Thieves World 3 – Shadows of Sanctuary by Asprin, Robert

the return … now assumed a thoroughly macabre character, such that he forbore

to contact Hanse when he had, for one instant, the chance. Hanse’s face too, in

the small glimpse he had had of it as he passed, had the wan, set look of

terror.

They went back very much the way they had come, and long before they came close

to the alley behind the Unicorn, Cappen had a sure idea that such was their

destination.

6

The pair of them went well enough where Hanse had figured they would go, in the

alley behind the Unicorn. He held back as he had been doing and kept them in

sight… wished anew that he had had the chance during the day to creep up to

Ischade’s lodgings and have a closer look, but she had been there most of the

day, and daylight and the fact that it was the second storey gave him no easy

options. When she had left, towards evening, he had been obliged to follow,

having no real idea other motives and habitual movements … and well that he

had followed, since this evening had turned out as it had.

But there was still, as there had been, a presence on his trail -and that was

Cappen. Hanse knew that much, had caught sight of the minstrel out of his own

territory and seen him more than once on streets where Cappen had no business

being.

And who had hired Cappen?

It was not Cappen’s custom to take employment; he diced and he sang songs; but

never this kind of work. He was not suited for ft. Enas Yorl could have hired

better. Far better.

But this Ischade –

Hanse refused the idea. And yet constantly nagging at him in that small nook of