Darkvision - Bruce R. Cordell [48]
"Yes, my family is responsible for mining the crystal sold in the Body Shop." She spat, apparently considered a curse in Vaelan. "My grandfather created the plangents!"
"I see," said Ususi, although she did not quite understand what the woman was saying. "You are… on the outs with your family. Is that what you're pretending?"
"Pretending!" Eined nearly yelled, a flush blossoming in her cheeks. "I'm here to warn you-to help you-and you accuse me of, of… what? Being in cahoots with the Body Shop?"
Iahn looked her in the eye, as if he could gauge truth with vision alone. Perhaps he could. Ususi required more information-her first inclination was to assume Eined represented a trap. After all, they'd just exited the transformation shop with the saleswoman lying senseless in their wake…
Ususi said, "I'm just trying to discover the truth. Trust is in short supply-we were attacked in that building. Why should we believe you? You appeared just now, as we were leaving the Body Shop."
"Because I've been watching the shop-I just told you! Your friend here with his hand on my arm was dressed differently when you went in, and obviously was in the middle of removing a disguise on his way out. I'd say you went into that shop expecting some sort of trouble. And by the way you ran from the exit, I could tell you found it."
Iahn broke his silence. "How can we be sure you're not part of that trouble? You've admitted you're of Datharathi blood."
Eined nodded. "Damning, I know. But why would I warn you if I wished you harm?"
"Simple. You're setting a trap," Ususi verbalized her suspicion, then looked up and down the alley for Eined's potential compatriots. She couldn't see anyone huddling in the shadows, but that didn't mean the woman wasn't playing them.
"Look," said Eined, "I don't have any crystal implants-almost everyone in my family does. If I had taken the crystal, you'd be right to distrust me-no one is the same after the procedure. They tried to get me to take a few prostheses. That's why I went into hiding."
"You are a fugitive from your family?" said Iahn.
Eined nodded.
Iahn looked into Eined's eyes a moment longer, then let go of her arm and glanced at Ususi. "I judge we can trust her. Perhaps she can help us, and we can help her."
"You're the vengeance taker," Ususi agreed. Takers were renowned for the ability to discern truth from falsehood. But they'd been known to be wrong. Ususi vowed to keep half an eye on this woman.
Ususi mollified herself by recalling that even those who'd earned a vengeance taker's trust were only under a little less scrutiny than his enemies. It was the nature of the vengeance taker order to view all with some level of suspicion. Or so she'd heard.
"I do need help," allowed Eined. "Since I went into hiding, my family has been looking high and low for me. I've about exhausted my resources."
"And we need help, too," said Iahn. "Perhaps our needs and abilities can be shared."
Ususi said, "We need to find the source of the crystal."
"The source? The shop…"
"We need to find out where the crystal is mined," explained Ususi.
"So you can shut down its production?" asked Eined.
"Mayhap. And for other reasons."
Iahn gave a subtle shake of his head, but she had already ceased speaking. Yes, she was aware, no need for Eined to know their deeper purposes.
"Well… if you promise to sabotage production, I can tell you where the crystal is mined," said Eined.
Iahn shrugged. "We can do no more than promise to try. Success may or may not follow."
Eined squinted at the vengeance taker uncertainly.
Ususi sighed. "Yes, we'll stop the mining operation, Eined. If we can, we will. Where is the mine?"
"You'll need to charter a boat. The mine is not on this side of the Golden Water."
"Then what?" asked Ususi.
"That'll have to wait for the other side of the gulf."
"Tell us where we need to go," instructed the vengeance taker.
"I will-because I'm going with you. I'll take you to the site personally."
Ususi glanced sidelong at Iahn. Was the woman showing