with Frax and came back an hour or so later, alone. By then, about half of the
patrons had departed Sly’s Place, in various stages of inebriation. Avenestra
went to the bar for a beer, specifying lots of foam, and approached that table
by the wall.
“You a Bey behind that veil?” she asked, licking at the foam boiling above her
blue-glazed mug.
“No,” the blue-green veil said. “I’m Ahdio’s girl. Just came in tonight to watch
him work. Sure knows how to settle fights, doesn’t he?”
“Uh-huh.” Avenestra licked foam. “You sure better treat him right, Ahdio’s gurl.
He sure does have friends.” And she moved off. Less than three-quarters of an
hour later, she left with another man.
“I’d say she’s about fourteen,” the veiled Jodeera quietly murmured to Wints.
“About,” Wints said.
“One more round before closing!” Ahdio called. “One, I say one more round and
that’s it. How about savin’ wear and tear on our legs and puttin’ hands in the
air, dear friends?”
Wintsenay’s hand went up, with many others. Ahdio and Throde went to work moving
fast. No, Throde told his employer, he had not heard the veiled lady’s voice.
“Just drink this one right down, Wints,” his hooded and veiled employer said.
“When the last of these scum is leaving, you leave too. I’m staying.”
“Milady …”
“Just get up and amble out with the last of them, Wintsenay.”
“Yes’m.”
The last round was served, and quaffed. More men left. Ouleh was long gone. The
veiled lady had long since become the only woman in the place. Keeping an eye on
her without seeming to, Ahdio announced closing. Throde went into the back room