Read Online The Book of Jhereg by Steven Brust - Free Book Online

allowed me to seat her and made a quick glance around the office. Her eyes clicked from one place to another, making notes of significant items. Thiswasn’t surprising; she’d taught me how to do it. On the other hand, I suspected that she was looking for different things than I would be.
    She favored me with a smile.
    “Thanks for coming, Kiera,” I said, as warmly as I could.
    “Glad to,” she said softly. “Nice office.”
    “Thanks. How’s business been?”
    “Not hurting, Vlad. I haven’t had any contract jobs in a while, but I’ve been doing all right on my own. How about you?”
    I shook my head.
    “What is it, problems?” she asked, genuinely concerned.
    “I went and got greedy again.”
    “Uh, oh. I know what that means. Somebody offered something too big to pass up, eh? And you couldn’t resist, so you’re in over your head, right?”
    “Something like that.”
    She slowly shook her head. Loiosh interrupted, then, flapping over to her and landing on her shoulder. She renewed their acquaintance, scratching under his chin. “The last time that happened,” she said after a while, “you found yourself fighting an Athyra wizard, right in his own castle, as I recall. That kind of thing isn’t healthy, Vlad.”
    “I know, I know. But remember: I won.”
    “With help.”
    “Well . . . yes. One can always use a little help.”
    “Always,” she agreed. “Which, I imagine, brings us to this. It must be something big, or you wouldn’t have wanted to meet here.”
    “Perceptive as always,” I said. “Not only big, but nasty. I can’t risk anyone catching wind of this. I’m hoping no one saw you come in; I can’t risk being seen with you and having certain parties guess that I’m letting you in on what’s going on.”
    “No one saw me come in,” she said.
    I nodded. I knew her. If she said no one had seen her, I had no reason to doubt it.
    “But,” she continued, “what are your own people going to say when they find you’ve been meeting me in your own office? They’ll think you’ve finally gone ‘into the jungle,’ you know.” She was smiling lightly; baiting me. She knew her reputation.
    “No problem,” I said. “I’ll just let it slip that we’ve been lovers for years.”
    She laughed. “Now there’s an idea, Vlad! We should have thought of that cycles ago!”
    This time I laughed. “Then what would
your
friends say? Kiera the Thief, consorting with an Easterner? Tut, tut.”
    “They won’t say anything,” she said flatly. “I have a friend who does ‘work.’”
    “Speaking of which—”
    “Right. To business. I take it you want something stolen.”
    I nodded. “Do you know of a certain Lord Mellar, House Jhereg? I think he’s officially a count, or a duke, or some such.”
    Her eyes widened, slightly. “Going after big game, aren’t you, Vlad? You certainly
are
in over your head. I know him, all right. I’ve helped him out a couple of times.”
    “Not recently!” I said, with a sudden sinking feeling.
    She looked at me quizzically, but didn’t ask what I meant. “No, not in the last few months. It wasn’t anything big, any of the times. Just sort of an exchange of favors; you know how it goes.”
    I nodded, quite relieved. “He isn’t a friend, or anything, is he?”
    She shook her head. “No. We just did a few things for each other. I don’t owe him.”
    “Good. And speaking of owing, by the way . . .” I placed a purse on my desk in front of her. It held five hundred gold Imperials. She didn’t touch it yet, of course. “How would you like to have me owe you still another favor?”
    “I’m always happy to have you in my debt,” she said lightly. “What does he have that you want?”
    “Any of a number of things. A piece of clothing would be good. Hair would be excellent. Anything that has a long association with him.”
    She shook her head once more, in mock sadness. “More of your Eastern witchcraft, Vlad?”
    “I’m afraid