanse’s
direction. The lone one carried a lanthorn.
All six walkers – three, one, and two – passed him going in the opposite
direction. None saw him, though Hanse was hurrying. He heard the couple talking
about the hooded blind woman with the white staff. He crossed well-lighted
Straight Street when the red clay cloak was at the place called Harlot’s Cross.
There Tanner’s Row angled in to join the Street of Odours at its mutual
intersection with the broad Governor’s Walk. He passed the tiny ‘temple’ ofTheba
and several shops to stop outside the entrance of the diminutive Temple of Eshi
Virginal – few believed in that -and watched the cloak turn left. Northwest. A
woman, all right. Heading past the long sprawl of the farmers’ market? Or one of
the little dwellings that faced it?
Heading for Red Lantern Road? A woman who pretends to be blind and who put a
spell of terror on Athavul like nothing I ever saw.
He had to follow her. He was incapable of not following her.
He was not driven only by curiosity. He wanted to know the identity of a woman
with such a device, yes. There was also the possibility of obtaining such a
useful wand. White, it resembled the walk-tap stick of a sightless woman.
Painted though, it could be the swagger stick of … Shadowspawn. Or of someone
with a swollen purse who could put it to good use against Hanse’s fellow