Thieves World 3 – Shadows of Sanctuary by Asprin, Robert

‘He?’

‘Do you care to make a wager?’

He who was called Shadowspawn clutched the walnut to him in mock terror. With

his other hand he clutched his purse theatrically. ‘Wager with you about your

wisdom? Never! No one has accused me of being stupid.’ Well, almost no one, he

mentally added, thinking of that burly stranger, Tempus the Hell Hound …

Tempus the … what?

‘Be off with you and open it privily then. You’re standing between me and paying

clients!’

There were none present, Hanse assured himself before he said, ‘In a moment,’

and thumb-nailed the brownish wax along the lip-like closure of the walnut

shell. He knew Moonflower was frowning, believing that he should be more

secretive, but he also knew what he wanted to do. A gesture, merely a gesture.

The scrap of extra fine leaf-paper he took out and poked, still folded, into

his sash. Pressing the shell closed and thumbing the wax into a semblance of

seal, he proffered it to the S’danzo seer who consistently proved that she

was no charlatan.

‘For Mignureal,’ he said, pretending shyness. ‘To scent her… her clothing, or

something?’

For a moment the flicker of a frown appeared on Moonflower’s doughy face, for

her big-eyed daughter was quite taken with this dangerous youth from Downwind,

whose means of income was no secret. Then she smiled and accepted the scented

shell. It swiftly vanished into the vast cleavage of what she called her

treasure chest, under her shawl.

‘You’re such a nice boy, Hanse. I’ll give it to her. Now you git, and inspect

your message. Maybe some highborn lady wants a bit of dalliance with your