Aftermath- - Thieves World 10 by Robert Asprin, Lynn Abbey Page A
Authors: Robert Asprin, Lynn Abbey
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, Fiction - Fantasy, Fantasy, Short Stories, Fantasy Fiction; American, Fantasy - General, Fantastic fiction, Fantastic fiction; American
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this.
Unconsciously, he bared his teeth, the sharp edges of his canines already beginning to show. Too bad it couldn't be a cleaner fight. But he hadn't succumbed to his particular curse in so long, and this night—
well,
these bastards deserved it.
Cade stood up. He wore leather armor stained black, a bow in one hand, various other weapons strapped on tightly. Targ pushed his chair back and faced the other. He wore only an old faded kilt, his sword strapped to his back. The two clasped arms.
"I'll take the others out," Targ said. "None will escape." Cade gave him a hard smile.
"Good hunting," he said softly. Targ's face twisted for a moment at Cade's choice of words, but the bloodlust was on him and he was eager to go. Neither said anything to Raif as Cade opened the door and they
CADE 41
moved into the night. Raif stared at the open doorway for several minutes. Then he, too, got up and walked into the night's embrace. Cade moved through the shadows to the waterfront district, taking care that no one followed him. The meeting was set up in a large ware-house there. The streets were quiet tonight. The moon was waning and a light cloud cover shielded the starlight-It was a perfect night for death.
There were four of the Sharp Side on outside guard duty, one on the roof, two in front, and one in the back. They were well hidden, but they moved about a lot. Sloppy. They were getting arrogant in their success. It
was only a matter of time until someone took them out. The one on the roof was first and easiest. An arrow through the eye killed him instantly. No one heard the body fall. Cade moved to the roof,
looking down on the dark silhouettes of the two guards in front. Another bolt, through the neck, and one was down. The second heard something. He didn't move. Smart.
Cade silently climbed down the side of the building until he was ten feet above his prey. He leaped. The guard was fast,^but caught by surprise. Even as he reached for his weapon. Cade drew a "knife across his throat. Cade stared down at the crumpled body, watching the blood pump from the neck, staining the ground liquid black. He shook his head; a waste of talent. This man had once been very good. The guard in back was careless. Cade dropped a rope from the roof, caught the man around the throat, and lifted him up. His neck broke in the first five feet. Cade anchored him to the building. The body dangled ten feet off the ground. Cade was making an example.
He moved to the inside, through a trap door. The warehouse was full of boxes and crates, which surprised Cade. Since when did Sanctuary do enough business to fill a warehouse? There were things in town he did not
know and could not understand. Silently he reconnoitered the building. There were five left. Two with bows watched the remaining three. Amuuth, the Beast, and another waited at a table in the middle of the warehouse, a small lamp on the table giving the only light in the building.
It took Cade ten minutes to kill both the bowmen; the others were not alerted.
Cade lay on top of several crates, next to the body of the second bowman. From this vantage point he studied the remaining targets. Amuuth sat at the table, facing the front entrance. His clothes were Sue though dirty. His two gnarled hands ceaselessly played with the long
^Uace he wore. His black hair was worn short, in Rankan fashion; his ward was well trimmed. Cade could not see his eyes.
To the left of his leader stood the last of the regular gang members. He 42
AFTERMATH
was a large man, big-boned and heavily muscled. He wore an expensive chainmail corset and carried a two-handed sword. From his hiding place Cade could see the blue eyes reflect the light of the lamp. No Ilsigi this
one. Hired help, and by all appearances well worth whatever his pay was. The last of the three stood to the right ofAmuuth. Cade was surprised at how small the feared Beast was. A little man, all huddled in his stained
cloak. The torturer's face
Unconsciously, he bared his teeth, the sharp edges of his canines already beginning to show. Too bad it couldn't be a cleaner fight. But he hadn't succumbed to his particular curse in so long, and this night—
well,
these bastards deserved it.
Cade stood up. He wore leather armor stained black, a bow in one hand, various other weapons strapped on tightly. Targ pushed his chair back and faced the other. He wore only an old faded kilt, his sword strapped to his back. The two clasped arms.
"I'll take the others out," Targ said. "None will escape." Cade gave him a hard smile.
"Good hunting," he said softly. Targ's face twisted for a moment at Cade's choice of words, but the bloodlust was on him and he was eager to go. Neither said anything to Raif as Cade opened the door and they
CADE 41
moved into the night. Raif stared at the open doorway for several minutes. Then he, too, got up and walked into the night's embrace. Cade moved through the shadows to the waterfront district, taking care that no one followed him. The meeting was set up in a large ware-house there. The streets were quiet tonight. The moon was waning and a light cloud cover shielded the starlight-It was a perfect night for death.
There were four of the Sharp Side on outside guard duty, one on the roof, two in front, and one in the back. They were well hidden, but they moved about a lot. Sloppy. They were getting arrogant in their success. It
was only a matter of time until someone took them out. The one on the roof was first and easiest. An arrow through the eye killed him instantly. No one heard the body fall. Cade moved to the roof,
looking down on the dark silhouettes of the two guards in front. Another bolt, through the neck, and one was down. The second heard something. He didn't move. Smart.
Cade silently climbed down the side of the building until he was ten feet above his prey. He leaped. The guard was fast,^but caught by surprise. Even as he reached for his weapon. Cade drew a "knife across his throat. Cade stared down at the crumpled body, watching the blood pump from the neck, staining the ground liquid black. He shook his head; a waste of talent. This man had once been very good. The guard in back was careless. Cade dropped a rope from the roof, caught the man around the throat, and lifted him up. His neck broke in the first five feet. Cade anchored him to the building. The body dangled ten feet off the ground. Cade was making an example.
He moved to the inside, through a trap door. The warehouse was full of boxes and crates, which surprised Cade. Since when did Sanctuary do enough business to fill a warehouse? There were things in town he did not
know and could not understand. Silently he reconnoitered the building. There were five left. Two with bows watched the remaining three. Amuuth, the Beast, and another waited at a table in the middle of the warehouse, a small lamp on the table giving the only light in the building.
It took Cade ten minutes to kill both the bowmen; the others were not alerted.
Cade lay on top of several crates, next to the body of the second bowman. From this vantage point he studied the remaining targets. Amuuth sat at the table, facing the front entrance. His clothes were Sue though dirty. His two gnarled hands ceaselessly played with the long
^Uace he wore. His black hair was worn short, in Rankan fashion; his ward was well trimmed. Cade could not see his eyes.
To the left of his leader stood the last of the regular gang members. He 42
AFTERMATH
was a large man, big-boned and heavily muscled. He wore an expensive chainmail corset and carried a two-handed sword. From his hiding place Cade could see the blue eyes reflect the light of the lamp. No Ilsigi this
one. Hired help, and by all appearances well worth whatever his pay was. The last of the three stood to the right ofAmuuth. Cade was surprised at how small the feared Beast was. A little man, all huddled in his stained
cloak. The torturer's face
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