Twilight of Kerberos - [Shadowmage 01-03] - The Shadowmage Trilogy (Shadowmage; Night's Haunting; Legacy's Price) by Matthew Sprange (v5.0) (mobi) Page A

libraries were considered to be living things constantly added to as the guild learned more and more, for the benefit of all its members. A laboratory was present, allowing thieves to make all manner of concoctions, from smoke and sleeping powders, to deadly poisons that would ensure no enemy of the guild would survive for long. There was even a training room, suitably soundproofed with targets for shooting or knife practice, a ring for blade training and, round the edges of the over-sized chamber, a running course across which could be strewn a variety of different obstacles.
    It seemed, too, as though Lucius had not been wholly wrong when he had imagined a guildhouse with links to the sewer system of Turnitia, for that was exactly what this building boasted. Near the underground vaults in which the greatest stolen treasures were kept, as well as the guild’s own vast treasury, were several secret passages that took a winding path down into the sewers. These were built to allow members to enter or leave the guildhouse freely, beyond prying eyes.
    Lucius was later drawn back to the armoury, which lay next to the training room. Blades, spears, sections of armour and hundreds upon hundreds of various tools of the trade lay on shelves and in racks.
    He saw a host of weapons of varying lethality and, having been told senior thieves were free to pick and choose from the armoury, started to inspect an incredibly well-crafted crossbow. Honed from a lamination of light but strong woods, a series of lenses in a wooden tube was mounted over the groove that took the bolt. Standing at a window, Lucius found he could adjust the lenses to bring far objects into focus. Fine wires within the tube marked exactly where a fired bolt would strike, should the target be within range. Other weapons soon revealed similar ingenuity, such as the sword whose pommel could be separated to draw a dagger from the hilt – useful if the main blade was ever broken.
    However the weapons were the least of the treasure in this room and Lucius soon found himself exploring the vast cornucopia of tools, such as pots of swordblack used to dull a blade from reflections, dark silk bodysuits that could make even a clumsy thief silent, and the glass-cutting cups Hawk had used to break into Brink’s house.
    “There is just something about the mind of a thief that makes him fascinated by these toys,” said a voice behind him. Lucius turned to see Caradoc leaning against the door frame.
    “This was where I came as well, when I was brought into the guild proper,” he continued. “Though there were far less toys back then.”
    “I am not sure I would call that a toy,” said Lucius, indicating the crossbow.
    Caradoc smiled. “You’ll want to practise with it first. It is not as easy to use as you might think – you have to learn how to use the sights, or your shots will never land anywhere near your target. But I think you are quite wrong about these not being toys. All a good thief really needs is a decent blade, soft boots and his wits, the last being the most vital. It seems as if there is always someone trying to get an advantage, however they can. They come up with an idea, and try to build it. Some work. Some need constant revision, with many minds applying themselves to the problem over time. Which, really, is what this place is all about.”
    Lucius nodded in understanding. “How long have you been with the Hands?”
    “Since the beginning. I knew Magnus from the old guild, and he brought me with him when he created the Hands.”
    “You are close friends, then?”
    Caradoc paused and frowned. “We trust each other, certainly.”
    “You... don’t always agree with what he does?” Lucius asked, wondering where the boundaries were in this conversation. For some reason, he knew he would never have been so direct with Magnus, though the guildmaster seemed far more personable than his lieutenant.
    “You don’t always have to agree with your leader.”