Yendi (9 page)

"You're going to show that you aren't worried by walking around with four bodyguards?"

"True or not true?"

He sighed. "True, I guess."

"Call them in."

He did so.

"Stay here," I told him, "and keep things running." We walked out of the office, past the ruins of the front of the shop (I didn't dare let anyone close enough to me to let them do repairs), and into the street. There were a pair of Phoenix Guards at the northwest corner of Garshos and Copper Lane. We went that way, Loiosh flying ahead, and I could feel their eyes on me. We went east on Garshos to Dayland, and I was surprised that I didn't see any others. We went to the cleaner's, which was set up in the basement of an inn called The Six Chreotha, which looked like it had been slowly falling to ruin for a few thousand years. I went in to see the cleaner. He was a cheery-looking guy named Renorr: short, dark, with the curly brown hair and flat features that claimed he had Jhegaala somewhere in his background. His eyes were clear, which proved that he hadn't been in the business long. Cleaning stolen goods is not something one can bribe Imperial guards about, so one must be careful not to let them find out one is doing it. Fences always end up with shifty, frightened eyes.

Renorr bowed and said, "I'm honored to meet you at last, lord." I nodded.

He gestured outside. "They seem to have left."

"Who? The guards?"

"Yes. There were several near here this morning."

"Hmmm. Well, that's all to the good, then. Maybe they're reducing their forces."

"Yes."

"How's business?"

"Slow, lord. But picking up a bit. I'm just getting started."

"Okay." I smiled at him. "Keep it going."

"Yes, lord."

We walked back out, continued to Glendon, followed it to Copper Lane, and headed back north. As we walked past the Blue Flame I stopped.

"
What is it, boss?
"

"
Those guards, Loiosh. There were two of them on that corner fifteen minutes ago; now
they're gone.
"

"
I don't like this...
"

Glowbug said, "Notice the guards are missing, boss? That's a demon of a coincidence. I don't like it."

"Bide," I told him.

"
I think we should get back to the office, boss.
"

"
I don't think--
"

"
Remember what you said about my 'feelings'? Well, this one is strong. I think we
should get back right away.
"

"
Okay, you've talked me into it.
"

"Back to the office," I told Glowbug. He seemed relieved. Varg made no response whatsoever. Wyrn nodded, his eyes dreamy, and his half-smile didn't change. Miraf'n nodded his great, shaggy head.

We went past the Blue Flame and I started to relax. We reached the corner of Garshos and Copper, and Wyrn and Miraf'n looked down both ways carefully, then nodded. We went past the corner and came into sight of my office. I heard a strange, shuffling sound behind me, a false step, and spun in time to see Varg falling to his knees, a look of shock on his face. With the corner of my eye I saw Glowbug falling.

"
Look out, boss!
"

For the briefest instant, I couldn't believe it was really happening. I had known all along that my life was in danger, but I hadn't really believed that I, Vlad Taltos, assassin, could be taken out as easily as any Teckla on the street. But Glowbug was down, and I saw the hilt of a dagger protruding from Varg's back. He was still conscious, trying to crawl toward me, his mouth working silently.

Then my reflexes took over, as I realized that I was still alive, and that Wym and Miraf'n would be covering me from behind. I reached for my rapier as I tried to spot the knife-thrower, and--"
Behind you, boss!
"

I spun, and got a glimpse of Wyrn and Miraf'n backing away as a tall Dragaeran with--wait a minute.
Backing away?
They were. They were watching me closely as they carefully stepped backwards, away from the scene. Meanwhile, a tall Dragaeran was coming at me, slowly and steadily, with a great sword in her hands. I changed my mind about the rapier and drew a throwing knife with each hand. I wanted to get at least those two bastards who had sold me out. Loiosh left my shoulder, flying into the face of the assassin before me. That gave me the time I needed to take aim and--Something told me to dodge, so I did, to my right, as something sharp scraped along the right side of my back. I spun, both daggers flashing, and--Loiosh screamed psionically as there was a ripping in my left side, from behind. I realized that the assassin with the greatsword had gotten past Loiosh. I felt a coldness, and I became aware that there was a piece of steel actually
inside
of me, among my bones and muscles and organs, and I felt sick. I ignored my desire to turn that way, and found the one who had attacked from behind. She was very short and held a pair of large fighting knives. She was staring straight at me, dispassionately. The sword was taken from my side with a sudden wrenching, and I found myself on my knees. The assassin in front of me struck full forward, one knife cutting across for my throat, the other thrusting for my chest. I tried to force my arms up to parry--And there was blood flowing from her mouth, and she was falling at my feet. The knife she was slashing with scored a gash across my chest. As she hit the ground, the other blade found a home in my stomach. I heard flapping wings behind me and was pleased that Loiosh was alive, as I waited for the sword-stroke from behind that would finish me. Instead, I heard a voice that sounded remarkably like Aliera's, crying, "You--you're a Dragon!" And the ringing sound of clashing steel. Somehow, I twisted around as I fell, and saw that it was, indeed, Aliera, wielding a great-sword that was taller than she was, and dueling with the assassin. Watching them was Morrolan himself, fury on his face, Blackwand in his hand. Aliera's blade swung high as the assassin's cut low and Loiosh said, "
Twist!
"

I did, but not in time to prevent the other one, who was still alive, from planting her dagger, to the hilt, in my kidney. There was pain such as I had never felt before, and I screamed. A muscle spasm jerked me to my knees and around and down, flat on my stomach, on the blade that was already there, and I only wanted to die quickly and have it over.

For an instant before I got my wish, my face was a few inches from the other assassin's, blood still streaming from her mouth, her eyes set in a look of grim determination. I suddenly realized that she was an Easterner. That almost hurt more than the rest of it, but then the pain went away, and me with it.

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"I guess there's just a time for doing dumb things."
Lingering trace of a fading green light, but no eyes to see it with. Memory like a well, awareness like a bucket--but who pulls the rope? It occurred to me that "me" had occurred. Existence without sensation, and the bucket hadn't yet reached the water. I knew what "sight" was when it came, and I found myself staring into a pair of bright round things that I eventually realized were "eyes." They floated in gray fog and seemed to see me. That must be significant. "Brown" occurred to me, looking at the eyes, at about the same moment that I saw a face fitting around them. Looking at the face, other terms came to mind. "Little girl" was one. "Cute" was another. And "somber." I wondered if she were human or Dragaeran, and realized that more of me had returned.

She studied me. I wondered what she was seeing. Her mouth opened and sound issued forth. I realized that I'd been hearing the sounds for quite some "time" and had not been aware of it. The sounds were utterly dead, as if in a room that was completely without echo.

"Uncle Vlad?" she said again, but it registered this time. Two words. "Uncle" and "Vlad." Both had meaning. "Vlad" meant me, and I was delighted with the discovery. "Uncle" had something to do with family, but I wasn't sure exactly what. I thought about the words more, deeming them important. As I did so, a wave of green light seemed to come from all around me, bathing me for a moment, then stopping.

I realized that this, too, had been going on for some time.

Sensations multiplied, and I felt that I had a body again. I blinked, and found it delightful. I licked my lips, and that was nice, too. I turned my attention back to the little girl, who was still watching me closely. She seemed relieved now.

"Uncle Vlad?" she said, like a litany.

Oh, that's right. "Vlad." Me. I was dead. The Easterner, the pain,
Loiosh.
But he'd been alive, so maybe...

"Uncle Vlad?"

I shook my head, and tried speaking. "I don't know you," I said, and heard that my voice was strong. She nodded enthusiastically.

"I know," she said. "But Mommy's awful worried about you. Won't you please come back?"

"Come back?" I said. "I don't understand."

"Mommy's been trying to find you."

"She sent you to look for me?"

She shook her head. "She doesn't know I'm here. But she's
really
worried, Uncle Vlad. And so's Uncle 'Rollan. Won't you
please
come back?" Who could refuse a request like that? "Where am I, then?" She cocked her head to the side, looking puzzled. Her mouth opened and closed a few times. Then she shook her head again. "I don't know, but just come back, okay?"

"Sure, honey, but how?"

"Follow me," she said.

"Okay." She moved away a few feet, stopped, and looked back. I found myself moving toward her, but I didn't seem to be walking. I had no sense of how fast we were traveling, or from where to where, but the grayness gradually darkened.

"Who are you?" I asked her as we moved.

"Devera," she said.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Devera."

She turned back to me and giggled, lighting up her face. "We've met before, Uncle Vlad." That triggered some more memories that I couldn't quite place, but--"Oh, Uncle Vlad?"

"Yes, Devera?"

"When we get back, don't mention to Mommy that you saw me, okay?"

"Okay. Why not? Aren't you supposed to be here?"

"Well, not exactly. You see, I haven't really been born yet...." Wherever we were became completely black, and I felt suddenly isolated. Then, once more, I was bathed in green light, and I remember no more.

...the dzur had scored a long scratch in the jhereg's wing. The jhereg's jaws were going for the dzur's neck, but the dzur nearly had its mouth around the long, snakelike neck of the jhereg. The jhereg was of the normal breed, not one of the nonpoisonous giant ones that dwelt above Deathsgate Falls, yet it was one of the largest I had ever seen, and should be able to give a good fight to--I blinked. The scene hadn't changed. The orange-red sky was right, but I realized that I was inside, on a bed, in fact. I was looking at a painting that filled the ceiling above me. Someone's idea of a joke, no doubt, to have me wake up to that sight. Could I view the painting so that it appeared the jhereg was winning? I could and did. It was a nice painting. I took a deep breath and--
I was
alive!

I turned my head and looked around the room. It was spacious, as far as I was concerned--twenty-two and a half feet in the direction of the bed, maybe fourteen the other way. No windows, but a nice circulation of air. There was a fireplace centered in the wall my feet pointed to, with a cozy little fire crackling away in it and sending occasional sparks into the room. I twisted and saw that a door was centered in the other wall. Black candles were scattered throughout, providing most of the light. Yet there were enough of them to give the room a bright appearance despite the black walls. Black, black, black. The color of sorcery. Lord Morrolan, Castle Black. Yet, he wouldn't have used black candles unless he were doing witchcraft, and I felt no traces of a spell. Nor would he have a painting like that. So--Dzur Mountain, of course. I leaned back against the pillow (goose feathers, a luxury!) and slowly set about moving my limbs. I made each one move, and each finger and toe. They responded normally, but it took some effort. I saw my cloak and clothing neatly folded on a stand three feet from my head. I noticed with amusement that whoever had undressed me had left Spellbreaker wrapped around my wrist, which was why I hadn't immediately felt undressed.

I heaved myself to a sitting position. I became aware of a general sense of weakness and pains throughout my body. I welcomed them, as more signs of life, and swung my feet over the edge of the bed.

"
Going to say hello, boss?
"

I spun, and spotted Loiosh high on top of a tall dresser in the far corner of the room.

"
Good morning, or whatever it is. I'm glad you're all right.
" He flew down and landed on my shoulder; licked my ear. "
That goes double for me,
boss.
"

There was a chamber pot in one corner of the room, which I made a much-needed use of. I dressed slowly, finding several of my more obvious weapons neatly laid out beneath the cloak. Most of the contents of the cloak itself hadn't been disturbed. Dressing was painful. Enough said.

There was a soft clap at the door about the time I finished. "Come in." Aliera entered. "Good morning, Vlad. How are you feeling?"

"Well enough, all things considered." Morrolan was standing in the doorway behind her. We exchanged nods.

"We would have been here sooner," he said, "but we had to visit another of our patients."

"Oh? Who?"

"The 'lady' who attacked you," said Aliera.

"She's alive?" I swallowed involuntarily. Being killed attempting to do a job is one of the very few things that terminates the agreement between assassin and employer; I'd been hoping that they'd both taken the trip.

"Both of them are," she said. "We revivified them."

"I see." That was different. They had the option of resuming the agreement now, or not. I hoped they chose not to.

"Which reminds me," said Morrolan. "Vlad, I apologize to you. The Easterner should not have been able to attack you. I caused ruptures in several of her internal organs, which should have sent her into shock at once. It did not occur to me to continue watching her."