Thieves World 3 – Shadows of Sanctuary by Asprin, Robert

was caught in her flying hair and lifted away from her body until it was

restrained only by the brooches at her neck and waist. As she fell into the

prostrate bow, the silk floated down, hiding the rhythmic heaving of her

exhausted lungs. The clatter-sticks were silent, without nagging corrections.

Seylalha separated her hair and stood up in one graceful movement. Her teachers

were motionless as well as speechless. Never again would she be the bullied

student. Clapping her own hands at the quiet women, Seylalha waited until the

nearest one crept forward to unpin the twisted silk and accompany her to her

bath.

5

It was inky night and even the light of two dozen torches was insufficient to

guide the procession along the treacherous, rutted streets of Sanctuary in

safety. Molin Torchholder and five other ranking members of the hierarchy had

excused themselves from the procession and waited in the relative comfort of the

stone-porch of the still incomplete Temple of Vashanka. Behind the priests a

great circular tent had been erected. The mute women could be heard tuning and

conversing with their instruments. As the bobbing torches rounded into the plaza

the women were silenced and Molin, ever-careful with his elaborate headdress,

mounted a small dais on the porch.

The girl, Seylalha, shrouded in a cloak of feathers and spun gold, clutched the

side-rail of the open platform as six bearers recruited from the garrison

struggled with the rough-hewn steps. She lurched violently to one side, spilling

the luxuriant cloth almost to the ground, but her dancer’s reflexes saved her