Thieves World 8 – Soul of the City by Asprin, Robert

favors done and yet to be done.”

“Ahem. Tempus, will you introduce me? It’s my palace, after all,” the emperor

growled, bluffing annoyance, straining for composure, and casting covetous

glances at the horses- if such they were-which stood at parade rest in their

traces, ears pricked forward, just a bit of steam issuing from their nostrils.

“Favors,” Theron murmured, “done and yet to be done….”

“Theron, Emperor of Ranke, General of the Armies and so forth, meet Abarsis,

Slaughter Priest, former High Priest of Vashanka, former-“

“Former living ally,” Abarsis cut in, smooth as a whetted blade, “and ally

still, Theron. We’ve a problem, and it lies in Sanctuary. Speaking through

priests is a matter for gods; my mandate is different. Tempus, whom we both

love, must listen to gods, not priests, but on this occasion, I am… well

equipped…” His grin flashed as it had once in life: “… to interpret.” Then

he shifted and his gaze caught Tempus’s and held: “The message is: the globes of

Nisibisi power must be destroyed; all the gods will rejoice when it is done.

Destroyed in Sanctuary, where there are tortured souls of yours and mine to be

released. The favor is: grant Niko’s wish in a matter of children … yours and

Ours.”

Ours? There was no mistaking the upper-case tone Abarsis had used-a tone

reserved for deific matters and one word ‘spoken by the dead High Priest of

Vashanka who had come so far to utter it. Liking the smell of things less and

less, Tempus took a step backward and sat upon the table’s edge, thinking, For