Sword of the Gods - Bruce R. Cordell [19]
Chant Morven watched the pale man, curious to see what he’d do. Demascus stood staring at the point in the sky where the the aerial thief had slipped over the rim of a higher earthmote, his mouth slightly open in shock.
“Well, isn’t that something?” said Chant, and frowned. He wondered if he had any liability in what he’d just witnessed. It’d been his job to see the scarf safe for the last four years. Seeing it stolen right before his eyes, despite that he’d handed it and his responsibility over to its rightful owner … well, he needed to think about it.
Demascus slowly turned and gazed at Chant. The expression on the man’s face was one of shock. His mouth worked, but no sounds emerged.
“Hey, are you all right?” Chant had seen that look before, but usually only on people who’d just been stabbed in a lung.
“I’m not all right. I need … that scarf.”
“Was it a memento?”
“I’d … hoped it would prove so.”
What’s that supposed to mean? Chant studied Demascus, but the man seemed out of words, lost at sea. He noticed again, as he had four years earlier, the odd designs that marked the back of Demascus’s hands, like the gray roots of something far bigger concealed beneath his clothes. He suddenly wondered if they were not tattoos at all, as he’d supposed all along, but markings more integral to the man’s body.
Chant shifted his weight. He should walk away. He’d already been punched in the face for trying to break up the rabble in front of his shop. He had enough troubles of his own to deal with. His next payment to Raneger was overdue again, and the question about what he was going to do about his son Jaul was never far from him.
But Demascus looked as if he was being pushed under water by his situation. It was a feeling the pawnbroker could relate to. And that lingering feeling of responsibility toward the wrap he’d held for so long was an unfamiliar barb that kept poking him.
The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could call them back. He said, “Remember I told you I have a sideline in finding secrets around the city? I can find out who that thief was, maybe even find out what neighborhood she normally works; I’d have recognized her if she was based around here.”
An expression of gratitude gradually warmed Demascus’s features.
“That … Yes. I need that scarf.”
“So I gather. And I need interesting distractions to keep boredom at bay. Still interested in heading over to the Lantern?” Chant gestured toward the tavern. At the thought of food, his expansive gut rumbled.
Demascus’s chest swelled as if in preparation for a scream. But then he let it out and nodded. He said, “Yes, let’s do that. I can’t remember the last time I ate.”
Chant led Demascus into the boisterous establishment.
The aroma of garlic and seared squid settled over him. Suddenly, he knew that despite everything else, coming to the Lantern had been the right choice.
They sat near the wall. Chant asked the barkeep to bring them each a plate of bluestream squid and spiced rolls. And ale.
He let his gaze wander the establishment. He was very happy to note that Garth was nowhere to be seen. His cronies had dragged him out of the plaza, but apparently not back to the Lantern. Then he saw Mielka.
“Excuse me a moment, will you?” he said.
“Of course,” replied Demascus, who seemed in better spirits already.
The pawnbroker motioned to a short woman wearing a dull green stormcloak. She came over and leaned close. He explained in a loud whisper what he wanted. At one point she glanced disinterestedly at Demascus as Chant continued whispering. Finally she nodded, and he passed the woman a couple coins. She made a beeline for the exit.
Chant returned his attention to Demascus. Just in time to see the man cover his face with his hands.
“Hey, none of that now, we’ve got beer coming.”
Demascus sighed, but let his hands drop.
“That was Meilka,” Chant explained. “She does odd jobs for me. I gave her a description of the thief who took your wrap. With any luck, we’ll know something in a day or two.”
“Really?”
“I don’t see why not.”
Before Demascus