by Tim Pratt
“My mother was a stone mason. I helped in her workshop.”
A tendril of guilt niggled at Jendara. She had never asked Zuna about her family or her background. She’d noticed the woman’s Mwangi features and her Chelish accent, and simply assumed that like most sailors, Zuna came from wandering stock. But it sounded as if, like Jendara, Zuna had come to sailing via a circuitous route.
“Hey!” Sarni’s cheerful voice echoed in the staircase. She bounded up beside Jendara. “You find anything interesting yet?”
Zuna rubbed her ears. “I was just about to say the stairs seem fairly sound, although I wouldn’t shout in here or anything.”
“Do you think sound could set off a cave-in?” Jendara asked. She squinted up the staircase, trying to see beyond their little bubble of light. She hoped the thing didn’t go too much further. Visiting an ancient city was one thing; being trapped underground in an ancient city was an entirely different matter.
“It’s always possible, so I’d keep all voices to a dull roar.”
“Sorry,” Sarni whispered, although her face lost none of its good cheer. Jendara shot her a smile.
Zuna led on. Jendara kept her hand on the staircase wall. The risers were just short enough to catch on the toe of her boot, while their tremendous depth called for nearly two steps. What kind of foot had this staircase been designed for?
Zuna lowered her lantern. “Do you hear that?”
Jendara stopped to listen. The wind whispered behind her. Sarni’s jacket rustled.
Then something rasped against the stone wall ahead.
Jendara reached for her handaxe.
THE PATHFINDER TALES LIBRARY
Called to Darkness by Richard Lee Byers
Winter Witch by Elaine Cunningham
The Wizard’s Mask by Ed Greenwood
Prince of Wolves by Dave Gross
Master of Devils by Dave Gross
Queen of Thorns by Dave Gross
King of Chaos by Dave Gross
Lord of Runes by Dave Gross
Pirate’s Honor by Chris A. Jackson
Pirate’s Promise by Chris A. Jackson
Pirate’s Prophecy by Chris A. Jackson
Beyond the Pool of Stars by Howard Andrew Jones
Plague of Shadows by Howard Andrew Jones
Stalking the Beast by Howard Andrew Jones
Firesoul by Gary Kloster
The Worldwound Gambit by Robin D. Laws
Blood of the City by Robin D. Laws
Song of the Serpent by Hugh Matthews
Hellknight by Liane Merciel
Nightglass by Liane Merciel
Nightblade by Liane Merciel
City of the Fallen Sky by Tim Pratt
Liar’s Blade by Tim Pratt
Liar’s Island by Tim Pratt
Liar’s Bargain by Tim Pratt
Reign of Stars by Tim Pratt
Bloodbound by F. Wesley Schneider
The Crusader Road by Michael A. Stackpole
Death’s Heretic by James L. Sutter
The Redemption Engine by James L. Sutter
Forge of Ashes by Josh Vogt
Skinwalkers by Wendy N. Wagner
The Dagger of Trust by Chris Willrich
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tim Pratt is the author of the Pathfinder Tales novels Liar’s Blade and Liar’s Island (also featuring Rodrick and Hrym), City of the Fallen Sky, and Reign of Stars. His creator-owned stories have appeared in The Best American Short Stories, The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror, and other nice places, and he is the author of three story collections, most recently Antiquities and Tangibles, as well as a poetry collection. He has also written several novels, including contemporary fantasies The Strange Adventures of Rangergirl, Briarpatch, Heirs of Grace, and The Deep Woods; the Forgotten Realms novel Venom in Her Veins; the gonzo historical steampunk novel The Constantine Affliction (under the name T. Aaron Payton); and, as T. A. Pratt, eight books in the urban fantasy series about ass-kicking sorcerer Marla Mason: Blood Engines, Poison Sleep, Dead Reign, Spell Games, Broken Mirrors, Grim Tides, Bride of Death, and the prequel Bone Shop. He edited the anthology Sympathy for the Devil, and coedited the Rags & Bones anthology with Melissa Marr.
He has won a Hugo Award for best short story, a Rhysling Award for best speculative poetry, and an Emperor Norton Award for best San Francisco Bay Area-related novel. His books and stories have been nominated for Nebula, Mythopoeic, World Fantasy, and Bram Stoker awards, among others, and have been translated into numerous languages.
He lives in Berkeley, California with his wife Heather Shaw and son River, and works as a senior editor and occasional book reviewer at Locus, the Magazine of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Field. He blogs intermittently at www.timpratt.org. Or sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Inner Sea Region
Story Locations
1: A River Crossing
2: A Journey on Horseback
3: A Conversation Through Bars
4: The Volunteers Assembled
5: Team-Building
6: A Briefing
7: Field Tested
8: The Deep Woods
9: An Island in a Lake
10: Bannerman
11: Rousing the Rabble
12: A Voyage to Tamran
13: A Border Crossing
14: A Red Plume
15: Privateering
16: A Political Prisoner
17: An Excess of Conscience
18: A Dialogue
19: Dissenting Voices
20: Taking Initiative
21: Totenmaske
22: The Necklace
23: A Desperate Offer
24: A Family Heirloom
25: A Family Reunion
26: The Interdicted Library
27: A Special Collection
28: A Rescue
29: The Convincer
30: The Wrong Side of the Bars
31: True Forms
32: Shattered
Acknowledgments
Glossary
Excerpt from Pathfinder Tales: Starspawn
The Pathfinder Tales Library
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
PATHFINDER TALES: LIAR’S BARGAIN
Copyright © 2016 by Paizo Inc.
All rights reserved.
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First Edition: June
2016
eISBN 9780765384300
First eBook edition: May 2016