Thieves World 3 – Shadows of Sanctuary by Asprin, Robert

little else at the moment that he could do, that he wanted to do, bruised as he

was and with his wits leaden weighted. He blinked in the interior light, stared

dully at the russet silks, at the clutter of objects separately beautiful, but

which lay disarrayed – like bones in a nest, he thought distantly, thinking of

something predatory; and he jerked at the sudden racket and nutter of

wings, a fluttering of the lamplight in the commotion of a great black bird

which sat on its perch over against the wall.

‘You can go,’ the woman said, and Hanse’s heart lifted for the instant. ‘You’ve

been paid. Come back tomorrow.’ And then he knew she spoke to Mradhon Vis.

‘Tomorrow.’

‘Then.’

‘Is that all there is? And leave this here?’ A jab at Hanse’s back. ‘I took a

knife, woman; I’ve got a hole in my arm and you keep this and turn me out in the

wet, do you?’

‘Out,’ she said, in a lower tone.

And to Hanse’s bewilderment the knife retreated. Hanse moved then, turned in the

instant, thinking of a quick stab from behind, his own hand to his wrist sheath

… and he had the blade out, facing Mradhon Vis – but somehow the rest of the

move failed him, and he watched dully as Mradhon Vis turned away and sulked his

way to the open door.

‘Close it behind you,’ the woman said, and Mradhon Vis did so, not slamming it.

Hanse blinked, and the amulet at his neck hurt more than any bruise he had

taken. It burned, and he had no sense left to get rid of it.

Ischade smiled abstractedly at her guest, left him so a moment, having greater