[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
mountainous repast before him. He had not yet succeeded when he became aware of a presence
close at hand, and he ceased eating. Looking down to his left, he saw Hemas, the Dwarf. He was
fully sober and had both boots on now, and the eerie, milk-blue eyes that looked back at him
from his dark, strong face were solemn and intelligent. He and Arrowsmith considered each
other, then Hemas bowed stiffly. Arrowsmith rose up to return the greeting, leaving poor Hemas
at around slightly lower than hip-level. He bowed back to the Dwarf.
"Why don't you sit down and join me? There's more than enough for two of us. I think the
thieves want to make me too fat to get out the door."
Hemas smiled and bowed again. "You're very kind," he said, and they both sat down. "I came
down to thank you for my room last night, and ask if I can repay you in some way." He smiled
tightly, and the black hair on his chin bristled slightly. "A week ago, I could have offered you
gems for your kindness."
"I don't need gems," said Arrowsmith with a wave of his hand. "Got everything I need." He
paused to look at the imposing spread of food before him. "More than I need, in fact."
The Dwarf laughed. "So I see. Yes, they've been all excited about your arrival. You'd best get
used to this, the children of Marakim know how to treat their own."
"Gonna die of a ruptured intestine from all this food," muttered Arrowsmith, and Hemas roared
with laughter. Arrowsmith grinned back at him, and the pair set about eating with a vengeance.
After all, if it was there, no sense in letting it go to waste.
Supper was finally done, and as Arrowsmith put his feet up on the table and began filling his
pipe, he noticed that his silent guard had grown slightly. There were seven Thieves now, and he
honestly couldn't recall seeing the three new ones show up. But there they were, perched quietly
around him, keeping vigil. Arrowsmith lit his pipe and ignored them.
"You're trying to get to White Palace, aren't you?" he said to Hemas, and the Dwarf nodded,
accepting the pipe from Arrowsmith.
"I am. If I can get there, then I can meet up with one of the trade wagons from the mountain
where I live. I could get a ride home. Most people who come here are from Twin Lakes, and that
is in the wrong direction. Do you know someone who is going to White Palace?"
A Strange Place in Time - 137
"Yeah. Me. Harley and I could get you there in no time."
"And who is this Harley?"
Arrowsmith pointed over his shoulder at the large bike. Hemas looked at the machine, then back
at Arrowsmith.
"Perhaps it is best just to find permanent lodgings here."
"Oh come on, man, don't be like that. Hey, if Infamous Keeper can drive it..."
"Are you telling me that the Master Thief can drive that thing? That little bony half-Elf? If a
half-Elf can do it, a Dwarf can do it better!" he roared. "When do we leave?"
The Thieves fluttered like settling birds behind Arrowsmith, who was grinning at the determined
frown on the Dwarf's face. "I was planning on leaving in the morning."
"Right!" said Hemas, banging his fist onto the table. He passed Arrowsmith back his pipe, then
got down from his chair. "I'll go get ready!"
As Hemas swaggered off to his room, the Thieves drew closer to Arrowsmith. "Why are you
leaving so soon? Have we offended you?"
"No, not at all," said Arrowsmith, feeling a little wary as more Thieves seemed to seep out of the
walls. He wasn't certain of the number; somehow even in the light of the tavern they did not
seem to be more that half-visible shadows. They perched about him and stared at him with bright
eyes.
"Then why are you leaving?" asked one little shadow who had appeared on the table. Despite
their human form, Arrowsmith couldn't shake the feeling that they were really ferrets in robes.
"Nothing personal, but..." he paused for a moment, trying to organize his thoughts. "I just have
this feeling that I have to get to White Palace, do you know what I mean? I just keep feeling like
I have to get to White Palace. I can't explain it any better than that."
The shadows contemplated him silently, then shrugged. "Very well," said one, and the whole
pack vaporized around him. At first Arrowsmith thought maybe he had offended them and they
had left, but no such luck. They were back in a matter of moments, or possibly it was another
group. It was hard to tell the little night-stalkers apart. Arrowsmith finished his pipe and began
heading up to his room to pack. His urge to get to the city was so strong now that he felt as
though he was being prodded with hot needles, and his stomach was a sick knot.
There were more Thieves in his room. They were perched on the heavy ceiling beams, peering
down at him with interest. Arrowsmith glanced up at them, then went to pack his bags, finding
someone had beaten him to it. He sighed, then looked up at the ghostly shadows. They blinked
A Strange Place in Time - 138
down at him brightly, silently. There might have been three of them. Arrowsmith thought about
the time he had tried to catch Infamous, and shook his head. These fellows were like mist, and
they probably weren't even exceptional thieves. Catching Infamous would be like catching
smoke in a net. Arrowsmith picked up his bags, which were heavier than they had been last
night. So not only had the little blighters packed for him, they had stolen him some goodies, too.
He looked at the saddlebags, then up at the ceiling at the dark shapes.
"You guys are scary, you know that?"
"We know," someone said happily, and not from the ceiling.
Arrowsmith looked in the direction of the voice, and saw nothing. Shaking his head, he took the
bags, left the room and went downstairs. The swarm of ghost-ferrets pursued him, cheerful,
light-footed, spectral. They would be terrifying if they were not so good-natured and inquisitive.
Arrowsmith packed everything onto Harley in preparation for the morning s journey, then
returned to his room to sleep.
***
The common room was absolutely alive with thieves in the morning when Arrowsmith came
downstairs. They were everywhere, situated on anything they could get both feet on, from the
tables to the ceiling beams. He stopped just inside the room and looked around slowly, unable to [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl wyciskamy.pev.pl
mountainous repast before him. He had not yet succeeded when he became aware of a presence
close at hand, and he ceased eating. Looking down to his left, he saw Hemas, the Dwarf. He was
fully sober and had both boots on now, and the eerie, milk-blue eyes that looked back at him
from his dark, strong face were solemn and intelligent. He and Arrowsmith considered each
other, then Hemas bowed stiffly. Arrowsmith rose up to return the greeting, leaving poor Hemas
at around slightly lower than hip-level. He bowed back to the Dwarf.
"Why don't you sit down and join me? There's more than enough for two of us. I think the
thieves want to make me too fat to get out the door."
Hemas smiled and bowed again. "You're very kind," he said, and they both sat down. "I came
down to thank you for my room last night, and ask if I can repay you in some way." He smiled
tightly, and the black hair on his chin bristled slightly. "A week ago, I could have offered you
gems for your kindness."
"I don't need gems," said Arrowsmith with a wave of his hand. "Got everything I need." He
paused to look at the imposing spread of food before him. "More than I need, in fact."
The Dwarf laughed. "So I see. Yes, they've been all excited about your arrival. You'd best get
used to this, the children of Marakim know how to treat their own."
"Gonna die of a ruptured intestine from all this food," muttered Arrowsmith, and Hemas roared
with laughter. Arrowsmith grinned back at him, and the pair set about eating with a vengeance.
After all, if it was there, no sense in letting it go to waste.
Supper was finally done, and as Arrowsmith put his feet up on the table and began filling his
pipe, he noticed that his silent guard had grown slightly. There were seven Thieves now, and he
honestly couldn't recall seeing the three new ones show up. But there they were, perched quietly
around him, keeping vigil. Arrowsmith lit his pipe and ignored them.
"You're trying to get to White Palace, aren't you?" he said to Hemas, and the Dwarf nodded,
accepting the pipe from Arrowsmith.
"I am. If I can get there, then I can meet up with one of the trade wagons from the mountain
where I live. I could get a ride home. Most people who come here are from Twin Lakes, and that
is in the wrong direction. Do you know someone who is going to White Palace?"
A Strange Place in Time - 137
"Yeah. Me. Harley and I could get you there in no time."
"And who is this Harley?"
Arrowsmith pointed over his shoulder at the large bike. Hemas looked at the machine, then back
at Arrowsmith.
"Perhaps it is best just to find permanent lodgings here."
"Oh come on, man, don't be like that. Hey, if Infamous Keeper can drive it..."
"Are you telling me that the Master Thief can drive that thing? That little bony half-Elf? If a
half-Elf can do it, a Dwarf can do it better!" he roared. "When do we leave?"
The Thieves fluttered like settling birds behind Arrowsmith, who was grinning at the determined
frown on the Dwarf's face. "I was planning on leaving in the morning."
"Right!" said Hemas, banging his fist onto the table. He passed Arrowsmith back his pipe, then
got down from his chair. "I'll go get ready!"
As Hemas swaggered off to his room, the Thieves drew closer to Arrowsmith. "Why are you
leaving so soon? Have we offended you?"
"No, not at all," said Arrowsmith, feeling a little wary as more Thieves seemed to seep out of the
walls. He wasn't certain of the number; somehow even in the light of the tavern they did not
seem to be more that half-visible shadows. They perched about him and stared at him with bright
eyes.
"Then why are you leaving?" asked one little shadow who had appeared on the table. Despite
their human form, Arrowsmith couldn't shake the feeling that they were really ferrets in robes.
"Nothing personal, but..." he paused for a moment, trying to organize his thoughts. "I just have
this feeling that I have to get to White Palace, do you know what I mean? I just keep feeling like
I have to get to White Palace. I can't explain it any better than that."
The shadows contemplated him silently, then shrugged. "Very well," said one, and the whole
pack vaporized around him. At first Arrowsmith thought maybe he had offended them and they
had left, but no such luck. They were back in a matter of moments, or possibly it was another
group. It was hard to tell the little night-stalkers apart. Arrowsmith finished his pipe and began
heading up to his room to pack. His urge to get to the city was so strong now that he felt as
though he was being prodded with hot needles, and his stomach was a sick knot.
There were more Thieves in his room. They were perched on the heavy ceiling beams, peering
down at him with interest. Arrowsmith glanced up at them, then went to pack his bags, finding
someone had beaten him to it. He sighed, then looked up at the ghostly shadows. They blinked
A Strange Place in Time - 138
down at him brightly, silently. There might have been three of them. Arrowsmith thought about
the time he had tried to catch Infamous, and shook his head. These fellows were like mist, and
they probably weren't even exceptional thieves. Catching Infamous would be like catching
smoke in a net. Arrowsmith picked up his bags, which were heavier than they had been last
night. So not only had the little blighters packed for him, they had stolen him some goodies, too.
He looked at the saddlebags, then up at the ceiling at the dark shapes.
"You guys are scary, you know that?"
"We know," someone said happily, and not from the ceiling.
Arrowsmith looked in the direction of the voice, and saw nothing. Shaking his head, he took the
bags, left the room and went downstairs. The swarm of ghost-ferrets pursued him, cheerful,
light-footed, spectral. They would be terrifying if they were not so good-natured and inquisitive.
Arrowsmith packed everything onto Harley in preparation for the morning s journey, then
returned to his room to sleep.
***
The common room was absolutely alive with thieves in the morning when Arrowsmith came
downstairs. They were everywhere, situated on anything they could get both feet on, from the
tables to the ceiling beams. He stopped just inside the room and looked around slowly, unable to [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]