Read Online The Brazen Gambit by Lynn Abbey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lynn Abbey
Tags: SF
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rid of him.
The half-giant clamped his great hands on either side of Pavek's skull and began to squeeze.
"Not here!" the interrogator said quickly. "Take him outside. Take him where no one will notice another corpse."
* * *
Pavek wasn't as resigned to death as he thought. His mind was racing as Sassel carried him through the
catacombs to the street. The problem with half-giants wasn't their lack of intelligence, but their single-mindedness. In
Sassel's mind "outside" might be outside the customhouse, or it might be outside the city walls. If it was the latter,
there might still be hope for a battered and bleeding regulator.
"There's no need to get rid of me, Sassel. Take me outside the city walls, and I'll get rid of myself. You'll never see
me again, and neither will anyone else in Urik."
"Not going outside the walls. 'Take him where no one will notice another corpse.' Corpses get noticed outside
the walls. Going to the boneyard. No one will notice another corpse in the boneyard."
One failure: Sassel combined loyalty with his single-mindedness. Pavek tried another tack. "You're not a templar,
Sassel. Only templars can leave corpses at the boneyard without paying the knacker at the gate."
Sassel scratched his beard, leaving only one arm wrapped around his captive's waist. Pavek held still, not
wanting to disturb the half-giant while he thought his way through the complication.
"Sassel has money. Sassel pay. Lord Escrissar pay Sassel again, for obeying orders so well."
"Does Elabon Escrissar always reward Sassel when Sassel obeys his orders?"
"Always. Sassel always obeys his orders, always gets a reward."
"In gold, Sassel?" Pavek said, fighting to keep the desperation from his voice as Sassel started walking again,
carrying him toward the boneyard, which was, in fact, a very good place to lose a corpse, and where the knacker
accepted all donations, no questions asked or coins required. "You've got to pay the knacker with gold, Sassel, if you
want him to keep his mouth shut."
The half-giant stopped short. "Gold? No gold. Sassel has silver, no gold."
"Then Sassel can't obey Elabon Escrissar. Escrissar will be very angry. He'll punish Sassel instead of giving him
a reward, Sassel should listen to Pavek. Sassel should put Pavek down and listen to him."
Half-giants could change their most unswerving loyalty with alarming speed, but Pavek had overplayed his
position.
"Pavek the templar should listen to Sassel. Templar talk nice to the knacker. Templar get Sassel into the boneyard
for nothing."
"Pavek the templar will do nothing of the kind."
"Then Pavek the templar dies right here. Sassel tells a lie to nice Lord Escrissar; Sassel says Pavek's corpse is in
the boneyard. Maybe Lord Escrissar learns the truth tomorrow. Maybe Elabon Escrissar never learns the truth. Sassel
gets reward tonight anyway."
Pavek conceded defeat. He'd never expected deceit worthy of any templar from the mouth of a half-giant. Athas
truly was changing. "But you can't carry me to the boneyard. I can't 'talk nice' to the knacker if I'm tucked under your
arm. He won't listen to me."
The half-giant changed his grip, setting Pavek gently on his feet. "Sassel didn't think of that. Pavek walk now."
Pavek didn't walk; he ran for the shelter of the nearest dark street. He had a twenty-step lead before Sassel
collected his wits.
It wasn't enough time to hide: Sassel had the same low-light advantage over him that Rokka had, but there was
enough time to look for a weapon. The little metal knife wouldn't damage a half-giant. He hoped for something he could
use as a spear or a club, but Urik's scavengers were thorough. The best he saw was a chunk of glazed masonry large
and heavy enough to crack a half-giant's skull if-a big if-he could get close enough to use it effectively. Pavek hid the
masonry behind his back.
Half-giants were too big for Urik's intersections. Sassel had to stop completely before he could enter Pavek's
The half-giant clamped his great hands on either side of Pavek's skull and began to squeeze.
"Not here!" the interrogator said quickly. "Take him outside. Take him where no one will notice another corpse."
* * *
Pavek wasn't as resigned to death as he thought. His mind was racing as Sassel carried him through the
catacombs to the street. The problem with half-giants wasn't their lack of intelligence, but their single-mindedness. In
Sassel's mind "outside" might be outside the customhouse, or it might be outside the city walls. If it was the latter,
there might still be hope for a battered and bleeding regulator.
"There's no need to get rid of me, Sassel. Take me outside the city walls, and I'll get rid of myself. You'll never see
me again, and neither will anyone else in Urik."
"Not going outside the walls. 'Take him where no one will notice another corpse.' Corpses get noticed outside
the walls. Going to the boneyard. No one will notice another corpse in the boneyard."
One failure: Sassel combined loyalty with his single-mindedness. Pavek tried another tack. "You're not a templar,
Sassel. Only templars can leave corpses at the boneyard without paying the knacker at the gate."
Sassel scratched his beard, leaving only one arm wrapped around his captive's waist. Pavek held still, not
wanting to disturb the half-giant while he thought his way through the complication.
"Sassel has money. Sassel pay. Lord Escrissar pay Sassel again, for obeying orders so well."
"Does Elabon Escrissar always reward Sassel when Sassel obeys his orders?"
"Always. Sassel always obeys his orders, always gets a reward."
"In gold, Sassel?" Pavek said, fighting to keep the desperation from his voice as Sassel started walking again,
carrying him toward the boneyard, which was, in fact, a very good place to lose a corpse, and where the knacker
accepted all donations, no questions asked or coins required. "You've got to pay the knacker with gold, Sassel, if you
want him to keep his mouth shut."
The half-giant stopped short. "Gold? No gold. Sassel has silver, no gold."
"Then Sassel can't obey Elabon Escrissar. Escrissar will be very angry. He'll punish Sassel instead of giving him
a reward, Sassel should listen to Pavek. Sassel should put Pavek down and listen to him."
Half-giants could change their most unswerving loyalty with alarming speed, but Pavek had overplayed his
position.
"Pavek the templar should listen to Sassel. Templar talk nice to the knacker. Templar get Sassel into the boneyard
for nothing."
"Pavek the templar will do nothing of the kind."
"Then Pavek the templar dies right here. Sassel tells a lie to nice Lord Escrissar; Sassel says Pavek's corpse is in
the boneyard. Maybe Lord Escrissar learns the truth tomorrow. Maybe Elabon Escrissar never learns the truth. Sassel
gets reward tonight anyway."
Pavek conceded defeat. He'd never expected deceit worthy of any templar from the mouth of a half-giant. Athas
truly was changing. "But you can't carry me to the boneyard. I can't 'talk nice' to the knacker if I'm tucked under your
arm. He won't listen to me."
The half-giant changed his grip, setting Pavek gently on his feet. "Sassel didn't think of that. Pavek walk now."
Pavek didn't walk; he ran for the shelter of the nearest dark street. He had a twenty-step lead before Sassel
collected his wits.
It wasn't enough time to hide: Sassel had the same low-light advantage over him that Rokka had, but there was
enough time to look for a weapon. The little metal knife wouldn't damage a half-giant. He hoped for something he could
use as a spear or a club, but Urik's scavengers were thorough. The best he saw was a chunk of glazed masonry large
and heavy enough to crack a half-giant's skull if-a big if-he could get close enough to use it effectively. Pavek hid the
masonry behind his back.
Half-giants were too big for Urik's intersections. Sassel had to stop completely before he could enter Pavek's
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