our agreement?”
“I never agreed to disclose all information as I discovered it,” Jack replied. “You are requesting me to do so now, so I am merely attempting to set a fair value on it. After all, the last thing you said to me on the subject was that you’d pay me the balance when I bring you the book or when I present evidence that convinces you that it cannot be found in Raven’s Bluff. I can’t show you any evidence of that sort, so I’d better produce the book.”
“You agreed, at least tacitly, to a reduced advance in exchange for the bonus on delivery” Elana pointed out.
“True,” Jack agreed. He offered a fierce grin. “A partial or complete payment of the bonus would certainly count toward my advance, but I didn’t want to bring it up unless you did.”
“I see,” Elana said. Her anger faded, replaced by some emotion that Jack had a harder time identifying calculation, perhaps? Suddenly, she rose in her seat and leaned across the table, reaching behind his head with one hand and kissing him hard. His whole body jolted as if he’d been shocked.
Jack recoiled in surprise, but Elana refused to release him, and after a moment he returned her kiss with a building fervor. She teased his tongue with hers, her breath soft and hot on his face. He cupped her face with one hand and boldly extended the other to caress one perfect breast protected by the leather and steel that she wore, and then she pulled away, returning to her seat while Jack strained forward to maintain the moment’s contact.
Elana smirked at him and then reached into a deep
pocket, pulling out a small purse that jingled when it landed on the table. The balance of your advance, and a hint of your bonus if you succeed,” she said sweetly. “Now, what’s your lead?”
“Iphegor the Black,” Jack said blankly. He slumped back into his seat, looking up at the ceiling to regain his composure. “A wizard named Iphegor the Black. I believe that he acquired the book from another wizard named Durezil, who may have acquired it from Gerard’s belongings when they were sold off after his disappearance.”
“Is it reliable?” she asked.
“It’s guesswork, but it makes sense,” he admitted. “I rarely have the advantage of incontrovertible evidence and confirmed sightings. My gift lies in my intuition for weaving suggestions and suppositions into facts.”
“In other words, you’re a good guesser,” Elana said. She shook her head and started to stand. “Well, I will allow you to play your hunch, Jack. That’s what I hired you for, after all. If you’re right, bring the book to me three nights from now.”
“Here?”
Elana snorted. “Do you have any idea of how many people watch this place? No, I’ll leave word for you. Make sure you wrap up the book or cover it somehow.”
“My lady,” Jack said in a pained voice, “I am not unfamiliar with exchanges such as these.”
“I suppose so,” Elana said. “Good luck tomorrow. Ill be keeping an eye on your progress.” With that, she slipped out of the privacy curtain and disappeared into the crowded tavern floor.
Absently, Jack counted the coins in the purse and picked at his dinner. To tell the truth, he would have told her anything for the kiss alone.
CHAPTER FIVE
You have some dishonest purpose in mind,” said Tharzon, splashing through the knee-deep water of the sewer tunnel. “I can tell, Jack Ravenwild. In all the time I have known you, you have never approached me without some perfidious scheme at hand.”
“Dishonest is a relative term,” Jack replied. He struggled to keep up with his dwarven companion. The heavy spring rains now roared through the old mason-work sewers in a loud torrent, threatening to carry him away if he stepped too far to the center of the channel. “I have no doubt that the man I intend to rob came by his treasure in an underhanded fashion.”
Tharzon, on the other hand, seemed to have no concern for the rushing waters. Like
“I never agreed to disclose all information as I discovered it,” Jack replied. “You are requesting me to do so now, so I am merely attempting to set a fair value on it. After all, the last thing you said to me on the subject was that you’d pay me the balance when I bring you the book or when I present evidence that convinces you that it cannot be found in Raven’s Bluff. I can’t show you any evidence of that sort, so I’d better produce the book.”
“You agreed, at least tacitly, to a reduced advance in exchange for the bonus on delivery” Elana pointed out.
“True,” Jack agreed. He offered a fierce grin. “A partial or complete payment of the bonus would certainly count toward my advance, but I didn’t want to bring it up unless you did.”
“I see,” Elana said. Her anger faded, replaced by some emotion that Jack had a harder time identifying calculation, perhaps? Suddenly, she rose in her seat and leaned across the table, reaching behind his head with one hand and kissing him hard. His whole body jolted as if he’d been shocked.
Jack recoiled in surprise, but Elana refused to release him, and after a moment he returned her kiss with a building fervor. She teased his tongue with hers, her breath soft and hot on his face. He cupped her face with one hand and boldly extended the other to caress one perfect breast protected by the leather and steel that she wore, and then she pulled away, returning to her seat while Jack strained forward to maintain the moment’s contact.
Elana smirked at him and then reached into a deep
pocket, pulling out a small purse that jingled when it landed on the table. The balance of your advance, and a hint of your bonus if you succeed,” she said sweetly. “Now, what’s your lead?”
“Iphegor the Black,” Jack said blankly. He slumped back into his seat, looking up at the ceiling to regain his composure. “A wizard named Iphegor the Black. I believe that he acquired the book from another wizard named Durezil, who may have acquired it from Gerard’s belongings when they were sold off after his disappearance.”
“Is it reliable?” she asked.
“It’s guesswork, but it makes sense,” he admitted. “I rarely have the advantage of incontrovertible evidence and confirmed sightings. My gift lies in my intuition for weaving suggestions and suppositions into facts.”
“In other words, you’re a good guesser,” Elana said. She shook her head and started to stand. “Well, I will allow you to play your hunch, Jack. That’s what I hired you for, after all. If you’re right, bring the book to me three nights from now.”
“Here?”
Elana snorted. “Do you have any idea of how many people watch this place? No, I’ll leave word for you. Make sure you wrap up the book or cover it somehow.”
“My lady,” Jack said in a pained voice, “I am not unfamiliar with exchanges such as these.”
“I suppose so,” Elana said. “Good luck tomorrow. Ill be keeping an eye on your progress.” With that, she slipped out of the privacy curtain and disappeared into the crowded tavern floor.
Absently, Jack counted the coins in the purse and picked at his dinner. To tell the truth, he would have told her anything for the kiss alone.
CHAPTER FIVE
You have some dishonest purpose in mind,” said Tharzon, splashing through the knee-deep water of the sewer tunnel. “I can tell, Jack Ravenwild. In all the time I have known you, you have never approached me without some perfidious scheme at hand.”
“Dishonest is a relative term,” Jack replied. He struggled to keep up with his dwarven companion. The heavy spring rains now roared through the old mason-work sewers in a loud torrent, threatening to carry him away if he stepped too far to the center of the channel. “I have no doubt that the man I intend to rob came by his treasure in an underhanded fashion.”
Tharzon, on the other hand, seemed to have no concern for the rushing waters. Like
Similar Books
