if this were a challenge that must be answered. Walegrin tucked the boss in his
belt-pouch.
“We know it was a Stepson, but we don’t know who,” Walegrin said, though he
suspected the one who had overturned Illyra’s table earlier. “We don’t have time
to run them all to ground, and I don’t think Tempus would let us. Still, if we
had a Stepson hostage or two ourselves, it would be easier-“
“I’ll go with Thrusher. I know where they’re at at this hour,” Cubert asserted.
Cythen nodded agreement.
“Remember, a dead Stepson won’t do us any good. So if you must kill one, hide
the body well-dammit.”
“It’ll be a pleasure,” Cubert grinned.
“See that they get their swords,” Walegrin said as Thrusher led the ex-hawkmasks
from the room. He was alone with Dubro. “Now, you and I will search the back
streets-and hope we find nothing.”
Dubro agreed. For one generally reckoned no smarter than the hammer he used,
Dubro moved well through the darkness, leading Walegrin rather than being led.
The latter had expected him to be a massive hinderence and had kept him apart
from the rest, but Dubro knew blind alleys and exposed basements that no-one
else suspected.
At length they emerged from the Maze to the stinking structures of the chamel
houses. Butchers worked there, gravediggers and undertakers as well. Slippery
mounds of rotting flesh and bones stretched, undisturbed, down to the river. The
gulls and the dogs avoided this place, though the shadows of huge rats could be
seen scurrying over the filth. They had found Rezzel here that morning-and left