A Business of Ferrets (Bharaghlafi Book 1) by Beth Hilgartner Page A
Authors: Beth Hilgartner
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which undoubtedly accounted for the overpowering presence of the fish stew.
The barman cast an appraising eye at his single patron, then slipped into the kitchen. Through the door, which was ajar, Elkhar heard the man giving directions, loudly and slowly, to someone within. Moments later, a boy shuffled out to position himself behind the bar. The boy cast slow, incurious eyes around the room; when his gaze crossed Elkhar's, he appeared to think hard, then said, "Wan' another?"
"Not yet," Elkhar responded curtly. A half-wit; what else could he expect from such a place. But a moment later, when Dedemar appeared, he was grateful for the boy's stupidity. There weren't people to cover their conversation. If the boy had any wits, Elkhar would have been nervous about being overheard.
"So?" Elkhar began, after the boy had brought the Temple Watchman a mug of ale and retreated to the bar. "You saw him?"
The foreigner nodded. "I saw him. I told him he had been observed with Rhydev Azhere; and I warned him. I said, 'The Lady gives, she can take away. And she is skeptical of innocent reasons.' He assured me it was happenstance he and Rhydev were drinking together. I reminded him he didn't have to convince me, he had to convince her . And he got very still, very white. Then he said, 'He's an attractive man, Rhydev.' And I said, 'To you, he's poison. If he poisons you, or Ycevi poisons you over him—both ways, we bury you. Don't be a fool.' And then I left him."
The taproom was silent while Elkhar considered this. At the bar with studied care and imbecilic concentration, Donkey dried the pewter mugs and put them away. He could hear every word; and only long practice kept interest and puzzlement from showing on his face. Rhydev; Ycevi; these were names he knew. And it was the same Temple Watchman: Dedemar. The men must be talking about 'the Lady's puppy.' Carefully keeping his face placid and stupid, he took another good look at the men, so as to be able to describe them later.
"Good," Elkhar said at last. "We have to keep that puppy scared. We can't have him making common cause with Azhere or any other House. Now, I have another task for you. Do you know the Ykhave Council Lord by sight?"
"The flute-maker? Walks with a cane?"
"That's him. Was he in the Temple District today?"
The Temple Watchman nodded. "He goes to the Windbringer Temple nearly every day." Something in the bodyguard's eyes drove Dedemar to continue. "He makes music with the priests. He's perfectly harmless, Elkhar."
"No one's perfectly harmless."
"No one's harmless, no one's innocent. Dear gods, Elkhar, you sound like the Lady. He's an old man who makes flutes."
"He's a good friend of the Emperor's foreign witch, and he knows a good deal more about Owl than I like," Elkhar snapped.
"Owl? Who is Owl?"
"Never mind. Tomorrow I'll send Cyffe to you; brief her on his movements." In response to something in the Temple Watchman's face, Elkhar's voice dropped to a dangerous purr. "Dedemar, you wouldn't be thinking of warning him, now, would you?"
"No. No, indeed, Elkhar."
"Good." The danger in his voice increased. "I'm glad you understand. Such a move would have disastrous consequences. If you're done with that slop they call ale, let's go."
As the men headed toward the door, Squirrel pelted through at a run, nimbly dodging them at the last instant. "Excuse me, gentlemen," he said, with a quick bob of his head. Then he tossed something through the air toward Donkey.
"Ho, Donkey," he cried. "Mouse sent you flowers."
To Squirrel's surprise and sudden alarm, Donkey merely stared brainlessly, first at the bouquet and then at Squirrel. "Wha?" he responded.
The dark-haired man's hand closed hard on Squirrel's upper arm, turning the boy to face him. " Mouse? " the man demanded, avid. "I have a message for Mouse from Owl."
Pieces snapped abruptly into a disquieting whole. Donkey only acted that stupid when there was real need; and the man who had such a painful grip
The barman cast an appraising eye at his single patron, then slipped into the kitchen. Through the door, which was ajar, Elkhar heard the man giving directions, loudly and slowly, to someone within. Moments later, a boy shuffled out to position himself behind the bar. The boy cast slow, incurious eyes around the room; when his gaze crossed Elkhar's, he appeared to think hard, then said, "Wan' another?"
"Not yet," Elkhar responded curtly. A half-wit; what else could he expect from such a place. But a moment later, when Dedemar appeared, he was grateful for the boy's stupidity. There weren't people to cover their conversation. If the boy had any wits, Elkhar would have been nervous about being overheard.
"So?" Elkhar began, after the boy had brought the Temple Watchman a mug of ale and retreated to the bar. "You saw him?"
The foreigner nodded. "I saw him. I told him he had been observed with Rhydev Azhere; and I warned him. I said, 'The Lady gives, she can take away. And she is skeptical of innocent reasons.' He assured me it was happenstance he and Rhydev were drinking together. I reminded him he didn't have to convince me, he had to convince her . And he got very still, very white. Then he said, 'He's an attractive man, Rhydev.' And I said, 'To you, he's poison. If he poisons you, or Ycevi poisons you over him—both ways, we bury you. Don't be a fool.' And then I left him."
The taproom was silent while Elkhar considered this. At the bar with studied care and imbecilic concentration, Donkey dried the pewter mugs and put them away. He could hear every word; and only long practice kept interest and puzzlement from showing on his face. Rhydev; Ycevi; these were names he knew. And it was the same Temple Watchman: Dedemar. The men must be talking about 'the Lady's puppy.' Carefully keeping his face placid and stupid, he took another good look at the men, so as to be able to describe them later.
"Good," Elkhar said at last. "We have to keep that puppy scared. We can't have him making common cause with Azhere or any other House. Now, I have another task for you. Do you know the Ykhave Council Lord by sight?"
"The flute-maker? Walks with a cane?"
"That's him. Was he in the Temple District today?"
The Temple Watchman nodded. "He goes to the Windbringer Temple nearly every day." Something in the bodyguard's eyes drove Dedemar to continue. "He makes music with the priests. He's perfectly harmless, Elkhar."
"No one's perfectly harmless."
"No one's harmless, no one's innocent. Dear gods, Elkhar, you sound like the Lady. He's an old man who makes flutes."
"He's a good friend of the Emperor's foreign witch, and he knows a good deal more about Owl than I like," Elkhar snapped.
"Owl? Who is Owl?"
"Never mind. Tomorrow I'll send Cyffe to you; brief her on his movements." In response to something in the Temple Watchman's face, Elkhar's voice dropped to a dangerous purr. "Dedemar, you wouldn't be thinking of warning him, now, would you?"
"No. No, indeed, Elkhar."
"Good." The danger in his voice increased. "I'm glad you understand. Such a move would have disastrous consequences. If you're done with that slop they call ale, let's go."
As the men headed toward the door, Squirrel pelted through at a run, nimbly dodging them at the last instant. "Excuse me, gentlemen," he said, with a quick bob of his head. Then he tossed something through the air toward Donkey.
"Ho, Donkey," he cried. "Mouse sent you flowers."
To Squirrel's surprise and sudden alarm, Donkey merely stared brainlessly, first at the bouquet and then at Squirrel. "Wha?" he responded.
The dark-haired man's hand closed hard on Squirrel's upper arm, turning the boy to face him. " Mouse? " the man demanded, avid. "I have a message for Mouse from Owl."
Pieces snapped abruptly into a disquieting whole. Donkey only acted that stupid when there was real need; and the man who had such a painful grip
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