Phoenix

by Steven Brust

  The slant of the floor was back down now; I decided my legs would probably survive. "And these people," I said, "are threatening the Jhereg, and so they must be removed. Is that it?"

  "Your House thinks so, Lord Taltos."

  "Then you don't really believe they are a threat to the Empire?"

  She smiled. "No, not directly. But if the Teckla become unhappy, well, so will others. If there were no war looming over us, perhaps it wouldn't matter. But we may require more efficiency than ever, and to have our largest city disrupted, just at this moment, could have terrible consequences for the Empire."

  I thought about a story I'd once been told by a Teckla, and almost said that if the Teckla were so damn happy, why didn't she just go become one, but I was afraid she might take it the way I meant it. So I said, "Is one Jhereg Easterner likely to make that much of a difference?"

  "Will it matter to your House, Baronet?"

  "I don't know, Your Majesty. But it won't matter to them as much as it will matter to me."

  We passed through a curtain and were once more in the throne room. I heard the strings of Thoddi's instrument, the wail of Dav-Hoel's, and the clacking drone of Aibynn's drum. The courtiers bowed, and it was as if they were bowing to me, which was pretty funny. The Empress pointed to a woman in the colors of the House of the Iorich. The woman approached as Zerika sat herself in the throne. I backed away.

  "I hereby order and require the release of and full freedom for the Countess of Lostguard Cleft and Environs," she said, and I damn near cried.

  Lesson Twelve

  Basic Survival Skills

  Two stony-faced dragons, each wearing the gold cloak of the Phoenix and a headband bearing an lorich, delivered Cawti to the steps of the lorich Wing of the Imperial Palace, a half hour's walk from where I had left the Empress. When they first appeared, each holding one of her arms, I almost put them down right there, but Loiosh spoke to me sharply. They released her on the bottom step, backed up, bowed to her once, turned together, and walked up again without a backward glance.

  I stood three feet from her, looking in vain for signs of what she'd been through. Her eyes were clear and sharp, her expression grim, but she appeared unharmed. She stood for a moment, then her eyes focused on me. "Vlad," she said. "Are you responsible for this?" She held up her right hand, which contained a rolled-up parchment.

  "I guess so," I said. "What's that? A pardon?"

  "A release. It says we concede your innocence and don't do it again."

  "At least you're out."

  "I could have been out before, if I'd wanted to be."

  "I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not." She smiled and nodded, being more understanding than I'd expected. "Perhaps it's for the best." I shrugged. "I thought so, when you broke me out." "Hardly the same thing," she said. "Maybe not. How was it?" "Tedious."

  "I'm glad it wasn't worse than that. Would you like to come home?"

  "Yes. Very much. I'd like to bathe, and eat something hot, and then—"

  I waited. "And then what?" I asked after a moment.

  "And then back to work."

  "Ah. Of course. Shall we walk, or be sick?"

  She considered. "Do you know, before the Interregnum, when teleportation was more difficult, there were Teckla who earned their livelihood driving people around the city behind horses and donkeys. Or sometimes they used only their feet, pulling small coaches. They wore harnesses like they were horses or donkeys themselves "

  "I don't like horses. What are donkeys?"

  "I'm not certain. A variety of horse, I think."

  "Then I don't like them, either. You've been reading history, I see."

  "Yes. Sorcery has changed our whole world and is still changing it."

  "It has indeed."

  "Let us walk."

  "Very well."

  And we did.

  I found some dried black mushrooms, poured boiling water over them, and let them soak. After about twenty minutes I cut them up with scallions, leeks, a little dill, various sorts of peppers, and thin strips of kethna. I quick-fried the whole thing with garlic and ginger while Cawti sat on the kitchen chair, watching me cook. Neither of us spoke until the food was done. We had it over some pasta my grandfather had made. I had a few strawberries that were still good, so I put them in apalaczinta with a paste made from finely ground rednuts, cinnamon, sugar, and a bit of lime juice. We had that with a rare strawberry liqueur Kiera had given me, having found it in a liquor store she was visiting after hours.

  "How," I said, "can you stay away from a man who can cook like this?"

  "Rigid self-control," she said. "Ah."

  I poured us each some more liqueur and set the plates on the floor for the jhereg. I leaned the chair back, sipped, and studied Cawti. Despite her bantering tone, there was no light of humor in her eyes. There hadn't been for some time. I said, "What would I have to do to keep you?"

  She looked at the table. "I don't know, Vladimir. I'm not sure there's anything, anymore. I've changed." "I know. Do you like what you've become?" "I'm not certain. Whatever it is, it hasn't finished happening yet. I don't know if we can change together." "You know I'm willing to try almost anything." "Almost?" "Almost."

  "What won't you do?" "Ask me and we'll see."

  She shook her head. "I don't know. I just don't know." This was another conversation we'd had before, with variations and embellishments. I went into the other room, next to the window so I could hear the street musicians outside. I had thrown them a bag of coins now and again, so they often played right below the window; it was one of the things I liked about the place. I threw them a bag of coins and listened for a while. I remembered how it felt to walk down the streets with her, feeling her shoulder touch mine. It had made me feel taller, somehow. I remembered meals at Valabar's, and klava in a little place where made sculpture from empty cups and the sugar bowl. I made myself stop remembering, and just listened to the music.

  A little later Aibynn returned, his drum carefully wrapped in thick, soft cloth. He set it against the wall and sat down.

  "How did it go in court today?"

  "Great " he said. "The Empress wants us back."

  "Congratulations."

  "What were you doing there"

  "Recovering my wife."

  "Oh " He looked over at her, sitting on the longchair and reading her paper. "Good thing you got her."

  She smiled at him, stood up, and said, "I believe I will bathe now."

  "Mind if I watch?" I said.

  She turned the smile toward me. "Yes," she said, and walked into the bathroom. I heard the sound of wood being put into the stove and of water being put on to boil. Aibynn began playing his drum, so I couldn't hear the rustle of fabric and the splashing, which was just as well, I suppose. His fingers were a blur, the beater was another. The drum hummed, then moaned, then sang, with pops and clicks emerging as if they were part of the room. I fell into it and managed not to think for a while. Maybe I should learn to drum.

  An hour later she came out in her red robe, Fenarian embroidery around the bottom, tied with a white cloth. The combination enhanced her dark eyes. She sat down again in the longchair. I spoke over the low moan of Ai-bynn's drum. "Are you going back to South Adrilankha tomorrow? ' '

  "Yes as long as I'm out, I'm going to work to force the Empire to release Kelly and the rest of our people."

  Do you think you can?" "I don't see any other option." I thought about the Empress, about being bound in cords of necessity, and said, "Do you know what they say about cornering a dzur?"

  "Yes, I do. What do they say about killing thousands of people in a war that isn't any of our business? What do they say about incarcerating us in their dungeons? What do they say about starving us into submission? What do they say about their Phoenix Guards beating and killing us?"

  "A point," I said.

  "I'll be gone all day tomorrow."

  "Yes, I suppose you will."

  "Good night, Vlad."

&nbs
p; "Good night, Cawti."

  She went into the bedroom. I moved over to the long-chair and sat down on the soft darrskin, stretched over a hardwood frame. It was still warm where she'd sat in it. Aibynn stopped playing, looked at me, expressed a wish that I'd sleep without dreaming, then put his drum down and went into the blue room. I stared out at the night through the window and felt the warm breeze that smelled just a little of the sea. Loiosh and Rocza flew over and sat on my lap. I scratched their respective chins, and presently I fell asleep.

  I had a dream I don't really remember, which is almost the same as not dreaming. I think the growing light in the room and the voice in my head were both worked into it. The ugly taste in my mouth was not. I hate talking to people, even psionically, before I've had a chance to rinse my mouth out. "Who is it?"

  "It's your trusty and true assistant. "

  "Joy. What is it, Kragar?"

  "Glowbug just got offered six thousand for looking the other way while some nice fellow sends you on to your next life. "

  "Six thousand? Just for looking the other way? Verra. I've come up in the world."

  I get the impression that he was tempted. "

  "He 'd be stupid if he wasn 't. Why didn't he take it?"

  "He thinks you're lucky. On the other hand, he's worried"

  "Sensible guy. Let me wake up and and I'll get back to you."

  "Okay."

  I rinsed out my mouth and gave myself a quick wash.

  "I think we're in trouble this time, Loiosh."

  "It's a lot of money, boss. Someone's bound to go for it."

  "Yep."

  I started water for my morning klava and checked on the other occupants of the house. Cawti was gone, Aibynn was still sleeping. I put a log into the stove and used sorcery to light it, then set a couple of my rolls in it, got out butter and some ginger preserves. I poured the water over the ground klava, took the rolls out, prepared them, dumped heavy cream and honey in the klava, sat down, ate, drank, and thought.

  Someone with the resources Boralinoi had could get me, eventually. Sooner or later, someone on my staff would give. Hell, with the kind of money he was throwing around, I might have sold out one of my own bosses at one time. Personal loyalty only gets you so far in this business; cash gets you further. There were three ways I could think of to prevent him from buying someone off and setting me up. The first, to kill Boralinoi before he could get to me, was a fine idea but impractical; it would take two or three days, at least, to even get all the information on him that I would need. For the second, outbidding him I just didn't have the resources. That left the third, which would have several potential repercussions that needed serious consideration. I had another roll.

  I took my time eating and thinking. When I was done, I put the plate into the bucket drew some more water and got sticky stuff off my face and hands.

  "Kragar. Kragar. Kragar. " "Who is it?"

  "Master Mustache himself. When can you have everyone in the office?"

  "What does 'everyone' mean this time, Vlad?" "All my enforcers, Melestav, you." Is it urgent enough that they should break off whatever they're doing?"

  "Might as well. There isn't any time of day or night when some of them won't be busy doing something."

  "I guess. How 'bout an hour?"

  "I'll see you then."

  "Want an escort?"

  "No. Just make sure there's no one around the office who might want to do me injury."

  "Okay, boss. We'll be there in an hour." I finished dressing, made certain of all of my concealed weaponry, and collected both Loiosh and Rocza. Aibynn was up by then, but I was pretty distracted so we didn't converse much. I send Loiosh outside first to make sure the street was clear, then carefully teleported to a spot within a quick dash of my office, but that held possibilities for other escapes if that route was blocked. It turned out to be unnecessary; except for the usual wave of nausea, the teleport was uneventful. I ducked inside the psychedelics shop that was a front for the gambling room that was a front for my office, and there I waited until I felt a little better. I went back and into my office.

  They were there, twelve enforcers, Kragar, and Melestav. We were crammed into the area outside of my office and Kragar's, in front of Melestav's desk. I sat on the edge of his desk and considered the fourteen killers here assembled. Glowbug squatted against the wall, looking intense. Melestav, whose desk I'd usurped, stood near me protectively, looking at the others as if he wasn't quite sure I was safe, which was possible. There was Chimov, in the middle, waiting patiently. And the others. Stick would have grabbed a chair in front, and his long legs would have stretched out to the side, his arms folded and he would have been looking curious and ironic.

  An anger began to build up inside me but I had no time for it now; I concentrated on those who were there. These were the men who kept my business going, who, just by existing, prevented Jhereg with hungry eyes from creeping into my area or trying to push me around. These were the men who took turns guarding my back when I'd walk around my area, and inspecting meeting places to make certain everything was safe. If I couldn't count on them, I might as well kill myself.

  For the first time, as I studied them studying me, it seemed odd that there were no women among them. It has been Jhereg custom, as long as the Organization has existed that most of the women were sorcerers, and worked in what was referred to as the Left Hand of the Jhereg, or, informally, the Bitch Patrol. When they didn't refer to us as the Right Hand of the Jhereg, they had many colorful names for us that I see no need to go into. The two organizations cooperate, but there is no love lost between them. Once, many years before, I'd been told by an Oracle that my own left hand would bring me to the brink of ruin, and I'd wondered if the Oracle referred to the Left Hand of the Jhereg.

  But I digress.

  "First of all," I said, "let me tell you what's going on, as far as I can tell. The gentleman who's after my head this time is much bigger than anyone who's been after it before. He has the resources to offer six thousand to anyone who will just move aside and let me get it, not to mention what he's willing to pay to the man with the knife. On the other hand, the last thing he wants is a war, so I don't think he's going to be going after any of you directly.

  This," I went on, "leaves each of you with several voices. You can, of course, sell me out. Pretty tempting this time. I hope to make it less so in a moment. Two, you can continue business as usual and hope I can come out on top yet again, unlikely as that seems. Or, third, you can get out while you're still alive. That is what I wish to discourage."

  I paused and looked about the room once more. No change in any expression, and—where was Kragar? Oh, there. Good. "This entire affair will run its course, I think, in a very few days. At the end of that time, if I win, you will all be doing at least as well as you do now, maybe better. If I lose, of course, things won't look so good.

  "None of you will be protecting me, because I will not be going around with any protection." That caused a few eyes to widen. "In fact, I will not be going around at all. I will be hiding, and Kragar will run things, though I'll be in touch with him. This will remove the temptation to sell me out, because you won't be able to do so. It will remove the danger that you'll be taken down in an attempt on me, because, if there is such an attempt, you won't be there. This will begin at once, at the end of this meeting.

  "So all I'm asking, gentlemen, is that you keep working for a few days and see how it all shakes out. I think the potential gains are worth the risks. Any questions?"

  There were none. "Fair enough. Let Kragar know if you want out. That's all." I stood and walked into my office, moving abruptly just in case someone had been bought off and thought he could get out alive in the confusion. I sat behind my desk, feeling as if all my senses were sharpened, so I noticed Kragar as he came in. I said, "Well?"

  "They're all sticking."

  "Good. What do you think of the whole thing?"

  "Nice of you to warn me in advance
about my new responsibilities, Vlad."

  "What new responsibilities? It's nothing more than you've been doing for most of the last year, anyway."

  "I guess. Do you know where you're going?"

  "I'm not certain. Probably Castle Black. We both know how hard it is to dig someone out of there."

  "And we both know it can be done."

  "True, true. I'm still thinking about it."

  He nodded and looked thoughtful. "As far as I can tell, they're all taking it pretty well."

  "That's good. Guess what your next set of orders is?" He sighed. "Find out everything there is to know about dear Lord Boralinoi. And you want it yesterday."

  "Good guess."

  "It's lucky I started work on it yesterday, or it might have taken longer."

  "You mean you've got it?"

  "No, but I've started. Another day or two and I should have it."

  "Good. Hurry."

  "I know."

  "Any news of the war?"

  "You have better sources than I do. Last I heard they were getting the fleet together in Northport. There's lots of activity at the harbor, in any case." "But no new disasters?"

  "A couple more freighters sunk, and there's a rumor of a convoy being attacked by some ships from Elde, but I don't know if it's true." I nodded. "How about South Adrilankha?" He looked uncomfortable. "Not good, Vlad. While you were off having tea with the Empress, there were some nasty skirmishes between press gangs and Easterners. Word is two Phoenix Guards were killed and another eleven or so injured." "And Easterners?"

  "No idea. Thing is, it's spreading. Nothing around here, yet, but there have been signs of trouble on the docks and in Little Deathgate." "What sort of trouble?" 'Placards going up, Teckla banding together and throwing things at Phoenix Guards. One or two barricades went up in Little Deathgate, but they didn't last long."

  "Anyone hurt?"

  "Not yet."

  "That's something. What's the issue? Conscription?"

  "No. Kelly's arrest."

  "By the Phoenix!"

  "That's what the word is."