Thieves World 3 – Shadows of Sanctuary by Asprin, Robert

your wish. You will be my sacrifice to the god.’ He covered the youth’s

nakedness with his mantle, taking the gory hand from the broken haft, letting it

fasten on his own.

Then the blue-grey eyes of Abarsis opened in a face pale with pain, and

something else: ‘I am not frightened, with you and the god beside me.’

Tempus put an arm under his head and gathered him up, pulling him across his

lap. ‘Hush, now.’

‘Soon, soon,’ said the paling lips. ‘I did well for you. Tell me so … that you

are content. 0 Riddler, so well do I love you, I go to my god singing your

praises. When I meet my father, I will tell him … I… fought beside you.’

‘Go with more than that. Stepson,’ whispered Tempus, and leaned forward, and

kissed him gently on the mouth, and Abarsis breathed out his soul while their

lips yet touched.

9

Now, Hanse had got the rods with no difficulty, as Stepson had promised he would

be able to do, citing Tempus’s control of palace personnel as surety. And

afterwards, the young mercenary’s invitation to come and watch them fight up at

Jubal’s rang in his head until, to banish it, he went out to take a look.

He knew it was foolish to go, for it was foolish even to know, but he knew that

he wanted to be able to say, ‘Yes, I saw. It was wonderful,’ the next time he

saw the young mercenary, so he went very carefully and cautiously. If he were

stopped, he would have all of Stepson’s Sacred Band as witnesses that he had

been at Jubal’s, and nowhere near the palace and its Hall of Judgement.

He knew those excuses were flimsy, but he wanted to go, and he did not want to