Read Online Liar's Moon by Elizabeth C. Bunce - Free Book Online Page B

seems to be helping!” Durreldidn’t answer, and I didn’t know what else to say, so we stood there, with the door between us, a long, stupid moment. Durrel finally broke the silence, moving back to where I could see him. “I see you’ve met my neighbor, Temus,” he said, gesturing at the stain on my arm.
    “He has good aim. He should talk to the guards about being released for the wars.”
    Durrel smiled faintly. “What’sthat?” He nodded toward my basket, where I had the shirt I’d bought from Grillig.
    “Oh. It’s — here.” I handed it up, and watched as he shook out the now-wrinkled linen, took in the mended patch in the sleeve and the slightly worn hemline.
    “I was going to bring you one of Rat’s, but he only has nice things,” I said. “This one, well, I thought it would be less of a shame if it got —”
    “Befouled?”
    “Something like that.”
    Without hesitation, Durrel stripped off his own filthy shirt and shook the clean one over his head. I could see the lines of his ribs, the points of his narrow shoulders, a taut belly that barely held his trunk hose on — he looked like he’d been a prisoner here longer than a fortnight. Weren’t they feeding him at all ? Or was it life with Talth thathad wasted him?
    “Who’s Rat?” he said, coming up for air. The new shirt was far too large; I had guessed him at a bigger man.
    “My, uh, roommate,” I said, and, for something to say, so I didn’t keep staring at his too-thin body, I explained about Rat’s skills at acquiring the exotic and rare.
    “Sounds like a useful fellow,” he said. His voice was warming up, a cheerfulness creepinginto it now that seemed all wrong, somehow. He leaned his head back and took in a deep breath of stagnant, stinking air, as if it were fresh and breezy as a spring meadow. “You’re a miracle,” he said. “You have no idea how good it feels to get into something clean. ”
    And why was I the one bringing it, and not his father? “I should have brought you a razor,” I said instead.
    He gave a mirthlesslaugh, so harsh and quick it startled me. “I’m supposed to have a beard, aren’t I?” he said, his voice bitter. “I’m mourning my dead wife.” He dropped his hands and turned from me, pacing away from the door.
    “I went to Bal Marse,” I said, and he halted, turning back.
    “Bal Marse! But why?”
    “I want to help you. I thought I might find something.”
    His drawn face turned curious.“And did you?”
    “It’s been stripped bare.” I explained about the missing furniture, the empty rooms, the open gates and door. “The place is abandoned.”
    “I don’t understand,” he said. “Why —”
    “Barris said the property came to you on Talth’s death. Is that true?”
    “Wait — you talked to Barris?” He sounded alarmed. “Celyn, hold on. What are you up to?” I looked at him impatiently,until he finally sighed. “Fine. Yes, technically I did inherit Talth’s house in the city. But since I’ve been in here since she died, I really have no idea what’s going on with it. Her family probably came in and took away anything that wasn’t strapped down. That would be like them.” He resumed pacing. The ceiling was so low in places he had to stoop. “And there was nothing there? No files, noledgers or records?” When I shook my head, he continued. “I’ve been thinking maybe the murder had something to do with her business dealings, but that’s probably just the captivity talking.”
    “No, it seems likely,” I said. “What kind of business are we talking about?”
    “Well, the Ceid shipping business, primarily, but Talth also owned some properties in the city. Houses to let, or something.I really wouldn’t know. She wasn’t that . . . receptive to the idea of my participation in her work. She liked to say I was just —” He stopped abruptly, his face clouded. “Just the studhorse .”
    I winced. The implication was obvious; the Decath were famous for their