Thieves World 3 – Shadows of Sanctuary by Asprin, Robert

chorus?’

Taken aback, the man hid his reaction by showing them, with an exaggerated bow,

to a table.

Wess dumped her pack on the floor next to the wall behind her and sat down with

a sigh of relief. The others followed. Aerie

looked as if she could not have kept on her feet a moment longer.

‘This is a simple place,’ the tavern-keeper said. ‘Beer or ale, wine. Meat and

bread. Can you pay?’

He was speaking to Chan again. He took no direct note of Wess ” or Aerie or

Quartz.

‘What is the price?’

‘Four dinners, bed – you break your fast somewhere else, I don’t open early. A

piece of silver. In advance.’

‘The bath included?’ Quartz said.

‘Yes, yes, all right.’

‘We can pay,’ said Quartz, whose turn it was to keep track of what they spent.

She offered him a piece of silver.

He continued to look at Chan, but after an awkward pause he shrugged, snatched

the coin from Quartz, and turned away. Quartz drew back her hand, then, under

the table, surreptitiously wiped it on the leg other heavy cotton trousers.

Chan glanced over at Wess. ‘Do you understand anything that has happened since

we entered the city’s gates?’

‘It is curious,’ she said. ‘They have strange customs.’

‘We can puzzle them out tomorrow,’ Aerie said.

A young woman carrying a tray stopped at their table. She wore odd clothes,

summer clothes by the look of them, for they uncovered her arms and shoulders

and almost completely bared her breasts. It is hot in here, Wess thought. That’s

quite intelligent of her. Then she need only put on a cloak to go home, and she