Thieves World 4 – Storm Season by Asprin, Robert

krrf that he had bought, that tunnelled his vision and made his heart feel like

it was starting and stopping by turns, lending an unreality to the whole night,

so that he paused in the middle of the bridge and leaned on the rail, wishing

that he could heave up his insides.

Then he saw the man following-he was sure that he was following, a walker who

had also paused on the bridge a little ways down from him and delayed about some

pretended business.

Sweat broke out afresh on him. He must not seem to see. He pushed himself away

from the rail and started walking again, trying to keep his steps even. The

shanties of Downwind lurched in his view under the moon, closer and closer, like

the crazy pilings of the fishing-dock beside it and the sway and flare of

someone’s lantern near the water below. He found himself walking faster than he

had intended, terror taking over.

Others used the bridge. People came and went, a straggle of them passing him in

the dark, passing his pursuer and still he kept his steady pace. But one of them

had veered into his path and sent his hand twitching after his knife, coming

rapidly toward him.

Moria. His heart turned over as he recognized his sister face to face with him.

“Walk past me,” he hissed at her in desperation. “There’s someone on my track.”

“I’ll get him.”

“No. Just see who it is and keep walking.”

They parted, expert mimery: importunate whore and disgusted stroller. He found

his breath too short, his heartbeat pounding in his ears, trying to keep his

wits about him and to concoct lies Moria would believe, all the while terrified