Thieves World 5 – The Face of Chaos by Asprin, Robert

left her sword in Walegrin’s care and made her way to the Street. It was nearing

dusk by the time she got there and some of the poorer, more worn women, who did

not dwell in any of the major establishments, were already on the prowl, though

the Aphrodisia was not yet open for business. One of them jeered at her as she

climbed the steps to the carved doors: ‘They won’t take your type there,

soldier-girl.’

She stood there uncomfortably, ignoring the comments from the street below and

remembering why she always came in the morning. The doorman recognized her,

however, and at length the doors swung open to her. The downstairs was beginning

to come to life with music and women dressed in brilliant, flower-coloured

dresses. Cythen watched them as the doorman guided her to the little room where

Myrtis was getting ready for the evening herself.

‘I had not expected to see you again,’ Myrtis said softly, rising from her

dressing table and discreetly closing the account book, which crowded out the

cosmetic bottles. ‘Your note said your meeting did not go well. You had not

mentioned returning here.’

‘The meeting didn’t go well.’ Cythen eyed Myrtis’s smooth, clenched white hands

as she spoke. There was a barely perceptible nervousness in the madam’s voice

and a barely perceptible rippling to the edge of the table rug beneath the

account books. Both could have any number of benign explanations, but Cythen had

brought Bekin here expecting, and paying for, her sister’s safety. Myrtis had

not provided the services she had been paid for and Cythen’s vengeance could be