The Paths of the Dead (Viscount of Adrilankha) Read Free Page A

noticed, in a two-story stone bungalow 1 set back from the road, a small sign saying, “Let Rooms:” Now, our friend the traveler could imagine no reason for anyone to put up a sign suggesting that others let rooms; but, to the left, he found it easy to imagine that someone who found calligraphy a chore might save himself the trouble of scripting out, “We have rooms to let,” and might, indeed, shorten it to, “Let Rooms.” The possibility that this was the case was so strong, in fact,—that he immediately resolved to test it by entering the bungalow and inquiring. We need hardly add that this resolution was no sooner made than acted upon.
    Entering, then, he found himself in a narrow, dingy room, lit only by a single candle, this candle being the sole occupant of a tiny, square table, the table being accompanied by a plain wooden chair, and the chair being occupied by a skinny, balding old Easterner, who looked up from under bushy eyebrows that were astonishingly black compared to the grey of what remained of his hair. Without saying a word, the Easterner waited for the traveler to speak. This the traveler did, and almost instantly, by pronouncing the words, “Have you, in fact, rooms to let?”
    The old man stared up at the warlock for some few moments, as if startled by his exceptional height The traveler was used to this, however, and merely waited for the inspection to be completed. Eventually it was, and the old man said, “You wish for a room for tonight?”
    “You have said it exactly. So well, in fact, that I cannot improve upon it I wish for a room for tonight.”
    “It chances that we do have one. Fourteen fennick for the night, which includes one meal and a bath.”
    “That does not sound too expensive, only—”
    “Yes?”
    “What is a fennick?”
    “Ah. What currency have you?”
    “I? I have the coinage of Esania”
    “Well, that is perfectly good coinage, and in those coins, we would we ask nine pennies, and we will add a breakfast to make up the difference.”
    “I see. Yes, that is most fair, and I should be glad to take the room on those terms.”
    “Well then, young man, it is yours, for as long as you wish. Climb the stairs, and it is the doorway on the right.”
    The traveler carefully counted out nine pennies, then made his way up the stairs and, finding the room with no more trouble than one might suppose after hearing the simple directions, let himself into it He looked around and noted with pleasure that the bedding appeared to have no holes through which straw could emerge, and that, moreover, the room possessed both a chair and a window. He set his satchel on the floor, and studied the view from the window. As there was little of interest to him, and less of interest to the reader, we will forbear to describe the scene upon which he looked, and merely follow him as he left his room in order to have, as he thought, a brief walk through the town before retiring for the evening and continuing his journey in the morning.
    He came down the stairs, then, and turned up the narrow street to see if he might find a public house where he could take a glass of wine and meet a few of the local denizens. It took him some time to locate it, because it was a small house unadorned with any sign or indication of its nature, but at length he happened
to notice that it was uncommonly busy for a simple home and asked a passerby, who confirmed his deduction.
    Upon entering, the young warlock observed a single room, well lit by hanging lamps. There were a few hard wooden chairs scattered about, but most of the patrons were standing in groups of four or five drinking beer or wine. Discovering that he felt suddenly uncomfortable, the traveler made his way to a corner that appeared to be more-or-less deserted, and which, moreover, contained an unoccupied chair. This chair, we should say, was next to a small round table, which table contained a head full of dark, curly hair, which head was attached to a