Read Online Aftermath- - Thieves World 10 by Robert Asprin, Lynn Abbey - Free Book Online
Authors: Robert Asprin, Lynn Abbey
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, Fiction - Fantasy, Fantasy, Short Stories, Fantasy Fiction; American, Fantasy - General, Fantastic fiction, Fantastic fiction; American
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red streaks. Cade spat on the corpse. This looked like no beast. Hell was
a funny place.
Cade heard the noise behind him, though few others would have. He spun in a crouch, his sword held before him, a throwing dagger already in the palm of the other hand. Who? All nine were taken care of. Slowly, a slight form moved out of the shadows and Cade relaxed"I told you to stay away, Raif."
**I thought you might need some help," the boy answered, looking
•round. He grinned at Cade, though his face was pale. "I guess you
AFTERMATH
"This is no place for you."
Raif bit his lip, darting glimpses at the bodies around him. He slowly sheathed his knife.
"You said you would teach me to be a warrior," he said. He gestured at the dead mercenary. "I've seen death before. Cade." Cade's eyes went dark. He grabbed the boy and pushed him to the ground by the corpse of the Beast. Grabbing the old man's collar, he pulled the corpse up to face the boy.
"This is death," he said, ignoring the still warm fluids sliding down his
wrist. "Look at it, boy, see it for what it is." Raif tried to pull away but
Cade held him firm. The smell of the blood was covered by the horrid stench of the corpse. The bladder and bowels had emptied at death, and their horrid mixture slowly leaked toward Raif's sandaled feet. The split
face smiled at him, its dull eyes seeming to search him out.
"No," Raif gasped, pulling away. He got two steps before he vomited. Cade held the boy while Raif emptied his stomach.
"The life of a warrior is the path of death," Cade whispered in Raif's ear. "This is the truth of it, boy: old men's brains spilling at your feet."
He turned Raif to face the dead mercenary. Cade pointed. "That's where it ends, boy. An arrow in the dark in a dirty warehouse, in a town all decent people have long ago forgotten about. What is so noble, boy, what is so grand about being a warrior?"
"But you're a warrior."
"No, boy, I am no warrior, because I choose not to be. I kill those who need it, or those who deserve it. I kill those I choose, not those others tell
me to. People pay me to kill, Raif. Pay me to do what I was born to do. But don't you realize that I know that I lost my soul because of it?" Raif said nothing, his voice lost in sobs he tried to hold in. Cade clasped the boy to him for a moment, then let go.
"I will teach you to fight, to protect yourself, nothing more. You needn't see this ever again. I will give you the chance to be free of hell
forever." This was the moment: kill the boy now and he would be free. He would find that warm safe world that Cade's mother now danced in. Free him. Free him, his mind chanted.
But Cade could not. It wasn't the risk of being wrong about Raif; he knew the boy was good. It was something else. A chance. Give the boy a chance to lead a life Cade could never have had. The life Targ dreamed of, but his curse kept him from. It was a hard thing to live in hell and dream of heroes.
"Ah, the gentle sounds of lovers' passion," a voice said. Raif leaped and drew his blade but Cade showed no alarm. He walked over to Amuuth and bent down on one knee.
CADE 45
"So," he said, "starting to come out of it?" He rifled through the other's clothes.
Amuuth glared up at him.
"What did you do to me?"
"Thomneft," Cade answered. "Paralyzes you for about ten minutes." Cade withdrew a knife from the other's clothes. The blade was doubleedged and sharp. The handle was abnormally thick, allowing the gang leader to wield the weapon with his crippled fingers. Cade picked up the chair and lifted Amuuth onto it. He moved across the table to stand by Raif.
"You'll come out of it in a moment."
"Why didn't you just kill me?" Amuuth hissed. His face showed no fear. With the black eyes and hawk nose, he looked fierce. Cade could see
why this one was the leader.
"I wanted to talk to you."
"About your brother?" came the quick answer. Cade just lifted an eyebrow. "Oh, I know of you. Cade. The local boy made
a funny place.
Cade heard the noise behind him, though few others would have. He spun in a crouch, his sword held before him, a throwing dagger already in the palm of the other hand. Who? All nine were taken care of. Slowly, a slight form moved out of the shadows and Cade relaxed"I told you to stay away, Raif."
**I thought you might need some help," the boy answered, looking
•round. He grinned at Cade, though his face was pale. "I guess you
AFTERMATH
"This is no place for you."
Raif bit his lip, darting glimpses at the bodies around him. He slowly sheathed his knife.
"You said you would teach me to be a warrior," he said. He gestured at the dead mercenary. "I've seen death before. Cade." Cade's eyes went dark. He grabbed the boy and pushed him to the ground by the corpse of the Beast. Grabbing the old man's collar, he pulled the corpse up to face the boy.
"This is death," he said, ignoring the still warm fluids sliding down his
wrist. "Look at it, boy, see it for what it is." Raif tried to pull away but
Cade held him firm. The smell of the blood was covered by the horrid stench of the corpse. The bladder and bowels had emptied at death, and their horrid mixture slowly leaked toward Raif's sandaled feet. The split
face smiled at him, its dull eyes seeming to search him out.
"No," Raif gasped, pulling away. He got two steps before he vomited. Cade held the boy while Raif emptied his stomach.
"The life of a warrior is the path of death," Cade whispered in Raif's ear. "This is the truth of it, boy: old men's brains spilling at your feet."
He turned Raif to face the dead mercenary. Cade pointed. "That's where it ends, boy. An arrow in the dark in a dirty warehouse, in a town all decent people have long ago forgotten about. What is so noble, boy, what is so grand about being a warrior?"
"But you're a warrior."
"No, boy, I am no warrior, because I choose not to be. I kill those who need it, or those who deserve it. I kill those I choose, not those others tell
me to. People pay me to kill, Raif. Pay me to do what I was born to do. But don't you realize that I know that I lost my soul because of it?" Raif said nothing, his voice lost in sobs he tried to hold in. Cade clasped the boy to him for a moment, then let go.
"I will teach you to fight, to protect yourself, nothing more. You needn't see this ever again. I will give you the chance to be free of hell
forever." This was the moment: kill the boy now and he would be free. He would find that warm safe world that Cade's mother now danced in. Free him. Free him, his mind chanted.
But Cade could not. It wasn't the risk of being wrong about Raif; he knew the boy was good. It was something else. A chance. Give the boy a chance to lead a life Cade could never have had. The life Targ dreamed of, but his curse kept him from. It was a hard thing to live in hell and dream of heroes.
"Ah, the gentle sounds of lovers' passion," a voice said. Raif leaped and drew his blade but Cade showed no alarm. He walked over to Amuuth and bent down on one knee.
CADE 45
"So," he said, "starting to come out of it?" He rifled through the other's clothes.
Amuuth glared up at him.
"What did you do to me?"
"Thomneft," Cade answered. "Paralyzes you for about ten minutes." Cade withdrew a knife from the other's clothes. The blade was doubleedged and sharp. The handle was abnormally thick, allowing the gang leader to wield the weapon with his crippled fingers. Cade picked up the chair and lifted Amuuth onto it. He moved across the table to stand by Raif.
"You'll come out of it in a moment."
"Why didn't you just kill me?" Amuuth hissed. His face showed no fear. With the black eyes and hawk nose, he looked fierce. Cade could see
why this one was the leader.
"I wanted to talk to you."
"About your brother?" came the quick answer. Cade just lifted an eyebrow. "Oh, I know of you. Cade. The local boy made
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