Aftermath tw-10 Read online

  Aftermath

  ( Thievs World - 10 )

  Robert Asprin

  Robert Asprin

  Aftermath

  Dramatis Personae

  The Townspeople

  AHDIOVIZUN; AHDIOMERVIZ; AHDIO-Proprietor ofSly's Place, a legend- ary dive within the Maze.

  AYE-GOPHLAN-Captain of the palace guard before the arrival of Prince Kadakithis. Now he is one of three men charged with keeping the peace in Sanctuary.

  LALO THE LIMNER-Street artist gifted with magic he does not fully un- derstand.

  GILLA-His indomitable wife.

  GANNER-Their middle son, slain during the False Plague riots of the previous winter which signaled the end of severe civil unrest in Sanctuary.

  VANDA-Their daughter, employed as nursemaid to the Beysib at the palace.

  HAKIEM-Storyteller and confidant extraordinaire. HORT-Son of a fisherman and now Hakiem's sometime apprentice.

  JUBAL-Prematurely aged former gladiator. Once he openly ran Sanc- tuary's most visible criminal organization, the hawkmasks; now he works behind the scenes.

  MASHA ZIL-INEEL-Midwife whose involvement in the destruction of the Purple Mage enabled her to move from the Maze to respectability up- town.

  MELILOT-Owner of a scriptorium where letters can be written or trans- lated.

  MRADHON vis-Nisibisi adventurer and sometime spy. He has betrayed almost everyone and been betrayed in return, but he is a consummate survivor.

  MYRTIS-Madam of the Aphrodisia House.

  SHAFRALAIN-Sanctuary nobleman who can trace his lineage and his money back to the days ofllsig's glory.

  ESARIA-His nubile daughter.

  EXPIMILIA-His wife.

  CUSHARLAIN-His cousin. A customs inspector and investigator.

  SNAPPER JO-A friend who survived the destruction of magic in Sanctu- ary. Now employed as a bartender in the Vulgar Unicorn.

  ZIP-Bitter young terrorist. Leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Sanctuary (PFLS). Now he and his remaining fighters have been designated as officials responsible for peace in the city.

  The S'danzo

  ILLYRA-Half-blood S'danzo seeress with True Sight. Wounded by PFLS in the False Plague Riots.

  DUBRO-Bazaar blacksmith and husband to Illyra. ARTON-Their son, marked by the gods as part of the emerging diety known as the Stormchildren. He was sent to the Bandaran Islands for his education and safety-and to remove him from Sanctuary.

  LILLIS-Their daughter, slain in the False Plague riots. TREVYA-A newborn orphan girl placed in their care by Walegrin.

  MOONFLOWER-S'danzo seeress of remarkable obesity who was slain by Beysib guards who had mistakenly attacked her husband.

  THE TERMAGANT-Oldest of the S'danzo women practicing her craft in Sanctuary.

  The Magicians

  ENAS YORL-Quasi-immortal mage cursed with eternal life and a con- stantly changing physical form.

  ISCHADE-Necromancer and thief. Her curse is passed to her lovers who die from it. Her rivalry with Roxane drew her into the murky realm of Sanctuary's politics from which she has yet to extricate herself.

  ROXANE; DEATH'S QUEEN-Nisibisi witch. Nearly destroyed when Storm- bringer purged magic from Sanctuary, she is trapped inside a warded house and a dead man's body.

  HAUGHT-One-time apprentice oflschade who betrayed her and is now trapped with Roxane.

  TASFALEN-The dissolute Rankan nobleman, one oflschade's lov- ers, whose body has become Roxane's prison.

  STRICK; TORAZELAN STRICK TIFIRAQA- White Mage who has made Sanctuary his home. He will help anyone who comes to him, but there is always a Price, sometimes trivial and sometimes not, for his aid.

  AVENESTRA; AVNEH-Once a preteen prealcoholic barfly at Sly's

  Place. Now Strick's very young receptionist with a sweet tooth. FRAX-Former palace guardsman, now Strick's fiercely loyal guard.

  WINTSENAY; WINTS-A down-and-out young Ilsig whose life has improved immeasurably since he began working for Strick.

  Visitors in Sanctuary

  JARVEENA-A woman, once Melilot's apprentice, who. with Enas Tori's help, unveiled a plot to assassinate Prince Kadakithis shortly after his arrival in Sanctuary. In the intervening years she has been employed as Melilot's trading agent, and her many hideous scars have been slowly fading.

  SAMLOR HIL SAMT, Trader from the north. His sister died in Sanctuary and his business sometimes brings him back to the city.

  STAR-His seven-year-old niece. A single lock of white grows amid her black hair. The Beysibs claim this is the mark of the favor of their gods and the child does seem to have some strange abilities.

  The Rankans Living in Sanctuary

  CHENAYA; DAUGHTER OF THE SUN-^ beautiful and powerful young woman who is fated never to lose a fight. She is the prince's cousin and is working to raise an army of gladiators which will place him on the imperial throne.

  PRINCE KADAKITHIS-Charismatic but somewhat naive half-brother of the assassinated emperor, Abakithis.

  KAMA; JES-Tempus's daughter. 3rd Commando assassin. Sometime lover of Critias. Zip, and Molin Torchholder.

  MOLIN TORCHHOLDER; TORCH-Archpriest of Sanctuary's wargod (whichever deity that is at the moment). Architect for the rebuilt walls of Sanctuary. Supreme bureaucratic administrator of the city.

  RANKAN 3RD COMMANDO-Mercenary company founded by

  Tempus Thales and noted for its brutal efficiency.

  GAYLE-A member of that company.

  STEPSONS; SACRED BANDERS-Members of a mercenary unit loyal to Tempus. Their years in Sanctuary have been among the worst in their history and they are eager to leave for anywhere else.

  CRITIAS; CRIT-Longtime mercenary in the company. An intelli- gence gatherer and assistant to Tempus. Also the partner of Straton, though that pairing has been in disarray for some time now.

  STRATON; STRAT; ACE-Partner of Critias. Injured by the PELS at the start of the False Plague riots. He has been Ischade's lover and though her curse has not killed him, most of his former associates count him among Sanctuary's damned.

  TEMPUS THALES; THE RIDDLER-Nearly immortal mercenary, a partner of Vashanka before that god's demise; commander of the Stepsons; cursed with a fatal inability to give or receive love.

  WALEGRIN-Rankan army officer assigned to the Sanctuary garrison where his father had been slain by the S'danzo many years before. He is now one of three officers responsible for the peace in Sanctuary. He is also Illyra's half-brother.

  The Beysib

  SHUPANSEA; SHU-SEA-Head of the Beysib exiles in Sanctuary; mortal avatar of the Beysib mother goddess. Lover of Prince Kadakithis whom she wishes to marry.

  CHABOSTU; CHA-BOS-A daughter born before Shupansea was driven into exile.

  INTRODUCTION by Robert Lynn Asprin

  Military units have never been noted for their punctuality, and the Stepsons were no exception. Even though their departure was originally planned for shortly after dawn, it was nearly noon before the first pair actually swung aboard their horses and headed off amid waves and good- natured catcalls from their comrades. This was not a regular army unit, but a free company of mercenaries, so the formations and columns one might expect in a troop relocation were nowhere in evidence. Rather, the men set out on their journey in pairs or small groups as they were ready, with no thought to waiting for the others. Indeed, it was doubtful they would even all take the same route to their new posting. However disor- ganized or leisurely their departure might be though, one thing was clear. The Stepsons were leaving Sanctuary.

  Relatively few townspeople had gathered to witness their passing, but the first pair waved at them anyway as they set off. No one returned their salutation.

  Of the watchers, two men were notable if only from the diversity of the
pair. One was old, his hair more silver-white than gray, while the other was a youth barely out of his teens. The younger was dressed in the humble garb of the town's lower class, while the elder man's finery marked him as one who moved in richer, perhaps even royal, circles, That they were together, however, was never in question. Not simply because they stood together and exchanged comments, though that Would have been sufficient evidence for most. Even more apparent was their manner. While they conversed freely, their eyes never met, but instead remained focused on what was going on around them. Close attention was paid to the departing pair of Stepsons as if attempting to memorize their appearance and gear, then switched once more to the preparation of the remaining mercenaries.

  Were they not so open in their scrutiny, the two might be mistaken for spies. As it was, they were ignored, for neither was unknown around the city. The younger was Hort, a lowly storyteller; the older, Hakiem, once a talespinner himself and mentor to Hort, was now adviser to the ruler of the Beysib.

  "Well, it actually looks like they're going."

  "Of course," Hakiem replied without looking at his friend. "Did you doubt it?"

  "Yes, and so did you." Hort smiled. "But that didn't keep us from being out here at dawn. We should have known that even if anything happened, it wouldn't happen until later."

  "True enough. Still, if we had slept in and they had decided to get underway on time, we would have missed it completely."

  The younger man snuck a sideways glance at Hakiem.

  "I can see where that would affect me," he said, "but why should it make any difference to you? Your storytelling days are behind you now."

  "Call it habit," the old man grunted. "Besides, an adviser needs infor- mation as much as a storyteller, and the best information is still that which you gather yourself."

  The men fell silent as another pair of Stepsons rode by

  "Well, it actually looks like they're going," Hort repeated, almost to himself.

  Hakiem hawked and spat noisily in the dust.

  "Good riddance!" he declared with sudden vehemence. "The sooner they're clear of the town, the better it will be for all of us! There has been nothing but chaos and death in the city since they arrived. Maybe now things will return to normal!"

  Hort struggled, but lost his brief bout with silence-

  "As I recall, Hakiem, there was chaos and death in Sanctuary long before the Stepsons put in their appearance. I don't see where they've been any worse than Jubal's hawkmasks used to be ... or your pet fish- eyed friends for that matter- It's wrong to try to blame the Stepsons for all our problems ... and dangerous to think things will return to nor- mal when they've left. I don't think I even know what normal is any- more."

  Hakiem turned away, his eyes avoiding both Hort and the departing Stepsons.

  "You're right, of course," he admitted. "Though the Beysib have been far gentler with our town than the Stepsons, who were supposed to be guarding it. Water does not flow upstream, nor does time run backward. Sanctuary will never be what it was. Hawkmasks, Stepsons, Beysib - . . they've all had their impact on the town, and their presence will never be completely removed. Even the new laborers who are here to work on the walls will change our lives, though in what ways we have yet to find out. All we can do is what we've always done: watch. Watch and hope."

  "Speaking of the new laborers," Hort said with an almost forced casu- ainess, "have you heard anything of people disappearing?"

  "I assume you mean dropping out of sight without turning up dead later," Hakiem retorted drily.

  "That's right." The youth nodded. "Able-bodied men you'd think would be able to take care of themselves. I've heard of three so far."

  "It's news to me. Still, I'll keep my ears open."

  A group of Stepsons walked their horses by, not even looking at the assembled watchers.

  Though he would never admit it openly, the withdrawal of the Step- sons as well as the Rankan 3rd Commando from Sanctuary concerned Hakiem much more than the disappearance of a few common laborers. He wondered how much of what was happening in town Hort was aware of and simply not commenting on and how much he was actually oblivi- ous to.

  There was a fight brewing. A contest of wills, if not swords, between the town and the Rankan Empire. He did not for a moment believe that it was coincidence that the Stepsons were being pulled out of town just when the tax issue was reaching a head. The question was, would they be back? If the empire tried to enforce its orders by force, would the Step- sons be the whip for the empire or the shield for the town? Or would they stay away, maintaining a mercenaries' neutrality, and not return until the matter was resolved ... if they returned at all?

  The old man studied faces, but could not find a clue to the future written anywhere: neither a hint of the future in the faces of the merce- naries, nor a glimmer of realization of the stakes that were being played for in those of the townsfolk.

  CADE by Mark C. Perry

  In another time, in another place, he could have been something else. He could have been a hero, or a general, a pnest, or a king But he was born in Sanctuary and that made him a killer.

  Cade stood on a low hill looking down on the city. Sanctuary. He turned his head and spat Sanctuary, the capital of hell He had left the city eleven years ago, after killing a man, his first Now he was back, to kill again Somewhere in that cesspit his brother's body lay rotting, all his bones cracked by some torturer It was that someone whom Cade was going to kill

  The wind shifted and the stench of the city assaulted him After the long nde through the clean desert the smell was a physical force, full of wet decay, the smell of man at his worst. Victim and hunter were all the same in Sanctuary The evil of his birthplace was alive, active, infecting everything that came into contact with it.

  The sun was going down, dusk slowly covered the decrepitude of the city's ancient buildings, but the shadows could not hide it all, even from this distance. Cade was surprised to see a new wall going up around the town but it hardly helped the view, for surely that wall was not so much to keep enemies out as the inhabitants in. Even a madman would see there was no gain to be had by conquering Sanctuary

  Cade smiled to himself at the thought Attack Sanctuary-better to fight for a beggar's bowl He turned to face west. A house or something burned sullenly there, ignored by the inhabitants of Downwind, the worst part of the whole place. Downwind .

  And that, he told himself, is a place and a name you promised never to have anything to do with again But of course he knew promises meant nothing m hell . .

  If Sanctuary could be called the place of his birth, it was Downwind that had created him There he had lived between the age of six and sixteen There he had learned about the world, the real world, the truth behind all the lies that men blind themselves with He had learned about fear, fear in his poor brother's eyes, who had always tried to protect his younger sibling, even though it was Cade who was the real protector He learned of despair, as the money became scarcer and the food rarer, and their mother did anything, anything, so that she could keep her little family together

  He remembered her tears when she heard he'd joined the gang, she was dead by the time he became their warlord His time with the Demons taught him the most valuable lesson of Sanctuary He learned about blood, and death

  Cade was so talented then, talented in the harsh passion of the violent The street brought out the blood in all its miserable inhabitants, but some like Cade were born for blood and shed it and lost it with equal calm

  He called it the waterfall, though he was eighteen before he ever saw a real one. It was the moment when you either let go and hit until you fell or you were pulled off and fear never entered into it at all That was the mark of the talent, because some could do it when they were backed in a comer, all could do it sometimes, but Cade would do it every time

  He wondered if any of the Demons were still there probably not, they were either dead, or they had gotten out and would never come back What did it mat
ter^ They were all punks anyway Still, some of them might remember him.

  He laughed thinking about it, but there was no humor m that sound Wouldn't they be surprised to see him agam^ The local boy come back in triumph He had made good by Sanctuary standards He was nch beyond most men's imagination, and powerful, very powerful

  He had turned his talent into a very profitable art The art of death. For a fee he killed He was more than an assassin and less than d mur- derer. For he did kill with passion, but never pleasure He killed in the name of mankind to free his victims from lies

  For Sanctuary had taught Cade the most valuable of all lessons, it had taught him the truth In all its pain and agony, poverty and despair, was written the LAW, in ironclad runes of blood

  And the LAW was one simple word Hell . .

  For the world was not a hell, he knew that, it was the hell, the only true hell A man lived a life of pain, no matter who or what he was, the punishment was daily When he died, he either went somewhere better, or his spirit was annihilated for all time. It was simple really: the good, they went to their just desserts; the evil could sink no further, so they were destroyed.

  All this ran through his thoughts as he stared down at the place he hated most. He was little concerned. He believed he had only killed the genuinely good or the genuinely evil, never those in-between. Now he was going to kill his brother's murderer and he was worried. What if the killer was neither good nor evil? What if he had not made the final choice -could Cade kill him then? After all, he was no soldier like his unknown father, butchering because someone told him to. He was very careful in accepting contracts, very careful in his death-dealing that whomever he brought the final moment to was either good or evil, either free or doomed. What if ...

  "Enough!" he cried out loud. Somewhere in the Maze TerreFs family waited in fear, in fear for their lives and in agony over the dead man they had loved so much. Cade would protect them. Terrel would have wanted that, but Cade would do more; he would use them as he had always used anyone he needed. Use them to find the murderer and for the first time in his long career he would not kill cleanly or quickly. No matter who had to die, or why, this time Cade would have vengeance!