Mika heaved a large sigh and settled back in his chair as he examined the rest of the room, noting that on his right a large bar ran the length of the room. Shelves covered the walls and were filled with jars and bottles of every size and shape. Mika felt certain that they contained a wide variety of interesting and unusual liquors. Given the large number of foreigners who visited the city, such an assortment was probably necessary. His interest in the place began to quicken.
The room was barely lighted with a number of thick candles set in cheap pottery bowls. The tables and chairs were constructed of rough wood and were none too comfortable. RedTail pressed against his leg and began licking a spill of burgundy wine that had puddled on the table and dripped onto the floor.
The princess crouched beneath a chair, a grimace of distaste replacing the snarl that had become her one expression, as she lifted one paw and then another as though wishing she could levitate. Mika laughed.
The look of hatred returned, and then the princess leaped up onto a chair and began licking her footpads gingerly with obvious displeasure.
Realizing that he was likely to be there for a while, Mika went outside, untied Tam, carried him inside, and placed him beneath his chair where he would draw the least amount of attention. Then, raising his hand, he shook the money pouch in the air, clinking the few remaining coins together. A heartbeat later, the charcoal-smudged waif appeared at his side. Mika ordered food and a skin of wine. The princess sneered.
The food came. Mika ate his fill of sweet marmot meat and a bowl of stewed ground beans and onions. He ate till he could hold no more and then tossed the bones to the waiting wolves. Then he stretched and waited and looked toward the stairs, wondering when Hornsbuck would come back.
"Best be forgettin' them, laddie. You'll not be seein' them agin afore mornin', if then," said a gravelly voice.
Mika turned around and saw a small man dressed in faded blue cotton seated at the table next to him. For a heartbeat, the very briefest of time, Mika thought that the fellow's eyes glowed an eerie shade of carneiian red. Mika started! He leaned forward, but it was gone-the man's eyes were brown.
"Take my word for it," the man said, gesturing with a long-stemmed, white clay pipe. "Our Lotus Blossom has strong urges."
"You mean Hornsbuck and that… that… creature are, are…?" Too overcome for words, Mika rose to his feet, his hand reaching for his sword, his mind blanching at the horrible thought.
"Best hush, laddie," said the man, laying a hand of caution on Mika's arm as he glanced around to see if any had overheard Mika's comments. "Them as come in Jayne's think highly of Lotus Blossom. She's their champion. It would be unwise to insult her in their hearing. Also, yon nomad could do worse. She's a kx of woman."
Mika fought back a shudder and forced his mind on to other thoughts. "Jayne's, you say. That's the name of this… establishment?"
"Aye, finest international drinking parlor in the city. You'll find folks here from all over the known Oerth. I, myself, am from the ocean of Solnor.
"My captain and I, we come to bargain for a load of amber and hornwood. We stopped for a drink." The man's eyes grew cloudy with remembrance. "See there," he said, pointing to a spot behind Mika.
Mika turned his head and saw a large wicker basket positioned beneath a small table. Squinting to focus, he saw that it was filled nearly to the brim with human arms that had been wrenched off at the shoulder. Mika felt the bile rising in his throat, but he fought it down as he stared at the fly-covered basket in helpless fascination.
"My captain accepted the woman's challenge," continued the man, not appearing to notice Mika's discomfort, "and now, here I am, stranded. She won all our money, as well as his life. I do odd jobs around the place to earn my keep."
Mika choked down a cup of wine, too overcome to speak.
"Don't mind if I do," said the fellow, pouring himself a cup. "Nyr Baba's the name."
"Forgive me, but your news has shaken me," said Mika, who proceeded to introduce himself and pour another cup of wine as well.
Just about then, the ceiling began to shake, vibrating in a most frightening manner, rumbling like a herd of thunder ox on the rampage, showering the room with an accumulation of dust and debris that set the inhabitants to coughing. Mika shuddered and looked away as Nyr lifted his cup with a sly grin and toasted the unseen lovers.
They drank the remainder of the skin, and then Nyr ordered a second which Mika insisted on sharing with RedTail. Princess Julia continued to hold herself aloof, aside from glaring at Mika with her usual degree of hatred. Late in the evening, she was forced to give up her chair by a patron who ignored her snarls and dumped her unceremoniously onto the sticky floor. Tam snored on, oblivious to all around him, although Mika was pleased to notice that the lump on his head seemed to be subsiding.
Mika and Nyr shared tales of their lives and exploits, both real and imagined. As the hour grew later and the level of wine lower, they sank into confidences and Mika told Nyr the story of his last adventure. To his surprise, the man broke into laughter and collapsed on the table, holding his head and wheezing for breath.
"By the blood of the Great She-Wolf, mother of us all, it's true. I swear it!" sputtered Mika, swaying in his chair. "Look, I'll even show you my finger."
"I believe you, laddie. I believe you," shrieked Nyr, almost helpless with laughter.
"No, you don't," said Mika, reaching for his sword.
"Yes, I do, laddie," said Nyr, wiping his eyes and looking at Mika with sudden compassion. "Indeed I do, for I have heard parts of this story before. Be a good lad, and I'll tell you about it."
CHAPTER 7
"You say it's a blue-green stone and it belonged to the princess," Nyr gasped, tears running from his eyes as he forced himself upright and wiped his streaming eyes with shaking fingers.
"Aye," said Mika, now almost sober from rage. "What's so funny about that? It's magical, I tell you."
"I know, laddie. I know," said Nyr. "And you've used this stone, right? How many times?"
"Twice," growled Mika. "And it worked fine."
"Unfortunately," said Nyr. He looked at Mika with sympathy. "Did the princess not tell you anything about this stone?"
"I didn't give her much of a chance," said Mika, growing more and more uneasy. He glanced at the female wolf and saw her staring at him steadily, a satisfied gleam in her blue and green eyes.
"Ah, laddie. I hate to be the one to tell you," said Nyr, "but you're in real trouble. My advice is to find a hole and throw the damned stone in it, or best of all, crush it beneath your heel."
"I cannot do that," said Mika, and he felt something twist deep inside at the thought of destroying the stone. To be honest, he had hoped to keep the gem even after returning the princess to her home.
"Then it is already too late," said Nyr. "The stone has seized hold of you."
"Tell me whereof you speak," demanded Mika, reaching across the table to grab Nyr's shirt and pull him half out of his chair. "What is wrong with the stone?"
"There's no need for violence," said Nyr, freeing his shirt from Mika's grasp and seating himself once more. "I will gladly tell you the story, only you may wish that I had never spoken."
Mika glared down. The female wolf sat with her odd-colored eyes fixed on Mika's face, her tongue lolling out of the corner of her mouth in a wicked grin.
"There are two kinds of stones," said Nyr. "One is blue-green, and one is red-purple."
"Yes?" said Mika, frowning as he failed to grasp the significance of the man's statement.
A look of pain filled Nyr's brown eyes. He looked down at his scarred and calloused hands, his wrinkled face drooping with discomfort. "One is a female stone. The other is male," he muttered.