Read Online Jimmy the Hand by Raymond E. Feist, S. M. Stirling - Free Book Online Page A

‘Must I go into detail?’ he
asked wearily. ‘Remember where you were, gentlemen, when my men
requested your presence here.’ He watched that sink in. This
time glances were exchanged from the corners of their eyes.
    What fools
these men are! He held most of their breed in contempt, but the
three sitting before him now were particularly noxious. Tuney and
Fleet had indulgences of which they were ashamed, which made them
vulnerable. Varney had a profitable sideline selling young women and
boys as slaves to Kesh, drugging them and smuggling them out in
secret compartments on his ships. Once his usefulness was at an end
del Garza thought it would be a blessing to the Kingdom to end his
business. Slavery, except for prisoners of the Crown, was outlawed in
the Kingdom.
    Perhaps I’ll
sell him to Great Kesh. That should certainly provide some amusement. As for the others, they were just shallow men with foolish
peccadilloes. One liked to be spanked by pretty women, the other
liked to pretend he was a pretty woman. They harmed no one but
themselves. I’m almost grateful to them, and to Radburn for
keeping such conveniently complete files. Seeing the key members
of the Guild in twos and threes over the next few days would bring
them nicely to heel.
    ‘That
certainly puts things in a new light,” Fleet said grimly. He
glanced at his two companions; none needed to say anything; they all
knew del Garza was in possession of information that would ruin them,
and in Varney’s case, send him to the gallows.
    After a moment’s
silence del Garza said impatiently: ‘And by this new light can
you see your way clear to supporting my decrees? After all, Baron
Radburn will be returning soon. I assure you he will be far less
concerned with the Guild’s position on these matters than I
am.’
    ‘I . . .
believe so,’ said Tuney.
    ‘Good.
Then I can count on all of your votes?’ Del Garza stared at
them until each one of them had nodded and mumbled an affirmative.
‘Excellent! I won’t keep you further, gentlemen.’
He gave them a bland smile as he took a document from a pile to his
left and placed it before him. ‘Enjoy the rest of your
evening.’
    He rang a small
hand-bell and the door to the office opened. A guard waited without.
Del Garza turned his attention to the document, apparently unaware of
their existence.
    The three
merchants looked at one another in disbelief. They were not
accustomed to being dismissed like that. As they rose from their
seats they dared to cast upon del Garza’s down-turned head the
kind of looks that promised evil reprisal.
    The acting
governor timed the scene, so that when he looked up he caught those
expressions, and smiled. The threat in that smile was much more
powerful, and they knew it.

    ‘Oyez,
oyez,’ the crier intoned.
    Jimmy the Hand
stopped in the shadows of a doorway, carefully inconspicuous. A
man-at-arms in black and gold accompanied the crier, and his eyes
were objectionably active. Two days had passed since his trip to the
sewers with Noxious Neville and Larry the Ear, but he’d only
just cast off the mild case of the runs that had followed, and he was
in no mood to be chased.
    ‘By the
proclamation of the acting governor of the City of Krondor, the
following changes have been made to current law: Street prostitution
will now be considered a crime equal to robbery and burglary, and for
which the same penalties will apply. All bawdy houses and brothels in
the city must obtain Crown licence to operate. Begging has also been
declared a crime and will now be punished with no less than fifty
lashes.’
    He went on to
the formal conclusion of ‘by my hand this day of’ and so
on, but Jimmy had ceased listening.
    Licensing the
brothels meant the Duke’s agents and soldiers would be
searching the buildings and registering the girls. That was not
important.
    But burglary and
robbery were hanging offences and fifty lashes would kill any but the
strongest of men. He drew back into