going now. 'Oh, yes, I insist on that. I don't like having my business down on paper in someone's drawer.'
'But you open yourself up to a great deal of danger that way. Should any of your duels be investigated, there is no written proof that you are anything but a casual murderer.'
St Vier smiled, and shrugged. 'That's why I'm careful who I work for. I give my patrons my word to do the job and to keep quiet about it; they have to be trusted to know what they're doing, and back me up if need be. In the long run, most people find they prefer it that way.'
Rosalie returned with two dusty pewter goblets and a flagon of acidic wine. The man waited until she had gone before saying, 'I'm glad to hear you say so. I've heard your word is good. That arrangement is suitable.'
When he drew off one of his gloves, the expensive scent of ambergris drifted up. His large hand was as creamy and well tended as a woman's. And when he lifted the flagon to pour out the wine, Richard saw the marks of rings still pale on his bare fingers. 'I am prepared to pay you 30 in advance.'
Richard raised his eyebrows. No point in pretending that half in advance wasn't unusually generous. 'You're kind,' he said.
'Then you accept?'
'Not without more information.'
'Ah.' The man leaned back, and drained half his cup. Richard admired the self-control that let him lower it from his lips without an expression of disgust. 'Tell me,' he asked, 'who was that tall man I passed, coming in?'
'I've no idea,' Richard lied.
'Why do you refuse my offer?'
Richard said in the comradely tone that had so bemused Lord Montague over his daughter's wedding, 'I don't know who you are, and I don't know who the mark is. You can offer me all 60 in advance, I still can't give you my word on it.'
The gentleman's eye glared at him with the intensity of two. But he kept the rest of his face blandly civil, contriving even to look a bit bored. 'I understand your need for caution,' he said. 'I think I can set some of your fears to rest.' Slowly, almost provocatively, he removed his other glove.
Again the scent of ambergris assailed the air, rich and sensual. It made Richard think of Alec's hair. The man held up his hand.
Dangling from it was a long gold chain, with an eight-sided medallion spinning at the end of it so that Richard could not make out its design. The candle between them winked a gold sequin in his eyes. With one finger the man stopped the spinning, and Richard had one sight of the device engraved on the medallion before it disappeared again into the glove.
'Sixty royals,' the man said, 'half in advance.'
Richard took his time as he brought the goblet to his lips, took a sip of the dust-flecked wine, put the cup down and wiped his mouth. 'I don't take money on an unnamed man. - It is a man?' he added abruptly, somewhat spoiling the effect, but wanting to keep things clear. 'I don't do women.'
The man's lips quirked; he had heard the Montague story. 'Oh, yes, it is a man. It is a man of some importance, and I am not going to tell you any more without further indication of interest on your part. Are you at liberty tomorrow night?'
'I may be.'
'It would be advantageous. Do you know the Three Keys, on Lower Henley Street?' He did. 'Be there at 8. Take a table near the door, and wait.' The gentleman reached into his coat and withdrew a little silk purse that clinked when he set it on the table. 'This should cover expenses.' Richard didn't pick it up. It made a sound like silver.
The gentleman rose, spilling a little shower of copper on the table for the tally, and pulled on his scented glove. 'It took a long time to find you,' he said. 'Are you always so hard to get?'
'You can always leave a message for me here. Just don't make it worth people's while not to deliver it.'
'I see.' The man smiled wryly. 'Your friends are not to be bribed?'
The idea amused St Vier. 'Everyone can be bribed,' he said. 'You just h'ave to know their price. And remember that they're all
'But you open yourself up to a great deal of danger that way. Should any of your duels be investigated, there is no written proof that you are anything but a casual murderer.'
St Vier smiled, and shrugged. 'That's why I'm careful who I work for. I give my patrons my word to do the job and to keep quiet about it; they have to be trusted to know what they're doing, and back me up if need be. In the long run, most people find they prefer it that way.'
Rosalie returned with two dusty pewter goblets and a flagon of acidic wine. The man waited until she had gone before saying, 'I'm glad to hear you say so. I've heard your word is good. That arrangement is suitable.'
When he drew off one of his gloves, the expensive scent of ambergris drifted up. His large hand was as creamy and well tended as a woman's. And when he lifted the flagon to pour out the wine, Richard saw the marks of rings still pale on his bare fingers. 'I am prepared to pay you 30 in advance.'
Richard raised his eyebrows. No point in pretending that half in advance wasn't unusually generous. 'You're kind,' he said.
'Then you accept?'
'Not without more information.'
'Ah.' The man leaned back, and drained half his cup. Richard admired the self-control that let him lower it from his lips without an expression of disgust. 'Tell me,' he asked, 'who was that tall man I passed, coming in?'
'I've no idea,' Richard lied.
'Why do you refuse my offer?'
Richard said in the comradely tone that had so bemused Lord Montague over his daughter's wedding, 'I don't know who you are, and I don't know who the mark is. You can offer me all 60 in advance, I still can't give you my word on it.'
The gentleman's eye glared at him with the intensity of two. But he kept the rest of his face blandly civil, contriving even to look a bit bored. 'I understand your need for caution,' he said. 'I think I can set some of your fears to rest.' Slowly, almost provocatively, he removed his other glove.
Again the scent of ambergris assailed the air, rich and sensual. It made Richard think of Alec's hair. The man held up his hand.
Dangling from it was a long gold chain, with an eight-sided medallion spinning at the end of it so that Richard could not make out its design. The candle between them winked a gold sequin in his eyes. With one finger the man stopped the spinning, and Richard had one sight of the device engraved on the medallion before it disappeared again into the glove.
'Sixty royals,' the man said, 'half in advance.'
Richard took his time as he brought the goblet to his lips, took a sip of the dust-flecked wine, put the cup down and wiped his mouth. 'I don't take money on an unnamed man. - It is a man?' he added abruptly, somewhat spoiling the effect, but wanting to keep things clear. 'I don't do women.'
The man's lips quirked; he had heard the Montague story. 'Oh, yes, it is a man. It is a man of some importance, and I am not going to tell you any more without further indication of interest on your part. Are you at liberty tomorrow night?'
'I may be.'
'It would be advantageous. Do you know the Three Keys, on Lower Henley Street?' He did. 'Be there at 8. Take a table near the door, and wait.' The gentleman reached into his coat and withdrew a little silk purse that clinked when he set it on the table. 'This should cover expenses.' Richard didn't pick it up. It made a sound like silver.
The gentleman rose, spilling a little shower of copper on the table for the tally, and pulled on his scented glove. 'It took a long time to find you,' he said. 'Are you always so hard to get?'
'You can always leave a message for me here. Just don't make it worth people's while not to deliver it.'
'I see.' The man smiled wryly. 'Your friends are not to be bribed?'
The idea amused St Vier. 'Everyone can be bribed,' he said. 'You just h'ave to know their price. And remember that they're all
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