Realms of Shadow - Lizz Baldwin [136]
Avarilous had been searching the tent swiftly, his fingers flying everywhere, turning out boxes and bags. His eyes, glittering with a hard light, were drawn back into his head, and the shadows played over his stout form. A rivulet of sweat coursed down his forehead. Garmansder too was looking about, lifting tapestries and cushions with swift, decisive movements.
"How did you get away from the guard-Draka, or whatever his name was," Avarilous asked.
"Not too difficult. We shared some raki, and he began showing me the excavation site." He shrugged. "Last I saw of him, he was trying to learn to fly." He gestured toward the body. "Can we make this look like a murder? There doesn't seem to have been any love lost between any of the guards and their officers."
Avarilous ignored the question and countered with one of his own. "How much did you see of the excavation?"
"Some. After Drashka went for his flight, I wandered around. It's deep and very impressive. They're using smokepowder to open up some of the more difficult bits. The whole thing's a bit on the shaky side though."
"Meaning."
"It would be a great pity," observed Garmansder absently, "if anything happened to the scaffolding. Probably bring the whole thing down around their heads. I know I wouldn't care to be in there when it happens."
Avarilous cursed softly. "Where in the Nine Hells could he have hidden it?"
"Ah. I don't know. By the way, what exactly are we looking for? More of those amulets?"
The merchant shook his head. "The amulet's not important. Even if it weren't damaged, our late friend there couldn't have done much with it-not as much as he thought, anyhow. Controlling sandstorms in the desert isn't much of a feat compared to the kind of magic the Shadovar are throwing around these days. No, there has to have been something else. Something he might not even have been aware of…"
Garmansder gave his companion an odd look as his voice trailed off. "What d'you mean? Surely he knew what he was looking for or if he'd found it. You make it sound as if he wasn't the one in control."
Avarilous stopped. "I'm not at all sure he was. In fact, Fm sure he wasn't. He was too stupid, for one thing."
"Oh, come on! If stupid people couldn't control matters, half the cities of Faerun would be leaderless."
"No, my point is that even if he'd found a powerful magical artifact from Netheril, I didn't get any sense from him that he'd really know what it was or how to use it. Someone had to be pointing him in that direction. I wonder who."
A shadow fell across the entrance to the tent, and Lieutenant Thass entered. His hand rested on his scimitar, while his eyes calmly took in the details of the scene before him.
* * * * *
Garmansder was the first to break the tableau. He dived to the left in a swift roll that brought him standing to Thass's right, a knife in his hand. The lieutenant pivoted and swept a foot around in a savage kick that struck Garmansder's wrist with a crack of snapping bones. The tall man gasped in pain as the knife flew and stuck in a wooden chest, quivering. At the same moment, Avarilous twisted to his right and hurled a dagger. It barely missed Thass's shoulder, slicing through his dark jerkin and clattering to the ground.
Without a pause, the lieutenant cartwheeled behind Garmansder, drawing his scimitar in a single fluid movement. One arm came up clutching the tall man's broken wrist. The other held the scimitar's point just behind Garmansder's ear.
Avarilous caught up the knife that earlier had almost taken one of his eyes. His hand flashed back to throw it then halted abruptly as he saw his friend held hostage.
There was silence, broken only by another soft groan from Garmansder.
Thass spoke first.
"Very good. I didn't think you'd figure things out. Your reputation is well justified, Avarilous."
"Thank you. Now suppose you release my friend, and we