Dzur Read Free Page B

in a sick sort of way. Now it was sounding sick, in a funny sort of way.
    Mihi wanted to know if I was ready for-no, I wasn't. He could return after our guest left, as our guest didn't care to dine. Mihi understood and vanished into that place waiters and creditors go when they aren't in front of you.
    "Okay," I said. "Let's hear it."
    He nodded and smiled. Like the guy who lived downstairs, as I said before. Or else maybe the old man who pinches the pretty girl in the market, but she smiles back instead of smacking him. That guy.
    "The Dagger started out by-"
    "She isn't called that anymore."
    He gave me an odd look, and said, "That's what I call her."
    "Eh," I said. "Okay."
    "She started out by trying to dismantle the Organization in South Adrilankha entirely."
    I nodded. "And, of course, it popped back up, only outside of her control."
    "Yes."
    "I could have told her that would happen."
    He tilted his head a little. "Some things are easy to see when you aren't in the middle of them."
    "I suppose. What next?"
    "She managed to get back some control of the area, and tried running it-" He frowned. "More gently, I suppose you'd say." I grunted. "That's what I'd have tried first."
    "It didn't work either. As I understand it, debts went uncollected, profit margins were too small-"
    "I get the idea."
    He nodded. "So, well, various individuals started smelling opportunities. You know how that works."
    "Yeah."
    "I don't," said Telnan brightly. We ignored him. Mario said, "She tried to hang on to what she had, but, really, she didn't have an organization; just herself and her reputation. That only goes so far."
    I nodded.
    "Then she started getting help. A few button-men turned up dead, and-"
    "Help from whom?"
    "That's the big question."
    I gave him a look.
    "No," he said. "I had no part in it."
    "Then who . . .? Oh."
    He nodded. "Her old partner."
    "The Sword of the Jhereg."
    "Yes," he said. "At least, that's the rumor."
    "The Sword of the Jhereg, now Dragon Heir to the Throne." He nodded. "And not just her personally, but she included various friends and retainers."
    "Aliera?"
    "No. Just some Dragonlords who felt obligated to help her, no matter what."
    "That could get ugly."
    "Yes," he said.
    "If word gets out that the Dragon Heir is involving her-self in-"
    "Exactly."
    I rubbed my chin. "They've just gotten over the last near-scandal with her. But I can see it. Norathar and Cawti-" it still gave me a twinge to say her name-"are friends. Norathar can't just let it alone."
    "Precisely. And it's upset Aliera more than a little."
    "She mentioned nothing about it to me."
    He frowned. "I don't know the whole story, but it seems to me that when you last saw Aliera-"
    "About two hours ago," I said.
    He nodded. "It seems she had other things on her mind."
    "Yeah, I suppose she did."
    "And then you left rather abruptly."
    "I suppose I did. Has anything been heard from Kiera the Thief in all this?"
    His brows came together. "Why would it concern her?"
    "No reason that I know of. Just wondering."
    He shook his head.
    I leaned back in my chair. "So, Aliera would like me to see if I can help out."
    Mario nodded. "As long as you have returned to the area anyway."
    "Yeah, as long as I'm here." I didn't quite roll my eyes. I said, "I admit that, in some ways, I'm in a position to help. At any rate, I know the principles rather well."
    He nodded again.
    "And I can't argue that the whole situation isn't my fault." He nodded again, which was uncalled-for.
    "But there's the issue that, if I stay around this area for more than a few hours, my life isn't worth a rusted copper."
    "That's where we come to the new resources you are reputed to have." Telnan twitched a little when he said that. He had, it seemed, mostly been lost during the entire conversation, but he must have guessed something about what we spoke of there.
    I ignored him and said to Mario, "Not enough to take on the whole Jhereg, thank you very much."
    "And an additional resource you may