Thieves World 4 – Storm Season by Asprin, Robert

encountered something soft. He leaped awkwardly aside to avoid stepping into the

contents of a honeypot which someone had emptied into the street to stink and

steam, until the rain washed it into the city’s underground maze of sewers and

it was carried off by the tide. He had been into those tunnels once, on a dare,

through an entry shaft near the Vulgar Unicorn. He wondered if it were still

there….

What am I doing, getting sentimental about Sanctuary/ thought Lalo as he

inspected the sole of his sandal to see if any ordure remained. I must have had

more wine than I thought! He had heard that in Ranke, armies of street cleaners

scoured the streets every night to rid the city of the refuse of the day. …

He remembered the flatteries of Lord Raxi-mander and that strange man, Zanderei,

and he remembered the days when his one desire had been to get out of Sanctuary.

It seemed to him that his life had consisted of cycles in which he dreamed of

escape, found new hope for life in Sanctuary, discovered that his hope was

unjustified, and began to plan flight once more.

This last time, when he had found that if he stuck to mythological subjects and

chose his models carefully he could turn Enas Yorl’s gift to a blessing, he had

been sure that his troubles were over. But now here he was, bewailing his fate

again.

I should have learned better by now … he thought morosely, but what is there

to Jearn? Wii] anything but death stop this wheel or make it take a different

path?

Houses leaned close together above him now, cutting off the sky. In some of the