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

older than thirteen, said as she daubed a line of kohl under Cythen’s eyes.

‘What?’ Cythen jerked away in anger, her stance becoming that of a fighter,

despite the silk.

‘You were bathing,’ the child-woman explained, twirling the brush in the inky

powder, ‘and men do not come upstairs by day.’

‘All right, then, give it to me now.’ She held out her hand.

‘It was spoken only, from your friend Walegrin. He says two more fish-folk have

been found murdered: Actually it’s three -another was found at low tide – but

the message came before that. One of them was a cousin to the Beysa herself. The

garrison is ordered to produce the culprit, or any culprit, by dawn or the

executions will begin. They will kill as many each noon as fish-folk who have

already died. Tomorrow they’ll kill thirteen – by venom.’

Though the room was warm and draughtless, Cythen felt a chill. ‘Was that all?’

‘No, Walegrin said Turghurt is horny.’

The chill became a finger of ice along her spine. She did not resist as Ambutta

moved closer to finish applying the kohl. She saw her face in the mirror and

recognized herself as the frightened girl beside the wise Ambutta.

The hours wore on after Ambutta left her. Two knobs had burnt off the hour

candle and none had come to her door. The music and laughter that were the

normal sounds of an evening at the Aphrodisia House grated on her ears as she

listened for the telltale accent that would betray the presence of the fish

folk, whatever common Ilsigi or Rankan name Myrtis gave them.

Couples walked noisily past her closed door; women already settled for the