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the tumultuous tavern. The Mouser deftly kicked a rat that thrust black head
and shoulders from his hole.
After each had enthusiastically complimented the other on his girl, Fafhrd
said diffidently, "Just between ourselves, do you think there might be
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anything to your sweet Ivrian's notion that the small dark creature with
Slivikin and the other Guild-thief was a wizard's familiar, or at any rate the
cunning pet of a sorcerer, trained to act as go-between and report disasters
to his master or to Krovas or to both?"
The Mouser laughed lightly. "You're building bugbears -- formless baby ones
unlicked by logic -- out of nothing, dear barbarian brother, if I may say so.
_Imprimis_, we don't really know the beastie was connected with the Guild-
thieves at all. May well have been a stray catling or a big bold rat -- like
this damned one!" He kicked again. "But, _secundus_, granting it to be the
creature of a wizard employed by Krovas, how could it make useful report? I
don't believe in animals that talk -- except for parrots and such birds, which
only ... parrot -- or ones having an elaborate sign language men can share. Or
perhaps you envisage the beastie dipping its paddy paw in a jug of ink and
writing its report in big on a floor-spread parchment?
"Ho, there, you back of the counter! Where are my jugs? Rats eaten the boy who
went for them days ago? Or he simply starved to death while on his cellar
quest? Well, tell him to get a swifter move on and meanwhile brim us again!
"No, Fafhrd, even granting the beastie to be directly or indirectly a creature
of Krovas, and that it raced back to Thieves' House after our affray, what
could it tell them there? Only that something had gone wrong with the burglary
at Jengao's. Which they'd soon suspect in any case from the delay in the
thieves' and bravos' return."
Fafhrd frowned and muttered stubbornly, "The furry slinker might,
nevertheless, convey our appearances to the Guild masters, and they might
recognize us and come after us and attack us in our homes. Or Slivikin and his
fat pal, revived from their bumps, might do likewise."
"My dear friend," the Mouser said condolingly, "once more begging your
indulgence, I fear this potent wine is addling your wits. If the Guild knew
our looks or where we lodge, they'd have been nastily on our necks days,
weeks, nay, months ago. Or conceivably you don't know that their penalty for
freelance or even unassigned thieving within the walls of Lankhmar and for
three leagues outside them is nothing less than death, after torture if
happily that can be achieved."
"I know all about that and my plight is worse even than yours," Fafhrd
retorted, and after pledging the Mouser to secrecy told him the tale of
Vlana's vendetta against the Guild and her deadly serious dreams of an all-
encompassing revenge.
During his story the four jugs came up from the cellar, but the Mouser only
ordered that their earthenware mugs be refilled.
Fafhrd finished, "And so, in consequence of a promise given by an infatuated
and unschooled boy in a southern angle of the Cold Waste, I find myself now as
a sober -- well, at other times -- man being constantly asked to make war on a
power as great as that of Karstak Ovartamortes, for as you may know, the Guild
has locals in all other cities and major towns of this land, not to mention
agreements including powers of extradition with robber and bandit
organizations in other countries. I love Vlana dearly, make no mistake about
that, and she is an experienced thief herself, without whose guidance
I'd hardly have survived my first week in Lankhmar, but on this one topic she
has a kink in her brains, a hard knot neither logic nor persuasion can even
begin to loosen. And I, well, in the month I've been here I've learned that
the only way to survive in civilization is to abide by its unwritten rules --
far more important than its laws chiseled in stone -- and break them only at
peril, in deepest secrecy, and taking all precautions. As I did tonight -- not
my first hijacking, by the by."
"Certes t'would be insanity to assault the Guild direct, your wisdom's perfect
there," the Mouser commented. "If you cannot break your most handsome girl of
this mad notion, or coax her from it -- and I can see she's a fearless,
self-willed one -- then you must stoutly refuse e'en her least
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request in that direction."
"Certes I must," Fafhrd agreed, adding somewhat accusingly, "though I
gather you told her you'd have willingly slit the throats of the two we struck
senseless."
"Courtesy merely, man! Would you have had me behave ungraciously to your girl?
'Tis measure of the value I was already setting then on your goodwill. But
only a woman's man may cross her. As you must, in this instance."
"Certes I must," Fafhrd repeated with great emphasis and conviction.
"I'd be an idiot taking on the Guild. Of course if they should catch me they'd
kill me in any case for freelancing and highjacking. But wantonly to assault
the Guild direct, kill one Guild-thief needlessly, only behave as if I might -
- lunacy entire!"
"You'd not only be a drunken, drooling idiot, you'd questionless be stinking [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]