Read Online The Book of Jhereg by Steven Brust - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Steven Brust
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should know,” said Kragar, smirking.
“—and you don’t throw away that kind of power unless you have to.”
“Maybe he lost interest in it,” he said. “Maybe he was just after the thrill of getting to the top, and after he made it, he went after a new thrill.”
“If that’s true,” I remarked, “he’s going to get his thrills, and then some. But doesn’t that go against your He-Planned-It-All-From-the-Start theory?”
“I suppose it does. I’m beginning to get the feeling that we don’t have enough information; all we’re doing is guessing.”
“True enough. So how about if you start collecting the information, eh?”
“Me? Look, Vlad, my boots are in the shop this week getting new soles. Why don’t we hire a flunky and get him to do the legwork for us, okay?”
I told him where he could hire the flunky and what he could have him do.
He sighed. “All right, I’m going. What are you going to be working on?”
I thought for a minute. “A couple of things,” I said. “For one, I’m going to try to think up a good reason for someone to suddenly decide to leave the council in such a way as to get the whole Jhereg down on his ass. Also I’m going to check in with Morrolan’s spy ring and contact some of our own people. I want to dig up as much information as I can, and it wouldn’t hurt to have both of us working on it. After that—I think I’ll visit the Lady Aliera.”
Kragar was about halfway out the door, but as I finished speaking, he stopped and turned around. “Who?” he asked, incredulous.
“Aliera e’Kieron, House of the Dragon, Morrolan’s cous—”
“I know who she is, I just couldn’t believe I heard you straight. Why not ask the Empress, while you’re at it?”
“I have a few questions about this guy that I want to check out, and they’re just the kind of thing she’s good at. Why not? We’ve been friends for quite a while.”
“Boss, she’s a
Dragon
. They don’t
believe
in assassination. They consider it a
crime
. If you go up to her and—”
“Kragar,” I interrupted, “I never said that I was going to go up to her and say, ‘Aliera, I’m trying to assassinate this guy, how would you like to help set him up?’ Give me credit for a little finesse, all right? All we have to do is find some reasonable excuse for her to be interested in Mellar, and she’ll be happy to help out.”
“A ‘reasonable excuse,’ eh? Just out of curiosity, do you have any idea how to find an excuse like that?”
“As a matter of fact,” I said nastily, “I do. Easiest thing in the world. I just give you the assignment.”
“Me? Dammit, Vlad, you’ve already got me working on background, as wellas trying to figure out a nonexistent event to provide an insufficient reason for a vanished Jhereg to do the impossible. I can’t—”
“Sure you can. I have confidence in you.”
“Go suck yendi eggs. How?”
“You’ll think of something.”
5
“
There are dangers in eyesight too keen
.”
T HE ONLY SIGNIFICANT THING that happened the rest of the day was the arrival of a courier from the Demon, along with a rather impressive escort and several large purses. The full sixty-five thousand Imperials. It was official now; I was committed.
I gave Kragar the purses to put into safekeeping, and went home for the day. My wife, I’m sure, knew that something was up, but didn’t ask about it. I had no good reason for not mentioning anything to her, but I didn’t.
The next morning I found a small envelope on my desk. I slit it open and several human, or Dragaeran, hairs fell out. There was also a note which read, “From his pillow.—K.” I destroyed the note and reached out for psionic contact with my wife.
“
Yes, Vlad?
”
“
Are you busy, sweetheart?
”
“
Not really. Just practicing a little knife-throwing
.”
“
Hey! I wish you wouldn’t do that!
”
“
Why not?
”
“
Because you can already beat me seven out of ten times
.”
“
I’m
“—and you don’t throw away that kind of power unless you have to.”
“Maybe he lost interest in it,” he said. “Maybe he was just after the thrill of getting to the top, and after he made it, he went after a new thrill.”
“If that’s true,” I remarked, “he’s going to get his thrills, and then some. But doesn’t that go against your He-Planned-It-All-From-the-Start theory?”
“I suppose it does. I’m beginning to get the feeling that we don’t have enough information; all we’re doing is guessing.”
“True enough. So how about if you start collecting the information, eh?”
“Me? Look, Vlad, my boots are in the shop this week getting new soles. Why don’t we hire a flunky and get him to do the legwork for us, okay?”
I told him where he could hire the flunky and what he could have him do.
He sighed. “All right, I’m going. What are you going to be working on?”
I thought for a minute. “A couple of things,” I said. “For one, I’m going to try to think up a good reason for someone to suddenly decide to leave the council in such a way as to get the whole Jhereg down on his ass. Also I’m going to check in with Morrolan’s spy ring and contact some of our own people. I want to dig up as much information as I can, and it wouldn’t hurt to have both of us working on it. After that—I think I’ll visit the Lady Aliera.”
Kragar was about halfway out the door, but as I finished speaking, he stopped and turned around. “Who?” he asked, incredulous.
“Aliera e’Kieron, House of the Dragon, Morrolan’s cous—”
“I know who she is, I just couldn’t believe I heard you straight. Why not ask the Empress, while you’re at it?”
“I have a few questions about this guy that I want to check out, and they’re just the kind of thing she’s good at. Why not? We’ve been friends for quite a while.”
“Boss, she’s a
Dragon
. They don’t
believe
in assassination. They consider it a
crime
. If you go up to her and—”
“Kragar,” I interrupted, “I never said that I was going to go up to her and say, ‘Aliera, I’m trying to assassinate this guy, how would you like to help set him up?’ Give me credit for a little finesse, all right? All we have to do is find some reasonable excuse for her to be interested in Mellar, and she’ll be happy to help out.”
“A ‘reasonable excuse,’ eh? Just out of curiosity, do you have any idea how to find an excuse like that?”
“As a matter of fact,” I said nastily, “I do. Easiest thing in the world. I just give you the assignment.”
“Me? Dammit, Vlad, you’ve already got me working on background, as wellas trying to figure out a nonexistent event to provide an insufficient reason for a vanished Jhereg to do the impossible. I can’t—”
“Sure you can. I have confidence in you.”
“Go suck yendi eggs. How?”
“You’ll think of something.”
5
“
There are dangers in eyesight too keen
.”
T HE ONLY SIGNIFICANT THING that happened the rest of the day was the arrival of a courier from the Demon, along with a rather impressive escort and several large purses. The full sixty-five thousand Imperials. It was official now; I was committed.
I gave Kragar the purses to put into safekeeping, and went home for the day. My wife, I’m sure, knew that something was up, but didn’t ask about it. I had no good reason for not mentioning anything to her, but I didn’t.
The next morning I found a small envelope on my desk. I slit it open and several human, or Dragaeran, hairs fell out. There was also a note which read, “From his pillow.—K.” I destroyed the note and reached out for psionic contact with my wife.
“
Yes, Vlad?
”
“
Are you busy, sweetheart?
”
“
Not really. Just practicing a little knife-throwing
.”
“
Hey! I wish you wouldn’t do that!
”
“
Why not?
”
“
Because you can already beat me seven out of ten times
.”
“
I’m
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