possibilities.”
She looked at me. “Well, you seem to be out of danger, and I have better ways to spend my time than to be interrogated by a Jhereg, so you’ll have to excuse me.”
“Hugs and kisses to you, too.”
She gave me a glance and floated out of the room. I carefully sat up, discovered that doing so hurt, and began looking around for my clothing.
“On the little table at the foot of the bed, Boss. You’re going to need a new shirt, and your trousers have some bloodstains.”
“All right. Feel like shopping?”
“Going to buy me something?”
“Like what?”
“Catnip.”
“Catnip? Does catnip affect you? When did you—?”
“Probably not. But I don’t want to eat it myself.”
“Then why—?”
“Bait,” said Loiosh.
“Funny Loiosh. No, but maybe I’ll buy you a set of opposable thumbs.”
“Heh.”
I was starting to lose count of the teleports to and from Castle Black over the last couple of days; but I had another done for me, and then went to South Adrilankha, the Easterners’ quarter, where I replaced a few items of clothing and supped. I stopped by my grandfather’s for a visit, but he was out. I returned to my own area, found a sorcery supply store that was still open, and started to buy a mild painkiller, but then changed my mind and bought a strong one. I also picked up an enchanted dagger because the spells on my own were wearing thin and you never know when you might need a spell in a hurry. The guy at the store explained that the enchantments on the blade were so powerful that three people I’d never heard of had been in awe of it, and so on until I shut him up and bought the thing for half of what he had first asked.
Then I went home, took the painkiller, and started cleaning up the damage to my flat. There were no bodies there, but there were some bloodstains. I resent bloodstains in my home, especially when some of the blood is mine. I became angry all over again. I got rid of the stains by covering them with a rug, then I picked up some furniture that I don’t remember being overturned, and may have done a bit more before the painkillers hit and, apparently, I made it to the bed before falling asleep.
A day in the life.
I woke up sore, moody, and in need of klava. If I ever get really rich, I’m going to hire a servant just to bring me klava in the morning. I managed to rise, make the coffee, and brew a fairly effective pot of klava, into which I poured some cow’s milk and the last of the honey. I made a note to order more ice, no matter
how expensive it was. I should really learn to make my own; cooling and heating spells are supposed to be pretty simple.
I was dressed and working up the energy to leave when someone clapped outside my door. Twice in two days would be stretching the laws of probability, so I wasn’t worried; or, at least, I told myself I wasn’t worried as I picked up a dagger and opened the door.
I didn’t recognize the visitor, but she wore the colors of the House of the Dragon. I might have struck immediately if I hadn’t noticed that she wore Morrolan’s emblem on her shoulder, and if I hadn’t been too stiff to move quickly. She said, “You are—?”
“Baronet Vladimir Taltos, House of the Jhereg.”
“Then this is for you,” she said, handing me a small bag that jingled. “If you’d be so kind as to touch this ring.”
I touched the ring, took the bag, and shut the door as she turned away. I’d forgotten that Morrolan owed me money. I counted it and was pleased.
I thought about treating myself to a cabriolet ride to the office, but I’d be seen, and people would wonder why, and some of them might guess right. I also thought about taking more painkillers, but even a little would make me woozy, and that just won’t do in this business; I had to be as stoic as I’d pretended to be to Aliera the day before.
Bugger.
I took the walk to the office slowly, not noticing much going on around me; when you hurt, too much
She looked at me. “Well, you seem to be out of danger, and I have better ways to spend my time than to be interrogated by a Jhereg, so you’ll have to excuse me.”
“Hugs and kisses to you, too.”
She gave me a glance and floated out of the room. I carefully sat up, discovered that doing so hurt, and began looking around for my clothing.
“On the little table at the foot of the bed, Boss. You’re going to need a new shirt, and your trousers have some bloodstains.”
“All right. Feel like shopping?”
“Going to buy me something?”
“Like what?”
“Catnip.”
“Catnip? Does catnip affect you? When did you—?”
“Probably not. But I don’t want to eat it myself.”
“Then why—?”
“Bait,” said Loiosh.
“Funny Loiosh. No, but maybe I’ll buy you a set of opposable thumbs.”
“Heh.”
I was starting to lose count of the teleports to and from Castle Black over the last couple of days; but I had another done for me, and then went to South Adrilankha, the Easterners’ quarter, where I replaced a few items of clothing and supped. I stopped by my grandfather’s for a visit, but he was out. I returned to my own area, found a sorcery supply store that was still open, and started to buy a mild painkiller, but then changed my mind and bought a strong one. I also picked up an enchanted dagger because the spells on my own were wearing thin and you never know when you might need a spell in a hurry. The guy at the store explained that the enchantments on the blade were so powerful that three people I’d never heard of had been in awe of it, and so on until I shut him up and bought the thing for half of what he had first asked.
Then I went home, took the painkiller, and started cleaning up the damage to my flat. There were no bodies there, but there were some bloodstains. I resent bloodstains in my home, especially when some of the blood is mine. I became angry all over again. I got rid of the stains by covering them with a rug, then I picked up some furniture that I don’t remember being overturned, and may have done a bit more before the painkillers hit and, apparently, I made it to the bed before falling asleep.
A day in the life.
I woke up sore, moody, and in need of klava. If I ever get really rich, I’m going to hire a servant just to bring me klava in the morning. I managed to rise, make the coffee, and brew a fairly effective pot of klava, into which I poured some cow’s milk and the last of the honey. I made a note to order more ice, no matter
how expensive it was. I should really learn to make my own; cooling and heating spells are supposed to be pretty simple.
I was dressed and working up the energy to leave when someone clapped outside my door. Twice in two days would be stretching the laws of probability, so I wasn’t worried; or, at least, I told myself I wasn’t worried as I picked up a dagger and opened the door.
I didn’t recognize the visitor, but she wore the colors of the House of the Dragon. I might have struck immediately if I hadn’t noticed that she wore Morrolan’s emblem on her shoulder, and if I hadn’t been too stiff to move quickly. She said, “You are—?”
“Baronet Vladimir Taltos, House of the Jhereg.”
“Then this is for you,” she said, handing me a small bag that jingled. “If you’d be so kind as to touch this ring.”
I touched the ring, took the bag, and shut the door as she turned away. I’d forgotten that Morrolan owed me money. I counted it and was pleased.
I thought about treating myself to a cabriolet ride to the office, but I’d be seen, and people would wonder why, and some of them might guess right. I also thought about taking more painkillers, but even a little would make me woozy, and that just won’t do in this business; I had to be as stoic as I’d pretended to be to Aliera the day before.
Bugger.
I took the walk to the office slowly, not noticing much going on around me; when you hurt, too much
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