among the nobles.”
“That sounded like it should have made sense.”
She chuckled and Tukko appeared with a small glass of something clear. She threw it down like a soldier and nodded. “I know what you mean.”
“Maybe you could—”
“The Empire perpetuates itself. It protects the nobles whosupport it, and the machinery of state it needs to keep itself going. Anyone who threatens those things gets ground up.”
“Except during an Iorich reign?”
She nodded.
“The Iorich reign must be an interesting time.”
“Follows the Jhereg, you know.”
“Oh, right. So they have plenty to keep themselves busy.”
She nodded.
“So then,” I said. “What did Aliera do that threatened the Empire?”
“Nothing,” she said.
“Nothing?”
“Wrong place at the wrong time, if you want to call it that. Or, she was convenient. Or something.”
“Sethra, are you drunk?”
“A little.”
Okay. Well. This was a new one for me. I wasn’t exactly sure how to deal with it. The most powerful sorceress in the world: sloshed. Aren’t there laws against that sort of thing?
“Sethra, are you saying that to defend Aliera is to attack the Empire?”
“I thought that was obvious.”
Maybe I should get drunk, too.
“And that’s why none of Aliera’s friends will step in?”
“She’s pretty much forbidden it.”
“Morrolan must be about ready to burst.”
“He’s not doing well.”
I nodded. “So that’s where I come in. But, okay, I still don’t see why the Empress chose Aliera to do this to.”
“Who would you suggest?”
“Sethra, there must be hundreds, thousands of people whoare violating some law that can be used to distract attention from whatever the Empress wants people not to notice.”
“Not really,” she said. She drew her finger through a spot in the air in front of her, and a small slash of white light remained. “Aliera is widely known, even among the Teckla, as witness the fact that you heard about it from wherever you were.” She made another slash next to the first. “She is widely known to be a friend of the Empress.” She made a third slash—I need to learn how to do that. “It’s common knowledge that the Empire turns a blind eye to her activities. Who else can all that be said of?”
I felt myself scowling. “Yeah, all right. So it’s on me. How do I do it?”
“I understand the advocate you found is very good. Rely on him.”
“He is?”
“Within his specialty.”
“That’s good to know. He’s got me—you know what he’s got me doing.”
“Yes. It seems wise.”
“I’m going to have to speak to Norathar.”
“Oh,” she said. Then, “Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“All right,” she said after a moment. “I’ll arrange it.”
“Thank you.”
I drank some more wine without tasting it. We sat there until the comfortable silence became uncomfortable. Then I said, “Sethra, who else are you?”
“Hmmm?”
“I mean, you must have other, ah, identities, besides—”
“Oh. No one you’ve ever met. Or heard of, I imagine.”
“It must be difficult.”
“Sometimes. Sometimes it’s the only fun I ever have.”
I nodded. I wanted to ask her about some of the other people she was, but it was pretty obvious she didn’t want to talk about it, so I finished my wine and fell silent.
A little later she said, “Norathar has agreed to see you.”
“When?”
“Now, if it’s convenient.”
“Convenient,” I said. “Heh. All right. Later, I’d like. . .”
She frowned. “What?”
“Nothing. I’m going to see Norathar. After that, I think I’d like some food.”
She looked away. “Valabar’s is watched constantly.”
“So I’d assumed. I was thinking about somewhere safer. Like, say, the Punctured Lung.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know it,” she said.
“Sorry, Jhereg slang. The Punctured Jug.”
“Ah. Yes, by Clover Ring.”
“It’s Jhereg owned, so it’s safe. Niscan used to eat there when half the city was walking
“That sounded like it should have made sense.”
She chuckled and Tukko appeared with a small glass of something clear. She threw it down like a soldier and nodded. “I know what you mean.”
“Maybe you could—”
“The Empire perpetuates itself. It protects the nobles whosupport it, and the machinery of state it needs to keep itself going. Anyone who threatens those things gets ground up.”
“Except during an Iorich reign?”
She nodded.
“The Iorich reign must be an interesting time.”
“Follows the Jhereg, you know.”
“Oh, right. So they have plenty to keep themselves busy.”
She nodded.
“So then,” I said. “What did Aliera do that threatened the Empire?”
“Nothing,” she said.
“Nothing?”
“Wrong place at the wrong time, if you want to call it that. Or, she was convenient. Or something.”
“Sethra, are you drunk?”
“A little.”
Okay. Well. This was a new one for me. I wasn’t exactly sure how to deal with it. The most powerful sorceress in the world: sloshed. Aren’t there laws against that sort of thing?
“Sethra, are you saying that to defend Aliera is to attack the Empire?”
“I thought that was obvious.”
Maybe I should get drunk, too.
“And that’s why none of Aliera’s friends will step in?”
“She’s pretty much forbidden it.”
“Morrolan must be about ready to burst.”
“He’s not doing well.”
I nodded. “So that’s where I come in. But, okay, I still don’t see why the Empress chose Aliera to do this to.”
“Who would you suggest?”
“Sethra, there must be hundreds, thousands of people whoare violating some law that can be used to distract attention from whatever the Empress wants people not to notice.”
“Not really,” she said. She drew her finger through a spot in the air in front of her, and a small slash of white light remained. “Aliera is widely known, even among the Teckla, as witness the fact that you heard about it from wherever you were.” She made another slash next to the first. “She is widely known to be a friend of the Empress.” She made a third slash—I need to learn how to do that. “It’s common knowledge that the Empire turns a blind eye to her activities. Who else can all that be said of?”
I felt myself scowling. “Yeah, all right. So it’s on me. How do I do it?”
“I understand the advocate you found is very good. Rely on him.”
“He is?”
“Within his specialty.”
“That’s good to know. He’s got me—you know what he’s got me doing.”
“Yes. It seems wise.”
“I’m going to have to speak to Norathar.”
“Oh,” she said. Then, “Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“All right,” she said after a moment. “I’ll arrange it.”
“Thank you.”
I drank some more wine without tasting it. We sat there until the comfortable silence became uncomfortable. Then I said, “Sethra, who else are you?”
“Hmmm?”
“I mean, you must have other, ah, identities, besides—”
“Oh. No one you’ve ever met. Or heard of, I imagine.”
“It must be difficult.”
“Sometimes. Sometimes it’s the only fun I ever have.”
I nodded. I wanted to ask her about some of the other people she was, but it was pretty obvious she didn’t want to talk about it, so I finished my wine and fell silent.
A little later she said, “Norathar has agreed to see you.”
“When?”
“Now, if it’s convenient.”
“Convenient,” I said. “Heh. All right. Later, I’d like. . .”
She frowned. “What?”
“Nothing. I’m going to see Norathar. After that, I think I’d like some food.”
She looked away. “Valabar’s is watched constantly.”
“So I’d assumed. I was thinking about somewhere safer. Like, say, the Punctured Lung.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know it,” she said.
“Sorry, Jhereg slang. The Punctured Jug.”
“Ah. Yes, by Clover Ring.”
“It’s Jhereg owned, so it’s safe. Niscan used to eat there when half the city was walking
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