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

would let him pound the quarry into gory mud.

Straton and his partner, dragging the first unfortunate between them, came up,

full of thanks and victory:’… finally got one, alive. Janni, how’s yours?’

The one he held at crossbow-point was quiet, submissive, a Sanctuarite, he

thought, until Straton lit a torch. Then they saw a slave’s face, dark and arch

like Nisibisi’s were, and Straton’s partner spoke for the first time: ‘That’s

Haught, the slave-bait.’ Critias moved forward, torch in hand. ‘Hello, pretty.

We’d thought you’d run or died. We’ve lots to ask you, puppy, and nothing we’d

rather do tonight …’ As Crit moved in and Janni stepped back, Janni was

conscious that Niko and his prisoner had fallen silent.

Then the slave, amazingly, straightened up and raised its head, reaching within

its jerkin. Janni levered his bow, but the hand came out with a crumpled paper

in it, and this he held forth, saying: ‘She

freed me. She said this says so. Please … I know nothing, but that she’s freed

me …’

Crit snatched the feathered parchment from him, held it squinting in the torch’s

light. ‘That’s right, that’s what it says here.’ He rubbed his jaw; then stepped

forward. The slave flinched, his handsome face turned away. Crit pulled out the

bolts that held him pinned, grunting; no blood followed; Straton’s quarrels

penetrated clothing only; the slave crouched down, unscathed but incapacitated

by his fear. ‘Come as a free man, then, and talk to us. We won’t hurt you, boy.

Talk and you can go.’

Niko, then, intruded, his prisoner beside him, his horse following close behind.