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

that had sprung up among his audience, ‘I’m in the middle of a story.’

‘But you don’t understand,’ Hort insisted, ‘she wants to offer you a position in

her court!’

‘No, you don’t understand,’ Hakiem flared back, swelling in his anger without

rising from his seat. ‘I already am employed … and will be employed until this

story is done. These good people have commissioned me to entertain them and I

intend to do just that until they are satisfied. You and your fish-eyed friends

there will just have to wait.’

With that, Hakiem returned his attention to his audience, ignoring Hort’s

discomfiture. The fact that he had not really wished to start this particular

session was unimportant, as was the fact that service with the leader of the

Beysib government-in-exile would undoubtedly be lucrative. Any storyteller, much

less Sanctuary’s best storyteller, did not shirk his professional duty in the

midst of a tale, however tempting the counter-offer might be.

Gone were the days when he would scuttle off as soon as a few coins were tossed

his way. The old storyteller’s pride had grown along with his wealth, and Hakiem

was no more exempt than any other citizen of Sanctuary from the effects of the

Face of Chaos.

HIGH MOON

Janet Morris

Just south of Caravan Square and the bridge over the White Foal River, the

Nisibisi witch had settled in. She had leased the isolated complex – one three

storied ‘manor house’ and its outbuildings -as much because its grounds extended

to the White Foal’s edge (rivers covered a multitude of disposal problems) as