Thieves World 3 – Shadows of Sanctuary by Asprin, Robert

to me.’

‘My Dear Prince,’ Molin poured another goblet of fruit tea and signalled the

mute to bring a stronger libation for the next round. ‘My Dear Prince,

while I would never hesitate to lay down my life for you or the Empire should,

gods forfend, the need ever arise -none the less, I assure you, I am not about

to make the supreme sacrifice at this time. There is nothing in the most

sacred tomes of ritual dictating the nature or rank of the ten who must be slain

-save that they must be undeformed and alive at the start.’

At that moment there were shouts outside Molin’s larger window and the all-too

familiar sound of the gallow’s rope snapping another neck.

‘Very simply, my Prince, cancel these daily executions and by the Ten-Slaying

I’m sure we’ll have our quota.’

The Prince blanched at the thought of Sanctuary denizens whose activities so

exceeded the norms of this none-too-civilized place that his judges would

condemn them to death.

‘They would be bound and drugged, of course,’ Molin consoled his Prince, ‘as is

part of custom, if not tradition. Our hierarchy has suffered the discomfort of

having the wrong man survive,’ Molin added quickly, without mentioning that they

had also suffered the inconvenience of losing all eleven to their wounds before

the ritual could be completed. The hierarchy had acquired an immense

practicality over the generations when its own interests were concerned.

Kadakithis stared blankly into the corners of the room; he had stared briefly

out the window but the busy gallows had not brought the peace of mind he sought.