Read Online Dzur by Steven Brust - Free Book Online

may be bumping heads with them over South Adrilankha."
    "Ah. I see. When did this come up?"
    "A few hours ago. I got a, uh, request."
    "And you've already been attacked? By a sorceress?"
    "Yes."
    "What happened? How did the attack take place?"
    "I don't know, a spell of some kind." I shrugged. "Lady Teldra handled it."
    She frowned. "Lady Teldra? But I heard she-"
    I tapped the weapon. I kept expecting Kiera to know things she couldn't, even though she did.
    She nodded. "Ah. Yes, that's right. I heard something about that."
    "In any case, I find that I need to know more about the Left Hand than I do. One way or another, I seem to be involved with them." She nodded. "I wish I could tell you more." She frowned. "Well, as you said, the attack on you may have simply been hired, by the Council. You know the Left Hand does that."
    "Yes, I know. It's possible. Only the Council wants it Morganti." She shuddered. "Yes, that's true. And, so far as I know, there's no way to achieve that effect with sorcery."
    "I'm sure some Athyra somewhere is working on it."
    "No doubt. But in the meantime, we'll assume it wasn't at the order of the Council."
    I liked it that she'd said "we." That was first hopeful thing I'd heard in some time. A lovely word, "we."
    Tukku finally showed up, and set something recently dead on a table in the corner. My familiars flew over and began eating. I hadn't mentioned anything about them being hungry to either Sethra or Kiera, and I hadn't seen Tukko. Sometimes I wonder about these people.
    Then he asked us if we wanted anything. "No, thank you, Chaz," said Kiera. I asked for wine. He shuffled off.
    "The Left Hand," she said softly, almost under her breath. "I've tried to stay away from them, you know."
    "Me, too," I muttered.
    "They began recently, as I understand it. That is, recently in terms of Imperial history. Perhaps in the Fourteenth Athyra Reign, when sorcery took such large leaps, and when the Jheregthe Right Hand, if you wouldwas relatively impoverished." I nodded, and listened.
    "Five women, sorceresses, started it. The odd thing is, they were not women associated with the Organization before, as far as I know."
    "Interesting."
    "Yes. Why women? I don't really know. I'm inclined to think it was more than coincidence, but I've never heard a good explanation for what else it could be."
    Tukko showed up, set a glass of wine down next to me, and
    "Moreover," she continued, "they were not Jhereg. I mean, not only were they not in the Organization, they weren't even in the House."
    "Eh?"
    "I believe two were Athyra, two were Dragons, one a Dzur."
    "But-"
    "All thrown out of their Houses, of course, once their activities were discovered."
    "And, what, they bought Jhereg titles?"
    She nodded. "They'd been working together, studying, and so on, and their work led them into illegal areas. Pre-Empire sorcery, and a few other things the Empire isn't fond of."
    "And they weren't arrested?"
    "They were. And tried. That's mostly how I know about it, it was a very famous trial."
    "Well?"
    She shrugged. "The Empire was unable to prove their guilt, they were unable to prove their innocence. So they were all expelled from their respective Houses, and were given various punishments from branding to flogging. Of course, without proof of guilt, they could not be put to death."
    "Right. And so, they just went back to work?"
    "One of the Athyra, the leader, I believe, suggested they join House Jhereg, and tried to interest the higher-ups in the idea that there was money to be made in illegal sorcery. Those who ran the Jhereg weren't interested, but she kept trying until she died. Then-"
    "Died? How, exactly?"
    "Indigestion."
    "Uh huh. Arranged by whom?"
    "No one. It really was just indigestion."
    "You're kidding."
    "Not at all. Chronic indigestion, of all the deaths there are, and no other."
    "If you say so."
    "I do. And, after she died-"
    "Let me guess: The remaining four gave up on joining the Jhereg, and just set up on