The Thief Who Spat In Luck's Good Eye Read Free Page A

pace. “Describe these death lands. Place-names with the word ‘death’ in them tend to make me very wary.”
    “ In practical application, everything of the death lands will attempt to destroy anything not of the death lands that enter them. Grasses will reach out to bind you while more mobile creatures finish you off. Everything has some ability to kill, be it quick or slow. Or so wrote El Rathi.”
    “ Lovely. You’re sure we won’t have to deal with this? Why hasn’t the city been swallowed up?”
    “ I can only assume the residual power of the Twin Gods keep it at bay. The city had not been overtaken at the time of El Rathi’s expedition a century ago. He records seeing the golden domes of what he calls ‘the Tabernacle’ and other structures from the ridge above the valley itself. The death lands seem to border the remains of the city in a precise circle, with the Tabernacle at the center of that circle. Could you stop pacing? It makes me nervous.”
    “ No. This nexus you’re going to magic us to, tell me about it.”
    “ It should be well within the city, and completely safe if I manage to raise the gate.”
    “ I hope you’re right, Holgren.”
    He cocked an eyebrow and shrugged his shoulder slightly. “I’ve made my calculations with the best data available. We should be fine.”
    “ Let’s leave that for the moment. What do we do once we’re in the city?”
    “ Well, that’s really more your end of things, isn’t it?”
    I stopped pacing, tilted my head. “I spent a month getting you research material. There was nothing in all of that to indicate what you’re looking for?”
    He sighed. “Amra, how often are you handed maps that say VALUABLE OBJECT LOCATED HERE?”
    “ I know a sailor down on the docks that could sell you one for every day of the month.”
    “ My point precisely. I imagine the best place to search would be in the Tabernacle that El Rathi mentions, since there appears to be some power there holding the death lands at bay. But I will know it when I find it, not before. I am quite certain it will be a difficult, possibly deadly task to locate and retrieve it. I need your skills. I know no one better at what you do.”
    “ Not who’s willing to help you with this, at any rate. No . . . I’m sorry, that was mean-spirited and uncalled for. I apologize.”
    He shook his head. “No apology necessary. You’re right. No one else would be willing to attempt this. I need to keep that in mind and show my appreciation more.”
    “ You can start by feeding me.”
     
    After an elaborate midday meal at Fraud’s we took a walk down the Promenade, the wide, straight avenue of brick that ran from the Ministry buildings to Harad’s Square. It was lined on both sides by the marble-fronted, slim-columned manses owned by minor nobility and powerful merchants. I had promised myself the first day I’d arrived in Lucernis that I’d own one of them, someday. I’d stumbled down the Promenade—penniless, starving and sick, and bitterly envying those who lived in such luxury. I must have stared at those great houses with real glass in their windows for an hour before the watch had moved me along. Then I went and stole a half a loaf of bread. That had been a long time ago. I didn’t have to steal bread anymore. I didn’t own one of those manses, either.
    The Promenade was wide enough to accommodate four carriages abreast, although no hoof traffic was allowed on it. Wealthy merchants and their wives, government functionaries, and minor nobility took to it to socialize and be seen. Much subtle business was also conducted on the Promenade—important decisions were made here, between principals, and finalized elsewhere. I’d done a fair amount of business in this fashion myself.
    The Promenade was also well policed. Lord Morno, governor of Lucernis, liked to drill his troops here. A small contingent of arquebusiers in fine new crimson uniforms was being marched around by a grizzled