Aftermath tw-10

by Robert Asprin

  "That," Hanse said in a voice dry as the desert, "I know." After a silent moment he said, "And you've rendered good service in Sanctuary, too. Just a pair of do-gooders to each other's towns, aren't we!"

  "Urn." Strick made muttering noises about having to go back and forth from his fancy villa every day, ending with "I'm a man of the people who'd rather live in town."

  "Why, I can help you with that," Hanse assured him, all wide-eyed. "Be happy to accept the villa as a gift, Strick." With a wry smile, Strick asked who owned the Vulgar Unicorn. At last Hanse let his wiry form slide down into the chair across the desk from the master of white spells. "Old Earrings' You've asked me something I know. Unless the place has changed hands since I left, the owner's the physician Nadeesh, on the Street of Goldsmiths. Can't miss him. He wears moonstones." Hanse held up two fingers. "Two. Earrings. Stones black as a tax collector's heart."

  "Nadeesh the physician," the big man repeated. "Thanks, Hanse. Oh -where are you staying?

  Hanse's expression became bland and blank, the business face of the thief called Shadowspawn. "I ... get around, Strick. If you should want me for anything, just leave word at the Vulgar U or at Sly's."

  Strick nodded. "Oh, and your young woman-I gave her my amu- let ..."

  "Which served her, me, and Firaqa mighty well," Hanse assured him. "Let's, uh, talk about that some other time, all right? I have a young woman with me. Odd that you mentioned Old Earrings, or asked about him-I picked up a nice pair of earrings just last night, as a present for her. Silky. Well, actually her name is Vivispor, but who cares-just a girl I, uh, picked up in Suma."

  "You ... 'picked ... up' ... a pair of earrings."

  "Right," Hanse said equably, and was hasty to cut off further com- ment or queries with "And I'm fresh out of a cat. You know, I really got accustomed to havin' that damned cat with me. I hate to admit it, but I already miss-oh, No!"

  For the second time within a half hour or so, Strick sat gazing at a person on the other side of his worktable who was staring past him in surprise unto shock. Since Hanse did not shriek or reach for one or more of his several weapons, however, Strick refrained from giving another demonstration of his swiftness and the fact that he was armed.

  Besides, this visitor soon announced its presence in its own voice; a very low and sweet voice at that:

  "mew."

  "Damn it. Notable, you sneaked out of Sly's and followed me again! Up the side of the building next door, even!"

  So that's how he accomplished his not-so-impossible surprise entry!

  "I'm sorry, Strick. C'mere, you dam' cat. He always makes that sick- eningly sweet li'l kitten sound when he hears aggravation in my voice and he thinks he deserves a tongue-lashing. Come ... Here, Note ... able!"

  "mew?"

  Strick sat very still while the red cat-unduly, unequivocally, and al- most unconscionably large-trotted tippy-toe past him and, an instant after Hanse said "No, Notable!" and started to duck, precipitately ap- peared on the lap of the seated young man's tunic. Hanse grunted and gave the spellwright an unusually, unconditionally, and decidedly un- wontedly subdued and guilty look.

  "I'm, uh, sorry, Strick."

  "It looks very much as if Notable has decided he is your cat, Hanse, not Ahdio's."

  "Aye, I know," Hanse said. His voice was sad, though .his face was not.

  "Once a cat makes up its mind ..."

  "Alleged mind. Aye, I know. It's just that Ahdio's so damned big ..."

  "Urn. Let's hope he's big about understanding, too. Hanse ... listen, I need a favor. Two."

  "Uh."

  "Take Frax and Wints out and show them how you got in here. Tell them I want them to make any changes necessary to make sure no one can do it again."

  "Strick, I swear: no one else could."

  Strick sat staring at him in silence until Hanse had to exert his strength to keep from looking down. The expression of wide-eyed innocence that had long served him well with others didn't work with this man. This maker of spells was different. Strick was like ... like no one.

  At last Hanse asked, "What's the second favor?"

  "Don't ever come in that way again."

  "Strick, I swear I won't."

  "Good. Thanks. Otherwise, Hanse, good to see you and thanks for the information about this Nadeesh. We must get together and talk again. After hours, and normally."

  "Uh." After a time Hanse said, "Damn! You just dismissed me, didn't you?"

  "I work days, Hanse. People are waiting."

  Hanse gazed at him, his mouth slowly widening. "Strick, you're really something! Let's go, Notable, you dam' cat."

  On the way out he saw that Strick hadn't exaggerated: two others sat in the downstairs waiting room. One had the look of a Rankan of sub- stance. Strick sure is doing well by doing good here, Hanse mused, and winked at the icily staring blue-uniformed man with the sword and dag- ger. Ex-palace guard, Hanse was sure. He recognized Wints, too, but pretended not to notice. A shaking sight, Wints decently dressed, shaved, and looking as if he knew who he was!

  A few steps down the street called Straight, Notable pacing at his side, he saw still another woman with silver hair. Strick had started this craze? Damn, why? A man never knows whether a woman's dyed, prematurely gray or extraordinarily well preserved!

  Avenestra ushered in a well-dressed Rankan noble.

  Strick swiftly learned that Noble Abadas was new in Sanctuary; he was cousin to Theron, the new emperor-by-his-own-hand. Noble Abadas was of medium height, perhaps ten pounds overweight, with receding light brown hair and reddish mustache, big ears, and stubby fingers. Superb eyes the color of doeskin met Strick's directly, which was impressive. Abadas was just arrived from Ranke with his daughter and, unusually, a single servant. He wanted a good place to live, he said, and planned to staff with Ilsigi; locals-

  Odd Rankan, Strick thought. Seems to be a liberal who wants to show what a good fellow a Rankan can be; particularly the ... agent?-spy? -of the new emperor!

  "I have deposited funds with a local banker. You know Renn."

  Strick nodded. Renn was one of the two men he banked with, both Ilsigi.

  "He showed me around a bit," Abadas said. "I have to say that I saw two places I love, Spellmaster. One, a villa, turns out to be yours!"

  "Ah."

  By the time Noble Abadas departed Strick's place of business, the two foreigners to Sanctuary had made a business arrangement. Strick was happy to have leased the villa he bought from Izamel (since old Izamel and other wealthy, old-money Ilsigi kindly loaned him the money) to Abadas for an amount that was a shade more than Strick's loan pay- ments and taxes. The current inflation helped; Strick had recently bought the place at what were now called "old rates"; prereconstruction rates! Their deal made both men happy.

  Strick called in his man-of-all-tasks.

  "Wints, go to Cusharlain. Tell him I am looking for a large place in town, preferably a house I can also use as a shop. All right?"

  "Yes sir. Oh, are you-"

  "Good. Then go to Gilla Lalo'swife. Ask that good woman whether any of her children or relatives would like good employment with a decent Rankan noble. All right?"

  "Yes sir. Sir, I-"

  "Aye, I am sure that you know of some prospective servants for the household of the lord Abadas, Wints. Just go on about my business my way, for now."

  Wintsenay went.

  In the next hour Strick saw four people. He refused to do anything at all for the one who wanted vengeance on a landlord, used a minor spell and an unnecessary foul-tasting concoction to get rid of the really ugly warts on another's face, told a third sadly that he could do nothing about the long-twisted leg but secretly made a spell to make the poor woman more accepting, at least, and told a sufferer of persistently upset stomach that he needed to go to a physician, at once. It wasn't.as if anyone was gong to cure the rampant malignant growth Strick saw in the too-young man's upper intestine, but at least he could go through his final weeks of life i
n a drugged state. For all this the spellwright took in three pieces of silver and a nice bolt of cloth of a color he did not desire. Well, he could trade it, or use it as gift goods.

  Avenestra came in, chewing.

  "No one else is waiting, LJncie. I hung out the 'closed' sign as you said."

  "Good!" He rose and stretched.

  "Ooooh! What a beautiful bolt of cloth!"

  "You like that, Avneh?"

  "It's just beautiful. Uncle! I love paisley!"

  "Hmm. We may not be able to do anything about your craving for sweets, poor baby. But show me that you can come in here without chewing on something and we'll see what we can have made for you from this."

  "Oh I'm sorry, Uncle. Mother Shipri make me strong!"

  Strick patter her shoulder, turning a little sidewise to avoid being hugged (with hands one of which he saw was sticky from some pastry), and hurried downstairs to collect Fulcris. Leaving Avenestra "in charge" and Frax on guard, Strick and his other aide headed for the Street of Goldsmiths.

  Nadeesh the leech had heard of the foreign spellwright who had come here to be of such value to Sanctuary, both physically and psychologi- cally. His sad-looking servant ushered the visitors in to his master. Nadeesh the leech was a cadaverously thin man with hair that began at about the midpoint atop his skull and dangled stringily in long ugly strands of corpse-gray. He looked to be seventy or more. He also, Strick and Fulcris discovered, wore only one earring. Attired in a paradoxically bright tunic that appeared to be draped over mere bone, he sat weakly in a chamber made dim by drawn drapes. Strick saw at once that he was in bad shape, and not just from the healed wound that showed his left earring had been torn from him. The fellow looked far too old for his age, which he said was "about fifty."

  "What do you think is wrong with you, sir?"

  "Can't find a cause, sir. Just last night a friend-a fellow physician- suggested that it might be ... a spell,"

  Strick saw the little shiver that went through this too-thin man as he spoke those words. Showing confidence and making sure to project it, Strick suggested that he look. Nadeesh agreed, nervously.

  "What-what do you need to do?"

  "I need for you to give me something of value, and then just lie back and try hard not to think of anything at all. I will have my hands on your shoulders, that's all."

  The physician snorted. "Only the gods know how many patients I've said that to-and all of us knowing all the while that it's completely impossible!"

  With a little smile, Strick accepted the proffered coin and set his hands on shoulders that might have been mere bone covered by the other man's yellow tunic- The Firaqi wizard was quite able to stare at nothing.

  It took him only seconds to discover the cause of Nadeesh's malaise.

  "Your friend was right, leech. Someone has set a dark spell on you."

  Nadeesh moaned.

  "Hmm. And left a barrier. Perhaps you would think of an opening gate, opening doors, a cave with a wide open mouth ... no no, please be still but not stiff ... hmm."

  A little work discovered the impossible: the spell came from a dead man. One Marype, the son of a mage named Mizraith and long appren- ticed to a shadowy mage name Markmor. The problem was that every- one knew Marype was dead! Except that this spell is not that old. Marype is vehemently alive! Furthermore he's past the apprentice stage-past jour- neyman, by the Flame! Strick concentrated, began to sweat ... and soon realized that the severity of Nadeesh's affliction was because Marype had gained possession of something belonging to the physician.

  "Ah, the earring, and thus a bit of blood!"

  "Wh-what?" The wizened physician's voice quavered.

  Strick released those frighteningly bony shoulders and sat beside the man who looked far too old for the age he claimed. The spellmaker would have bet that before this malignant spell the physician had looked fifteen years younger.

  "How did you lose your earring?"

  "Late one night about two months ago I was set upon by footpads and -by the gods! This began about then! I have lost very much weight in these past two months, Strick, and of course strength as well."

  "Urn. Those were not footpads, Nadeesh, but men hired for a definite assignment. A dark mage who hates you used them to gain possession not only of your earring but, since it was torn from your ear, a bit of your blood as well. It has enabled him to make a powerful spel! indeed."

  "How do you know this?"

  "Do you answer your patients when they ask you such a question?"

  "No. And usually I cannot answer this one; What is to happen to me?"

  "You already know. You are wasting away; no one would know that it's the result of an inimical spell. I'd say this sorcerer intends your death."

  Nadeesh surprised his visitor with a string of words concerning the unnamed mage, his sexual activities, and his mother. Then:

  "Who is it? Who has done this, Spellmaster?"

  "That I cannot say," Strick said, as perfectly capable of lying when he deemed it wise as any physician. "What mage hates you so much?"

  "None! I mean-I've no idea."

  "You've never treated a sorcerer?"

  "Not knowingly."

  "Urn. In that case, have you refused treatment to a sorcerer?"

  "Not knowingly," Nadeesh repeated. After a few seconds he added, "But now one is going to murder me."

  "Is murdering you," Strick said, staring at nothing. "Unless we can do something about it."

  Nadeesh lurch up, gasping with effort. "You think you can?"

  "One can always try. In this case, one must."

  "I don't understand."

  "Never mind. You are too good a man to be murdered this way with- out my trying to stop it."

  A long sigh escaped the pitifully wizened man, and Strick heard the rattle in his scrawny throat.

  "Bearing in mind that I am a spellwright, not a physician, let us dis- cuss the bill in advance."

  Nadeesh's smile was hideous, but genuine. "You certainly have me, sir. Name the price and I shall agree. Understand that if the patient dies, however, he cannot pay."

  Despite the gravity of the complaint of his "patient," Strick laughed aloud.

  They discussed his bill.

  Hanse noted more construction/reconstruction on his way to pay a visit to Mignureal's widowed father. It was not something Hanse wanted to do. He had loved Moonflower, Mignue's gross diviner of a mother; he was able to admit that to himself, now. Ahdio and a couple of others at Sly's Place last night had already observed that the dark, youthful man called Shadowspawn was "different." They were right. Events on the desert and up in Maidenhead Wood had changed him a bit; the Mignureal experience had enforced responsibility and changed him ac- cordingly; the constant dark shadow of sorcery and ghastly events in Firaqa had changed and matured him; and so had more recent experi- ences in Suma.

  The presence of the outsized red cat strolling along at his side, tail high, attracted plenty of looks. Hanse's eyes and the presence of so many sharp blades worn openly here and there about his person persuaded people to keep their comments to themselves or low-voiced. Once he did hear a scornful laugh and knew it for a deliberate attempt at provocation. He didn't even turn. Shadowspawn was "different," yes.

  At the shop where Mignureal's father Teretaff sold this and that . - . item, he was admitted by one of Mignureal's dark-haired and dark-eyed younger sisters. Since their number was several and Hanse had never been interested in children, he wasn't sure of this one's name. Odd, how she had bloomed in so short a time. Girls had a way of doing that, and the S'danzo did seem to bloom earlier than others.

  He entered into warmth made heavy by a fragrant mix of odors, aro- mas, smells, scents of foods and leather and spices and perfumes and other herbal ... things. The shop had always been cluttered. It was more so now, with Moonflower dead.

  "Does your father have a, uh, woman friend?" he asked, feeling sneaky, and was not displeased by the shaking of a large-eyed head. What was t
his girl, about thirteen? That meant that the next one-the boy Cormentaff-was fourteen. Another member of the family was pushing sixteen too, as he recalled. The one with red hair, or almost red. What was her name, anyhow?

  This one made girlish noises over Notable, who eluded her attempts to pet him. The cat disappeared behind a counter.

  "He, uh, he's a one-man cat," Hanse explained. "Notable, if you knock anything over or get into anything it will go hard with you!"

  "Mraow."

  Hanse was not happy to discover that Teretaff already had a visitor. The aged S'danzo "chief" with the implacable eyes and straight mouth and the usual multicolored, modestly cut garb barely acknowledged Hanse's presence. Hanse was determinedly respectful. The Termagant was not visiting Teretaff, he realized; she was interested in the almost- sixteen-year-old. Now both stared at Hanse, Jileel from huge round eyes the color of walnut wood flanked by a great deal of hair the color of a roan horse. Her blouse was striped yellow and green and was unaccount- ably stuffed; under a multiprint apron, her skirts showed six or nine other colors and hues.

  "You left here with my daughter," Teretaff said, but it was a question rather than an accusation.

  "Precipitately," the Termagant said, straight-mouthed and flat-eyed.

  Suddenly Hanse has to tell them, no matter the consequences: "Yes. When I found Moonflower I went wild. I started running, ran into a fish -a, un, Beysib, and killed it. Her. I think it was the one who ki- who ..."

  "Oh, I do hope it was!" the almost-sixteen-year-old said ferociously, in a rather throaty voice.

  "Jileel!" the Termagant snapped, inadvertently helping Hanse by pro- viding the girl's name.

  Teretaff glanced at her, and back to Hanse. "I hope so too, Hanse. She did like you, my wife."

  Hanse was surprised to hear himself say, "I loved her, Teretaff."

  All three of the others blinked. At last the old woman said, "You have changed, young man."

  Hanse nodded. "We endured much. We even accomplished much, up in Firaqa."

  "Firaqa?"

  "A city far north. Strange people with a strange religion. Ruled by a sort of council of sorcerers. The chief was also the most evil and I sup- pose the most powerful. He's dead, now. Teretaff, Termagant ... Mignureal's powers soared, in Firaqa. She was glad to find a small colony of S'danzo. They were unwelcome in Firaqa; S'danzo, I mean. That's no longer true. She ... Mignureal has remained there, Teretaff. She's an accomplished Seer, now, an amoushem. Did I say that right?"