Read Online The Fall of Ventaris by Neil McGarry, Daniel Ravipinto, Amy Houser - Free Book Online Page A
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sheets. Some want only to be held, others simply want someone who will listen to their woes. Marvis, for example, loves the thrill of the hunt but the prey holds no special interest for him. He loves the idea of love. He comes to the Vermillion not to be fulfilled but to be tantalized: eyes met, words whispered, a stolen touch. The game of romance and not its reality, in so many words. He’s not unusual. Some of my visitors are happy to pay me simply for the pleasure of my company. Which is more than I can say for others.” She glanced at Duchess significantly as she fingered a cluster of orange daylilies.
Duchess reflected that since her own elevation to the Grey Minette had certainly been more forward. She threw up her hands in surrender. “I don’t come empty-handed. You have one of my marks in your desk, and I have another in my pocket for you if you’ll answer two questions.”
“Only two? Well, don’t hold back. Waiting makes my mouth dry and there’s no wine to be had in the Common Gardens.”
“No wine? Did the empire lose a war?”
Minette smiled. “Only with the gods. The radiants felt that spirits served here might induce the wives to do something presumptuous. Of course, some would say this city could use more presumption from its wives. Now, your questions?”
Duchess shifted the basket to her other arm. “I’ve been hearing about someone named Julius, who hangs about the Grieving Bier .” She fiddled with the yarrow, hoping Minette would fill in the rest, but as usual the woman was too wise to fall for such maneuvers, damn her. “He runs a dice game there. Does he own the Bier ?”
Minette laughed. “Good gods, no. He’s made arrangements with the owner to host his game — one of several he owns — but that’s all. Honestly, I can’t imagine how a man as unpleasant as Julius managed to make even that small a deal.” She produced a small pair of garden shears and cut daintily at the daylilies. Duchess imagined that Minette knew quite well how the deal was struck, but she doubted the older woman would tell her for only one mark. “Apparently, there’s been some recent nastiness between him and the Red.”
So Minette already knew about Rosamile’s ring. Duchess resolved that one day she would surprise the wily woman. “I’ve heard lots of nasty things about Julius.” She’d done some fruning since her talk with Antony.
“Julius wouldn’t have it any other way,” Minette said, handing her some of the daylilies. “Even with fruning the trick is determining what’s true and what isn’t.” She smiled enigmatically, and Duchess was amazed that Minette had made even circuitous reference to the Highway. Most of the Shallows believed the madam was Grey, but to Duchess’ knowledge she’d never confirmed that belief...or denied it.
“I heard he and Pete the Pearl had some sort of falling out over one of those games.” Pete owned the largest circle of floating games in Rodaas, which moved like some traveling circus amongst the winesinks and alehouses of the lower city. In addition, he was rumored to own a great deal of property in nearly every district, and was reportedly in the highest echelons of the Grey, if that fellowship had echelons. Duchess still wasn’t clear on the hierarchy of the order she’d joined, although if the Uncle were to be believed, there was somewhere a secret leader of the Grey. Not that Minette would confirm or deny that , either.
Minette chuckled. “My dear, to have had a falling out with Pete, Julius would need to have first fallen in . However, there was some difficulty there that’s really not important” – Duchess was sure it was – “but after some byplay Pete had unloaded a lesser game on a man desperate enough to take it.”
“Then Julius is all bark?”
“Oh, he can bite, certainly. He’d not have his position if he were utterly toothless. But a man who brags about an entanglement with Antony is barking entirely too
Duchess reflected that since her own elevation to the Grey Minette had certainly been more forward. She threw up her hands in surrender. “I don’t come empty-handed. You have one of my marks in your desk, and I have another in my pocket for you if you’ll answer two questions.”
“Only two? Well, don’t hold back. Waiting makes my mouth dry and there’s no wine to be had in the Common Gardens.”
“No wine? Did the empire lose a war?”
Minette smiled. “Only with the gods. The radiants felt that spirits served here might induce the wives to do something presumptuous. Of course, some would say this city could use more presumption from its wives. Now, your questions?”
Duchess shifted the basket to her other arm. “I’ve been hearing about someone named Julius, who hangs about the Grieving Bier .” She fiddled with the yarrow, hoping Minette would fill in the rest, but as usual the woman was too wise to fall for such maneuvers, damn her. “He runs a dice game there. Does he own the Bier ?”
Minette laughed. “Good gods, no. He’s made arrangements with the owner to host his game — one of several he owns — but that’s all. Honestly, I can’t imagine how a man as unpleasant as Julius managed to make even that small a deal.” She produced a small pair of garden shears and cut daintily at the daylilies. Duchess imagined that Minette knew quite well how the deal was struck, but she doubted the older woman would tell her for only one mark. “Apparently, there’s been some recent nastiness between him and the Red.”
So Minette already knew about Rosamile’s ring. Duchess resolved that one day she would surprise the wily woman. “I’ve heard lots of nasty things about Julius.” She’d done some fruning since her talk with Antony.
“Julius wouldn’t have it any other way,” Minette said, handing her some of the daylilies. “Even with fruning the trick is determining what’s true and what isn’t.” She smiled enigmatically, and Duchess was amazed that Minette had made even circuitous reference to the Highway. Most of the Shallows believed the madam was Grey, but to Duchess’ knowledge she’d never confirmed that belief...or denied it.
“I heard he and Pete the Pearl had some sort of falling out over one of those games.” Pete owned the largest circle of floating games in Rodaas, which moved like some traveling circus amongst the winesinks and alehouses of the lower city. In addition, he was rumored to own a great deal of property in nearly every district, and was reportedly in the highest echelons of the Grey, if that fellowship had echelons. Duchess still wasn’t clear on the hierarchy of the order she’d joined, although if the Uncle were to be believed, there was somewhere a secret leader of the Grey. Not that Minette would confirm or deny that , either.
Minette chuckled. “My dear, to have had a falling out with Pete, Julius would need to have first fallen in . However, there was some difficulty there that’s really not important” – Duchess was sure it was – “but after some byplay Pete had unloaded a lesser game on a man desperate enough to take it.”
“Then Julius is all bark?”
“Oh, he can bite, certainly. He’d not have his position if he were utterly toothless. But a man who brags about an entanglement with Antony is barking entirely too
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