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

survival, they made more of a fuss over her and the ruined silk than they did

over the escaping Beysib.

‘He won’t get far. Not without any clothes,’ Myrtis assured her, holding up the

discarded turquoise pantaloons.

‘He’ll be bleedin’ naked!’ one of the other women tittered.

Cythen had already learned that the pain was bearable so long as she didn’t try

to talk, so she ignored the chaos of conversation and searched for the panel

that concealed her proper clothes and knife. The Beysib wasn’t naked, she was

sure of that. Somehow he’d managed to exchange his bright silks for dark clothes

such as the Harka Bey had worn. He hadn’t been able to change his boots, though,

and the light leather should be easy to spot – if he wasn’t already safe at the

palace by now. She shoved Ambutta aside and pulled on her own boots.

‘You aren’t going after him, are you? The garrison has men at both ends of the

Street. They’ll have him by now. I’ve already sent for a physician to see you.’

Myrtis reached gently towards Cythen’s battered face, and Cythen warned her away

with an animal growl.

With her hair still loose and glittering, she shoved her way to the door. Maybe

Walegrin really was out there; it would be the first good thing that had

happened. Maybe they had already caught Turghurt. She’d rather have Thrusher

tend her v/ounds than some cathouse doctor. She kicked at the doorman when he

tried to stop her and burst out into the Street.

Although the walls of the Palace were closer, they were more dangerous. She

guessed Turghurt would have gone south past the Bazaar and into the Maze before