"What did the elders do?" Tycho asked.
"They put on their mourning clothes and decided that the time was after all not yet right for trade with the West." Li's fist, resting on top of the table, clenched. "My father, however, wanted to know the fate of his eldest son.
I was summoned back to Keelung from my position in the bureaucracy and dispatched to the West, tracing the expedition's route to Thesk."
Tycho's eyes went wide. "I've heard that's a fantastic journey!"
Li shrugged. "It has its wonders. I was in such haste that I barely noticed the months g6 by. I arrived in Telflamm only a few tendays ago and sought out Fa Pan." He sighed and forced his fist to relax. "He had died not long after he sent his letter. I was fortunate, though, that he had included distinct descriptions of the pirate captain, a sorceress-and her mate, a one-eyed halfling." He nodded in response to Tycho's raised eyebrow. "Brin, of course. The people of Telflamm are more used to Shou than the people of Spandeliyon. I was able to speak with people who recognized Fa Pan's descriptions. They identified Brin, his captain, and the ship they sailed on, a vessel called the Sow."
"I've heard of Sow," said Tycho sharply. "Black sails, wallowed like a pig, but stealthy and with ice magic behind her. She was a terror a couple of years back."
"Then maybe you also heard what I did in Telflamm: that the Sow vanished last winter. The people I spoke to told me that it was assumed the ship went down in a winter storm or maybe had been sunk by the Aglarondans. No one had heard anything of her-except for one man who had heard a rumor that a one-eyed halfling had taken up residence in Spandeliyon." Li spread his hands. "That's why I need to talk to Brin, Tycho. He's the last one who might know what happened to Yu Mao."
The Shou fell silent. Tycho let out a slow breath. "That's it?" he asked. "That's all? You really just want to talk to him?"
Li blinked. "It seems to me that should be enough," he said stiffly.
"Li, the way you acted when you walked into the Wench's Ease last night, I thought you were looking for Brin to try to kill him!"
"Oh, no," said Li. "I don't want to kill Brin." His mouth twitched into a thin smile. "At least not so far as I know."
Tycho gave Li a long look over the rim of his mug as he slurped back the last of his soup. "But you don't know. If you found out that Brin had killed Yu Mao " He let the suggestion trail off. Li just gave him a level gaze. Tycho wrinkled his nose. "Ah. I suppose so. Look-" He sat forward. "-even if you don't actually mean Brin any harm, just talking to him could be dangerous."
Li put his hands flat on the table and looked Tycho straight in the eye. "It's a chance I'll take, Tycho. You know how far I've traveled. Am I supposed to stop now?" He sat forward as well. "I would value your help, but with you or without you, I will find Brin. I get the feeling that he won't be that hard to locate."
"Aw, bind me." Tycho set his mug down with a thump. By rights, he should let Li blunder off and get himself in trouble-certainly the Shou had brought him nothing but trouble. At the same time, he felt a certain grudging respect for him and his commitment. He sighed. I'm going to regret this, he thought to himself-and nodded. "I'll help you."
The Shou broke out in the first wide and genuine smile Tycho had seen from him. Tycho held a warning hand before he could get too happy, though. "But," he said firmly, "this is how we're going to do it." He jerked a thumb at himself. "I'm going to make inquiries. Something discrete. Throw out a line and see if I can arrange a meeting with Brin for you. It might make him feel more like talking civilly than having a big foreigner stalking him around Spandeliyon will."
Li's smile tightened slightly. "Don't mention Yu Mao." Tycho looked at him quizzically. "I want to ask Brin about Yu Mao myself," said Li stubbornly. "I don't want to give him time to prepare any stories or explanations." Tycho shrugged then nodded. Li's smile bloomed again, even wider this time. He bent himself in a little half-bow over the table. "Thank you, Tycho. I wish there were something more I could offer you-if Lander hadn't robbed me, the reward I mentioned last night would be yours."
Tycho snorted and picked up the last morsel of pie. "Well, that reward was as good as stolen as soon as you said the words last night at the Ease. That was stupid."
"What good is a reward if no one knows it's available? " Li folded his hands. "Besides, it was well hidden. If anyone has my coat, they're probably walking around with a small fortune and aren't even aware of it."
Tycho blinked. "What was this reward?" he asked around the pie.
"I had three fine rubies sewn into the lining of my coat," said Li. "I thought they would be safe. I underestimated the desperation of thieves in Spandeliyon."
Suddenly the pie was dry in Tycho's mouth. "Three rubies?"
"I would have given one as a reward last night. To you, Tycho, I would give all three."
Fingers shaking, Tycho reached for his pouch and pulled out one of the gold coins Mard had given him, hesitated for a moment, and pulled out the second as well. Hiding them with his palm, he slid them across the table to Li. "Lander," he said as casually as he could manage, "usually sells stolen goods to a fence named Giras." He pointed. "You'll find his shop three streets that way and two back toward dockside. Go see if he still has your coat."
Li's eyes narrowed. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"You didn't ask," said Tycho quickly, "and we were talking about other things. I would have suggested it anyway, though." Li's expression conveyed disbelief. "Really!" Tycho protested. "Remember, I said I'd help you before you said anything about a reward."
Li grunted. "That's true." He nodded. "All right." "Besides, the clothes you're wearing now stink." Tycho stood up and slapped payment for their food onto the table-top. "Look," he told Li. "You go get your coat back-and anything else you can, too." He dredged his pouch for any remaining coins and came up with a scant handful of copper and silver. He gave them all to Li. "Try to be discrete about it. Then go back to the Wench's Ease and wait for me. I'll meet you there later with news." Li stood up as well. "Thank you, Tycho." "Thank me when you've had your talk with Brin, Li." They left the pie shop and Tycho made sure Li got started in the right direction before turning and going the other way. Once the Shou was out of sight, though, he swiftly changed direction and headed down toward dock-side, whistling as he walked.
Three rubies for a conversation. That was a very good deal. He tapped the tin tube tucked into his coat. It was high time to deliver the beljurils to their waiting-and not especially patient-new owner.
He was even still whistling when he walked through the door of the Eel.
Lander choked as his spade broke through the icy crust and exposed another soft patch of slowly decaying pig dung. He gasped against the stench and levered the spadeful of manure up and into his wheelbarrow. The relief as the load slid off was like a small blessing; the spade seemed to rise up an extra foot on its own. Lander swung it back to the ground, letting the blade bang down into the filth, and leaned for a moment against the handle.