Dragon

"All right. Feel like shopping?"

"Going to buy me something?"

"Like what?"

"Catnip."

"Catnip? Does catnip affect you? When did you—?"

"Probably not. But I don't want to eat it myself."

"Then why—?"

"Bait," said Loiosh.

"Funny, Loiosh. No, but maybe I'll buy you a set of opposable thumbs."

"Heh."

I was starting to lose count of the teleports to and from Castle Black over the last couple of days; but I had another done for me, and then went to South Adrilankha, the Easterners' quarter, where I replaced a few items of clothing and supped. I stopped by my grandfather's for a visit, but he was out. I returned to my own area, found a sorcery supply store that was still open, and started to buy a mild painkiller, but then changed my mind and bought a strong one. I also picked up an enchanted dagger because the spells on my own were wearing thin and you never know when you might need a spell in a hurry. The guy at the store explained that the enchantments on the blade were so powerful that three people I'd never heard of had been in awe of it, and so on until I shut him up and bought the thing for half of what he had first asked.

Then I went home, took the painkiller, and started cleaning up the damage to my flat. There were no bodies there, but there were some bloodstains. I resent bloodstains in my home, especially when some of the blood is mine. I became angry all over again. I got rid of the stains by covering them with a rug, then I picked up some furniture that I don't remember being overturned, and may have done a bit more before the painkillers hit and, apparently, I made it to the bed before falling asleep.

A day in the life.

I woke up sore, moody, and in need of klava. If I ever get really rich, I'm going to hire a servant just to bring me klava in the morning. I managed to rise, make the coffee, and brew a fairly effective pot of klava, into which I poured some cow's milk and the last of the honey. I made a note to order more ice, no matter how expensive it was. I should really learn to make my own; cooling and heating spells are supposed to be pretty simple.

I was dressed and working up the energy to leave when someone clapped outside my door. Twice in two days would be stretching the laws of probability, so I wasn't worried; or, at least, I told myself I wasn't worried as I picked up a dagger and opened the door.

I didn't recognize the visitor, but she wore the colors of the House of the Dragon. I might have struck immediately if I hadn't noticed that she wore Morrolan's emblem on her shoulder, and if I hadn't been too stiff to move quickly. She said, "You are—?"

"Baronet Vladimir Taltos, House of the Jhereg."

"Then this is for you," she said, handing me a small bag that jingled. "If you'd be so kind as to touch this ring."

I touched the ring, took the bag, and shut the door as she turned away. I'd forgotten that Morrolan owed me money. I counted it and was pleased.

I thought about treating myself to a cabriolet ride to the office, but I'd be seen, and people would wonder why, and some of them might guess right. I also thought about taking more painkillers, but even a little would make me woozy, and that just won't do in this business; I had to be as stoic as I'd pretended to be to Aliera the day before.

Bugger.

I took the walk to the office slowly, not noticing much going on around me; when you hurt, too much of your attention is focused in to have much to spare for the rest of the world. I made it to the office, and Melestav greeted me with the words "You okay, Boss?"

"Yeah," I said. "Anything new?"

"A couple of requests for credit extensions, a request for a meeting from someone named Koth, nothing else."

I grunted. "Any idea what Koth wants?"

"To hire you."

"Thank him and put him off. I'm busy for the next Week, maybe two. I'll look at the requests later."

"All right."

"And tell Kragar I want to see him."

I hung up my cloak and eased myself into my chair. Then I leaned back and closed my eyes, and Kragar said, "You all right, Boss?"

"Fine," I said. "All things considered."

"All right. What things need consideration?"

"I got jumped."

I opened my eyes. I looked around the room for Kragar, then found him sitting in the chair opposite me. He was staring at me intently, suspecting, I suppose, that we were about to be involved in some affair within the Jhereg—like someone trying to make a move on my territory. I said, "I got jumped by three Dragonlords."

"Phoenix Guards?"

"No. The business wasn't connected with the Organization in any way. They were Dragonlords doing business as Dragonlords, and their business was jumping me."

He leaned back, and his expression altered from worry to surprise.

"Really? My, my. Now, that isn't something every Jhereg can say. Where did it happen?"

"Right in my own Verra-be-damned flat."

"Hmmm," he said. "Want to tell me about it?"

I did. He said, "To a Dragon, it's different—"

"I know. I'm not a Dragon."

"Ah." He studied me. "So now you've decided to go after Fornia?"

"Yes."

"Has it occurred to you that you may have been attacked in order to get you to go after him?"

"Yes. It has occurred to me. It is even possible. But do you think it likely?"

"I have no idea. But when we were talking before, you were saying—"

"I know. But it's one thing to be aware of complex strategies and lies that might be going on around you. It's another to let yourself become so worried about deception that you become paralyzed."

"Profound, Boss."

"Shut up, Loiosh."

Kragar shrugged. "All right. If you write that down, I'll save it for your epitaph."

"In the meantime, what do we do about Fornia?"

Kragar caught my eye. "There's always the obvious."

"Yes. I'd been thinking about that."

"And?"

"What do you think?"

"It'll be tricky."

"I know. You can't just put down a Dragonlord as if he were a nine-copper hustler. It'll get ugly. People will talk. But I want to."

"I can start doing some checking."

"That would be good."

"But you should be aware that Morrolan will be, uh, pretty unhappy."

I said, "Not that I care all that much, but why?"

"People will think he had it done."

"Oh. That isn't my problem."

"Are you sure?"

I considered. "Just how unhappy is Morrolan likely to be?"

"Very," said Kragar. "From everything I know, he'll set out to make your life either miserable or short. You'll probably have to fight him."

"Great," I said. "Well, is there anything we can do to Fornia short of killing him that wouldn't set Morrolan on my ass?"

"Hmmmm. Maybe."

"Yeah?"

"Well, I know what would really get to him: losing."

"Losing? Like, in battle?"

"Yeah."

"Great. Well, Morrolan is going to attack him. I could always enlist in the army. But somehow I can't imagine myself in uniform, marching off to battle." I really said that. Funny, isn't it?

Kragar said, "There are other ways."

"Oh? Keep talking."

He studied his right thumb. "I'm not sure I have anything definite yet. We don't know enough. But if Morrolan is really going to attack him—"

"He is. He plans to sign Sethra Lavode on as his general-in-chief."

Kragar gave an I-am-impressed look and said, "Then you could probably do something nasty to him to help Morrolan. There are a number of possibilities. An army is a great deal more delicate than you'd think. Just destroy a list of supplies he needs and you've created enough confusion to give him headaches. Or sneak in and burn a map or two. Or have someone impersonate an officer and send a company marching the wrong way. Or—"

"I think I get the idea."

He nodded. "Once we know more we can be more specific."

I shook my head. "I'm trying to imagine myself as some sort of—I don't know—saboteur."