Read Online Warlock's Shadow by Stephen Deas - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stephen Deas
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demonstration! And then after that, they were going to teach him! The best sword-monks in the whole world and they were going to teach him! Him! He couldn’t sit still.
Maybe she was actually a boy who happened to look a bit like a girl. They wouldn’t really make him train with a girl, would they?
‘I’ll give up, shall I?’ grumbled Master Sy. He didn’t sound angry. If anything, he was almost smiling, something Berren rarely got to see. ‘No, no, you’re right. You go ahead and stare at pretty girls. I suppose you deserve it. We did very well out of His Highness’s stay here.’ The thief-taker patted his pocket. ‘I’ve got a handful of silver crowns for you. Our prince certainly pays better than Justicar Kol ever did, and the justicar, when he bothers to get here, owes me a purse too.’ His almost-smile turned into a full grin. ‘And with half the city’s thief-takers on bodyguard duty for the last few months, I’m sure Kol’s got a nice backlog of bounties that need sorting out. He’s probably pissing himself thinking that we’re all going to retire or else spend the next few months in our cups while the city goes to rats.’ The thief-taker lifted his teacup. He closed Berren’s fingers around the other cup and lifted Berren’s hand into the air between them. Then he touched the two cups together. ‘Here’s to us then, lad. The best thief-takers in the city. What shall it be this time? There’s goods going missing in the sea-docks again.’ There were always goods going missing in the sea-docks. Ever since one of the harbour-masters had tried to have them both killed, Master Sy had taken to watching them all. Every one of them had their fingers in something.
Berren shook his head. ‘Can we do something else? I’m bored of the docks and they all still think it was one of us who murdered that fat bastard VenDormen.’
‘They do.’ For a moment, Master Sy smiled again. ‘Don’t you find that very useful? Makes them all nicely scared of us.’
‘Makes them keep their mouths shut too.’
‘Some of them.’ The thief-taker shrugged. ‘There have been barges robbed down at the river docks. Whole cargoes vanishing in the night.’
‘Mudlarks,’ sniffed Berren. ‘Kol just wants an excuse to send you over there with some of his soldiers to burn them out again.’
‘Probably.’
‘What about whoever it was who tried to break into the prince’s rooms, eh? Isn’t there a reward up for that?’
Master Sy snorted. ‘Won’t be from Kol. He doesn’t usually worry too much about people getting murdered. Things getting stolen, that’s more his interest. There’s been some curious stuff showing up in the night markets of late. A few wagoners getting a little too rich. Velgian tells me they even had Taki black powder. Maybe we’ll start there.’
‘But no one else even saw what happened!’ Berren had a picture clear in his mind. A silhouette in the scent garden of the Watchman’s Arms. Short with two swords slung across his back, almost exactly like a sword-monk.
‘Lad, that’s trouble of the worst sort. Best you keep out of it.’ Which was the thief-taker’s way of saying he was already thinking about it. ‘I tell you what interests me: someone broke into the courthouse a while back. Killed two guards and stole some papers. Kol’s paying well to get whoever did it. Very well.’
Berren shrugged. He was just the apprentice, after all. He wasn’t sure he cared what they did. He’d be stuck in the temple learning letters and swords for however long the sword-monks were here anyway. Master Sy could go and do what he liked.
Learning swords from a girl. He shuddered.
The thief-taker wasn’t smiling now. If anything he was looking angry. Outside, across the square in the Temple of the Sun, the noon bells started to ring, calling the faithful to prayer. ‘No.’ Master Sy shook his head. ‘Best leave that one well alone.’
Berren shrugged again. ‘What if it was a
Maybe she was actually a boy who happened to look a bit like a girl. They wouldn’t really make him train with a girl, would they?
‘I’ll give up, shall I?’ grumbled Master Sy. He didn’t sound angry. If anything, he was almost smiling, something Berren rarely got to see. ‘No, no, you’re right. You go ahead and stare at pretty girls. I suppose you deserve it. We did very well out of His Highness’s stay here.’ The thief-taker patted his pocket. ‘I’ve got a handful of silver crowns for you. Our prince certainly pays better than Justicar Kol ever did, and the justicar, when he bothers to get here, owes me a purse too.’ His almost-smile turned into a full grin. ‘And with half the city’s thief-takers on bodyguard duty for the last few months, I’m sure Kol’s got a nice backlog of bounties that need sorting out. He’s probably pissing himself thinking that we’re all going to retire or else spend the next few months in our cups while the city goes to rats.’ The thief-taker lifted his teacup. He closed Berren’s fingers around the other cup and lifted Berren’s hand into the air between them. Then he touched the two cups together. ‘Here’s to us then, lad. The best thief-takers in the city. What shall it be this time? There’s goods going missing in the sea-docks again.’ There were always goods going missing in the sea-docks. Ever since one of the harbour-masters had tried to have them both killed, Master Sy had taken to watching them all. Every one of them had their fingers in something.
Berren shook his head. ‘Can we do something else? I’m bored of the docks and they all still think it was one of us who murdered that fat bastard VenDormen.’
‘They do.’ For a moment, Master Sy smiled again. ‘Don’t you find that very useful? Makes them all nicely scared of us.’
‘Makes them keep their mouths shut too.’
‘Some of them.’ The thief-taker shrugged. ‘There have been barges robbed down at the river docks. Whole cargoes vanishing in the night.’
‘Mudlarks,’ sniffed Berren. ‘Kol just wants an excuse to send you over there with some of his soldiers to burn them out again.’
‘Probably.’
‘What about whoever it was who tried to break into the prince’s rooms, eh? Isn’t there a reward up for that?’
Master Sy snorted. ‘Won’t be from Kol. He doesn’t usually worry too much about people getting murdered. Things getting stolen, that’s more his interest. There’s been some curious stuff showing up in the night markets of late. A few wagoners getting a little too rich. Velgian tells me they even had Taki black powder. Maybe we’ll start there.’
‘But no one else even saw what happened!’ Berren had a picture clear in his mind. A silhouette in the scent garden of the Watchman’s Arms. Short with two swords slung across his back, almost exactly like a sword-monk.
‘Lad, that’s trouble of the worst sort. Best you keep out of it.’ Which was the thief-taker’s way of saying he was already thinking about it. ‘I tell you what interests me: someone broke into the courthouse a while back. Killed two guards and stole some papers. Kol’s paying well to get whoever did it. Very well.’
Berren shrugged. He was just the apprentice, after all. He wasn’t sure he cared what they did. He’d be stuck in the temple learning letters and swords for however long the sword-monks were here anyway. Master Sy could go and do what he liked.
Learning swords from a girl. He shuddered.
The thief-taker wasn’t smiling now. If anything he was looking angry. Outside, across the square in the Temple of the Sun, the noon bells started to ring, calling the faithful to prayer. ‘No.’ Master Sy shook his head. ‘Best leave that one well alone.’
Berren shrugged again. ‘What if it was a
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