The Eyes of a Doll (The World of Shijuren Book 2) by Rob Howell Page B
Authors: Rob Howell
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way.”
“In the way?”
“Yes, we’ll find ourselves explaining everything to you as we compare notes.”
“From each side of the law?”
He nodded with a smile. “Don’t forget we’re dealing with half-remembered memories that are sometimes years old.”
“I understand. It’s Lezh, not Achrida.”
“Yes. Sit over there and work on your fathering skills while we see what we see.”
I thought about it for a moment, shrugged, and spent the rest of the morning with Ludmilja and Nadja.
Chapter 15
Midday, 3 Blommemoanne, 1712 MG
“Sevener.”
I looked up from Ludmilja. “Yes, Zvono?”
“We have some ideas.”
I nodded and gave Ludmilja back to Soraya. She had been asleep in my lap for the past hour and did not even notice when I handed her over.
I moved to my table, and we huddled over the scrolls.
“First, we need to make sure we know what your goals are.”
I paused to collect my thoughts. “Make sure that Honker and his family are safe.”
Anything else?
“Get the information Gibroz wants. Who is shipping what and when on the Kopayalitsa. He also wants to know who had Aca killed and make sure the appropriate message gets sent to others who might attack his people.”
Kapric and Zvono sighed, though Sebastijan grinned. I looked at the two quaesitors.
“I need to keep my oath with Gibroz. He needs to know I’ll do what I say.”
Kapric raised an eyebrow, and I answered his unspoken question. “I know I can’t trust him. I know he’d like to kill me, but he’s not the first. He gave me this information with the agreement that I’d tell him exactly what Ylli is doing. I’m not going to break my word, even to a man like Gibroz.”
“And that’s why.”
I looked at Sebastijan warily. “Why what?”
“Why I’m going to Lezh with you.”
I shook my head, but he continued.
“You can’t do this alone. None of the ideas we have will work with one person. You have to have help. Also, I’m not unknown in Lezh.”
“Gibroz thinks going to Lezh will get you killed almost immediately. And me too, come to think about it.”
“Was he talking about his people getting killed?”
I paused and nodded. “Yes, he was.”
“I’m not his people. I’m not anyone’s people, except those who hire me. Gibroz knows this. Katarina knows this. More importantly, Ylli knows this, and so do the others in Lezh.”
“So?”
“So they know I’ll do what I’m employed to do. If I come along, and we have a plausible reason to do business, then they’ll look at us not as competitors but potential partners.”
“You’re saying because of your reputation, Ylli will at least listen and negotiate. We figure out a business opportunity attractive enough to Ylli that he’ll work with us. We discover the information we want, and we make Honker Harald and his family’s safety part of the deal.”
I thought for a moment. “Tricky. We have to make sure that whatever information we get to Gibroz does not then make Ylli want to kill Honker in return.”
They nodded.
“Yes, we have to separate Honker and his family completely,” said Zvono.
“How are we going to do that?”
“Not sure. You’re going to have figure that one out once you’re working with Ylli.”
I shook my head.
“I can’t risk Honker and Soraya and the children on something that vague.”
“I understand your point, but do you have any suggestions that are more specific?”
I sat back and thought.
“Anything better at all?”
I finally shook my head.
“No, Sebastijan, I can’t think of anything even as good.”
They sighed and nodded.
I had a sudden thought. “Do we have to involve Ylli?”
“Do you think Gibroz sent the thugs to attack Honker?”
I shook my head. “No, nothing in it for him. He doesn’t care who gets to Aca’s killer, as long as someone does.”
“Katarina?”
“Not her style. She’d play with Honker first, probably try to threaten hiring his oldest daughter at Tresinova’s or
“In the way?”
“Yes, we’ll find ourselves explaining everything to you as we compare notes.”
“From each side of the law?”
He nodded with a smile. “Don’t forget we’re dealing with half-remembered memories that are sometimes years old.”
“I understand. It’s Lezh, not Achrida.”
“Yes. Sit over there and work on your fathering skills while we see what we see.”
I thought about it for a moment, shrugged, and spent the rest of the morning with Ludmilja and Nadja.
Chapter 15
Midday, 3 Blommemoanne, 1712 MG
“Sevener.”
I looked up from Ludmilja. “Yes, Zvono?”
“We have some ideas.”
I nodded and gave Ludmilja back to Soraya. She had been asleep in my lap for the past hour and did not even notice when I handed her over.
I moved to my table, and we huddled over the scrolls.
“First, we need to make sure we know what your goals are.”
I paused to collect my thoughts. “Make sure that Honker and his family are safe.”
Anything else?
“Get the information Gibroz wants. Who is shipping what and when on the Kopayalitsa. He also wants to know who had Aca killed and make sure the appropriate message gets sent to others who might attack his people.”
Kapric and Zvono sighed, though Sebastijan grinned. I looked at the two quaesitors.
“I need to keep my oath with Gibroz. He needs to know I’ll do what I say.”
Kapric raised an eyebrow, and I answered his unspoken question. “I know I can’t trust him. I know he’d like to kill me, but he’s not the first. He gave me this information with the agreement that I’d tell him exactly what Ylli is doing. I’m not going to break my word, even to a man like Gibroz.”
“And that’s why.”
I looked at Sebastijan warily. “Why what?”
“Why I’m going to Lezh with you.”
I shook my head, but he continued.
“You can’t do this alone. None of the ideas we have will work with one person. You have to have help. Also, I’m not unknown in Lezh.”
“Gibroz thinks going to Lezh will get you killed almost immediately. And me too, come to think about it.”
“Was he talking about his people getting killed?”
I paused and nodded. “Yes, he was.”
“I’m not his people. I’m not anyone’s people, except those who hire me. Gibroz knows this. Katarina knows this. More importantly, Ylli knows this, and so do the others in Lezh.”
“So?”
“So they know I’ll do what I’m employed to do. If I come along, and we have a plausible reason to do business, then they’ll look at us not as competitors but potential partners.”
“You’re saying because of your reputation, Ylli will at least listen and negotiate. We figure out a business opportunity attractive enough to Ylli that he’ll work with us. We discover the information we want, and we make Honker Harald and his family’s safety part of the deal.”
I thought for a moment. “Tricky. We have to make sure that whatever information we get to Gibroz does not then make Ylli want to kill Honker in return.”
They nodded.
“Yes, we have to separate Honker and his family completely,” said Zvono.
“How are we going to do that?”
“Not sure. You’re going to have figure that one out once you’re working with Ylli.”
I shook my head.
“I can’t risk Honker and Soraya and the children on something that vague.”
“I understand your point, but do you have any suggestions that are more specific?”
I sat back and thought.
“Anything better at all?”
I finally shook my head.
“No, Sebastijan, I can’t think of anything even as good.”
They sighed and nodded.
I had a sudden thought. “Do we have to involve Ylli?”
“Do you think Gibroz sent the thugs to attack Honker?”
I shook my head. “No, nothing in it for him. He doesn’t care who gets to Aca’s killer, as long as someone does.”
“Katarina?”
“Not her style. She’d play with Honker first, probably try to threaten hiring his oldest daughter at Tresinova’s or
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