The Inquisitives [2] Night of Long Shadows by Paul Crilley Page A

his handiwork. No way he was getting out of that. Cutter pulled the other Khutai blade from its sheath and knelt on the floor, placing the knives to either side of him.
    He closed his eyes and waited.

    It took a little more than half a bell for the halfling to wake. Cutter heard the rustle of the sheets and opened his eyes. He saw Salkith turning his head from side to side as he tried to figure out what was going on.
    Cutter picked up his blades and stood. Salkith’s eyes widenedslightly as he saw Cutter rise up from the floor.
    “Who—” Salkith licked dry lips. “Who are you?”
    “Here’s how it works. You’ve already wasted my time—”
    “I’ve been
asleep,”
he protested.
    “Is that what you call it? Anyway, that’s not my problem. I’ve been waiting here more than half a bell now, and that’s all the time I was going to give you. Which means you need to talk very fast to tell me what I want to know.”
    Salkith strained against the bindings, his corded muscles standing out against his tanned skin. Cutter was glad he’d tied him up. The halfling looked like he could be quite a handful.
    “I’ll kill you,” said Salkith. “And your family. Do you have a wife? A woman? Children? They’re dead, you hear me? I’m going to strip their skin and hang it out to dry!”
    Cutter stared at him for a moment. “You have no idea what a bad choice of words that was,” he said softly. He leaned over the incapacitated halfling. “Listen to me carefully,” he whispered. “I’m going to hurt you now. I’m going to keep on hurting you until you tell me what I want to know. If you scream, I’ll kill you. I’ll slit your throat. If you make any sound above a whimper, any sound that can be heard outside this room, you’re dead. Do you believe me? Just nod.”
    Salkith stared into his eyes. After a long, trembling pause, he nodded.
    “Good.” Cutter drew the razor-sharp edge of the blade down Salkith’s arm. Blood welled from the cut and stained the white sheets. Salkith squirmed and moaned, his eyes never leaving Cutter’s.
    “That was to show you I’m being serious. Now, what happened tonight at the professor’s rooms?”
    Salkith’s brows drew together at the sudden change in topic. “What … happened? I don’t understand.”
    Cutter punched Salkith in the face. Hard. The halfling’s head jerked to the side. Droplets of blood sprayed over the white wall.
    “Wait!” he snarled. “I don’t understand! What do you want to know?”
    “What happened?”
    “But … nothing happened. I was supposed to pick something up from him. A … a package. But he changed his mind and didn’t want to give it to me.”
    “You were supposed to pick it up from him?”
    Salkith nodded desperately.
    “What was in the package?”
    “I don’t know. I’m just a courier!”
    “So what did you do?”
    “I left. I wasn’t about to argue with him. I reported it and came here. That’s all I know.”
    Cutter frowned. “What were you supposed to do with the package?”
    “I was supposed to meet someone at a tavern in Khyber’s Gate. The … the Goblin’s Revenge, it was called.”
    “Khyber’s Gate?” said Cutter in surprise. “But that’s Daask territory.”
    “That’s all I know! I swear.”
    “Last question. Did you see a girl there? With red hair?”
    Salkith frowned. “Nobody else was there. We were alone.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Of course I am! Now let me out of here!”
    Cutter gathered his knives, then leaned over and picked up the vial of dreamlily the nurse had been holding. The bottle held at least twenty doses.
    Cutter poured it all down Salkith’s throat, clamping the halfling’s mouth shut so he was forced to swallow.
    That should keep him out of commission for a while, hethought, closing the door on the halfling’s incoherent cries.
    Cutter sighed. Another dead end. He was no closer to finding Rowen. He sheathed his knives. What was he supposed to do now?
    Dajin was nowhere to be