Sword Empire by Robert Leader

ordered. The man stared at him, expecting more, and then grunted and went back to his counter to pour the drinks. There were two serving girls running between the counter and the tables, but the man chose to return with the wine himself.
    â€œWould the young lords require anything else?” He had judged their rank and spoke deferentially, but his flat brown eyes were still cautious. As he spoke, he looked toward the nearest of the girls and raised an eyebrow.
    The girl saw the look. She paused in her work and smiled invitingly. She had clean white teeth, and in an age-old gesture, she touched her finger to her tongue and then ran it slowly and wetly along her lower lip. With her free hand, she pulled tentatively at the top of her shirt, half exposing a plump, rounded breast.
    Kasim shifted uncomfortably, half tempted and half embarrassed. Gujar remained single-minded and kept his level gaze fixed on the tavern-keeper. He opened the palm of his hand to reveal three small gold coins, and pushed one forward with his thumb to pay for the wine.
    â€œWe would buy information,” he said softly.
    Refusal and greed fought together in the man’s eyes. “What sort of information?” he mumbled at last
    â€œThree men.” Gujar watched his eyes. “One with a hunched back, another with a pox-marked face, the third almost as short as a dwarf. Did they ever drink in here?”
    â€œNo.” The answer was too quick and too sharp. “Never seen them,” he almost choked. He looked down at the three coins in Gujar’s palm, snatched the one offered in payment for the wine, and then hurried back to his counter.
    â€œHe lies,” Kasim said shortly.
    Gujar nodded thoughtfully.
    Kasim eased his cloak and dropped his hand to the hilt of his blade. “A sword point at his throat might prick the truth out of him,” he suggested.
    â€œWe are strangers here and he may have too many friends among this rabble.” Gujar thought for a moment. “Let us drink up and then have another cup of wine.”
    Kasim tasted what was in his cup and grimaced. “Do we have to drink more wine?”
    Gujar laughed and set the example. Reluctantly, Kasim drained his cup. This time Gujar deliberately caught the eye of the serving girl and showed her the two empty cups. “What is your name?” he asked as she took them from him.
    â€œI am called Devi.” She flirted knowingly with her eyes and then took the cups to be refilled. When she returned she was clearly inclined to linger, even before Gujar showed her the gold coins in his hand.
    â€œThere is a room at the back,” she offered.
    Gujar smiled and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close and turning her slightly so that their backs were toward the room. He wanted no one to lip read.
    â€œI want something special from you,” he whispered in her ear.
    Devi laughed. “I can offer any speciality you can imagine.”
    â€œInformation,” Gujar kept his voice low. “Three men who once drank here, several weeks ago when the blue gods were in the city. A hunchback, a scarface, and a dwarf.”
    Shock paled Devi’s face and stilled her laughter. She tried to pull away but Gujar’s grip was tight. “They cannot harm you now,” he insisted. “All three of them are dead.”
    â€œThey were assassins,” she whispered back. “It is dangerous to speak even of dead assassins.”
    Kasim held up his hand, and she saw another gold coin in his fingers. She licked her suddenly dry lips and looked toward the serving counter. The tavern keeper was busy with the second serving girl. She looked back again into the set face of Gujar.
    â€œNo one will know. I will tell no other of what you tell me. It is easy gold.”
    â€œThey came here often,” she admitted fearfully. “Whenever they were in the city. This is where they drank and stayed.”
    â€œBefore they tried to kill