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

break her horror-struck fascination with Niko’s broken, blood-streaked body. The

tears and shrieks of terror she had resolutely concealed from her own people

could not be withheld from this insignificant drylander.

Divine Mother, she repeated, this time a prayer as the silent undertow swept her

back toward incapacitating fear. Help me!

The downward surge was broken by the soft strength of Mother Bey cradling her

mortal daughter. Shupansea felt her pulse quicken as the goddess’ vitality

flowed within her own envenomed blood. She ascended through the Aspects: Girl,

Maiden, Mother and Crone, to Sisterhood, then broke through to Self-ness. She

blinked and stared across the room again.

“He yet lives,” the Presence said to her, and through her to the still-silent

assembly. “The mortal soul survives.”

Shupansea took long, gliding steps toward Niko. Tempus moved away from his self

assigned post at Niko’s side in a slow, graceful fury, determined to stop her.

She paused and stared-seeing him clearly for the first time: this nearly

supernatural man now spiritually naked and silently invoking the names of puny,

man-shaped gods. She lifted a finger of Power but was spared its use when

Another reached out to restrain him.

“That’s the snake-bitch goddess within her,” Jinan hissed, getting a handful of

Tempus’s biceps and squeezing it hard.

The Beysa reached out to catch a drop of Niko’s blood in the curve of her long

fingernail, then brought it to her lips. Blood was sacred to Mother Bey. She

savored the taste of it and absorbed all it told about Niko, his rest-place, and