The Nether Scroll - Lynn Abbey [134]
The Zhentarim hid his face behind steepled hands. By his manner, he'd made it clear he knew exactly what they were negotiating.
"That's nothing I can arrange here, but at Darkhold-? I'm sure I could get my lord's private ear. There is no guarantee, of course. The young man will be free to make the same mistake he made before."
"No guarantees," Dru agreed. "I'm not asking for a miracle, only a clean slate. The rest is up to him."
"I don't suppose you'd give me the rest of the cloth now?"
"You have a band, that ought to be enough, if you're any good at trade."
"I'm good enough," Amarandaris returned Dru's smile. "You should get those cuts on your nose looked at; they're going to scar. We've got a Banite priest-you met him earlier? He's
good with battle wounds."
"Lots of practice, I expect. No, thank you, I want a life, nothing more, nothing less."
Another smile as Amarandaris stood up. "Consider it done. The Zhentarim will forget that
we've ever known the boy, except as we've always known him-the youngest son of Bitter Ansoain." He held out his hand to seal the trade.
Dru hesitated then clasped the Zhentarim's hand. They exchanged the hollow good-wishes of men who do not expect to meet again. The sun was poking above the horizon as Dru walked down the stairs alone.
Another night without sleep.
He thought about Amarandaris's words before they had shaken hands. Her youngest son?
About the Author
Lynn Abbey, ex-New Yorker, ex-Michigander and ex-Oklahoman: I moved to Florida in 1997 It's nice, but I prefer snow.
My first novel, Daughter of the Bright Moon, was published in 1978. Since then I've had over fifteen novels published, most of them fantasies, including Jerlayne, from DAW in 1999 and Out of Time from ACE in 2000. I also write gaming fiction for Wizards of the Coast, where my most recent projects have been the FORGOTTEN REALMS novel, The Simbul's Gift and the MAGIC: THE GATHERING novel, Planeswalker.
I write fantasies because when my imagination gets going, it's full of magic, intrigue and the colors of a stained-glass window. If science fiction is the fiction of possible futures, then fantasy is the fiction of possible histories, but characters come first, as real and human as I can make them.
M AGIC:T HE G ATHERING and F
ORGOTTEN R EALMS are registered
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of the Coast, Inc.?2000 Wizards of
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All Rights Reserved.
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