the fuller trudged back into the warmth of his home, clutching Arutha’s dagger.
Jimmy made his way through the narrowest of tunnels. The passage was part of the maze of sewers and other underground constructions common to that part of the city, and every foot of those underground passages was controlled by the Mockers. Jimmy passed a tofsman – one who made his living gathering up whatever of use could be found in the sewers. He used a stick to halt a jumble of debris carried along on the waters of the sewer. The floating mass was called a tof, that which tofleets, ina corruption of language. He picked at it, looking for a coin or anything else of value. He was in fact a sentry. Jimmy signalled to him, ducked under a low-hanging timber, apparently a fallen brace in an abandoned cellar, and entered a large hall carved out among the tunnels. Here was the heart of the guild of thieves, Mockers’ Rest.
Jimmy retrieved his rapier from the weapons locker. He sought out a quiet corner in which to sit, for he felt troubled by the conflict he faced. By rights he should own up to his unauthorized pilfering of the fuller’s house, split the gold, and take whatever punishment the Nightmaster meted out. By tomorrow afternoon the guild would know the fuller had been boosted, anyway. Once it was clear that no freebooting thief was at work, suspicion would fall upon Jimmy and the others known to occasionally go for a night’s foray without leave. Any punishment forthcoming then would be doubly harsh for his not having confessed now. Still, Jimmy couldn’t consider only his own interests, since he knew the assassin’s target had been none other than the Prince of Krondor himself. And Jimmy had spent enough time with Arutha when the Mockers had hidden the Prince and Princess Anita from du Bas-Tyra’s men to have developed a liking for the Prince. Arutha had given Jimmy the very rapier the boy thief wore at his side. No, Jimmy couldn’t ignore the assassin’s presence, but he was not clear where his best course lay.
After long moments of quiet consideration, Jimmy decided. He would first attempt to get warning to the Prince, then pass along the information about the assassin to Alvarny the Quick, the Daymaster. Alvarny was a friend and allowed Jimmy a little more latitude than Gaspar da Vey, the Nightmaster. Alvarny would make no mention to the Upright Man of Jimmy’s tardiness in reporting, if the boy didn’t take too long to come forth.Which meant Jimmy would have to reach Arutha quickly, then return at once to speak with the Daymaster-before sundown tomorrow at the latest. Any later than that, and Jimmy would be compromised beyond even Alvarny’s ability to look the other way. Alvarny might be a generous man, now that he was in his twilight, but he was still a Mocker. Disloyalty to the guild was something he would not permit.
‘Jimmy!’
Jimmy looked up and saw Golden Dase approaching. While young, the dashing thief was already experienced in parting rich older women from their wealth. He relied more on his blond good looks and charm than on stealth. Dase made a display of the valuable clothing he wore. ‘What think you?’
Jimmy nodded in approval. ‘Taken to robbing tailors?’
Golden aimed a playful, halfhearted cuff at Jimmy, who ducked easily, then sat next to the boy. ‘No, you misbegotten son of an alley cat, I have not. My current “benefactor” is the widow of the famous Masterbrewer Fallon.’ Jimmy had heard of the man; his ales and beers had been so highly prized they had even graced the table of the late Prince Erland. ‘And given her late husband’s and now her far-reaching business concerns, she has received an invitation to the reception.’
‘Reception?’ Jimmy knew Golden had some tidbit of gossip he wished to unfold in his own good time.
‘Ah,’ said Golden, ‘did I fail to mention the fact of a wedding?’
Jimmy rolled his eyes upwards but played along. ‘What wedding,
Jimmy made his way through the narrowest of tunnels. The passage was part of the maze of sewers and other underground constructions common to that part of the city, and every foot of those underground passages was controlled by the Mockers. Jimmy passed a tofsman – one who made his living gathering up whatever of use could be found in the sewers. He used a stick to halt a jumble of debris carried along on the waters of the sewer. The floating mass was called a tof, that which tofleets, ina corruption of language. He picked at it, looking for a coin or anything else of value. He was in fact a sentry. Jimmy signalled to him, ducked under a low-hanging timber, apparently a fallen brace in an abandoned cellar, and entered a large hall carved out among the tunnels. Here was the heart of the guild of thieves, Mockers’ Rest.
Jimmy retrieved his rapier from the weapons locker. He sought out a quiet corner in which to sit, for he felt troubled by the conflict he faced. By rights he should own up to his unauthorized pilfering of the fuller’s house, split the gold, and take whatever punishment the Nightmaster meted out. By tomorrow afternoon the guild would know the fuller had been boosted, anyway. Once it was clear that no freebooting thief was at work, suspicion would fall upon Jimmy and the others known to occasionally go for a night’s foray without leave. Any punishment forthcoming then would be doubly harsh for his not having confessed now. Still, Jimmy couldn’t consider only his own interests, since he knew the assassin’s target had been none other than the Prince of Krondor himself. And Jimmy had spent enough time with Arutha when the Mockers had hidden the Prince and Princess Anita from du Bas-Tyra’s men to have developed a liking for the Prince. Arutha had given Jimmy the very rapier the boy thief wore at his side. No, Jimmy couldn’t ignore the assassin’s presence, but he was not clear where his best course lay.
After long moments of quiet consideration, Jimmy decided. He would first attempt to get warning to the Prince, then pass along the information about the assassin to Alvarny the Quick, the Daymaster. Alvarny was a friend and allowed Jimmy a little more latitude than Gaspar da Vey, the Nightmaster. Alvarny would make no mention to the Upright Man of Jimmy’s tardiness in reporting, if the boy didn’t take too long to come forth.Which meant Jimmy would have to reach Arutha quickly, then return at once to speak with the Daymaster-before sundown tomorrow at the latest. Any later than that, and Jimmy would be compromised beyond even Alvarny’s ability to look the other way. Alvarny might be a generous man, now that he was in his twilight, but he was still a Mocker. Disloyalty to the guild was something he would not permit.
‘Jimmy!’
Jimmy looked up and saw Golden Dase approaching. While young, the dashing thief was already experienced in parting rich older women from their wealth. He relied more on his blond good looks and charm than on stealth. Dase made a display of the valuable clothing he wore. ‘What think you?’
Jimmy nodded in approval. ‘Taken to robbing tailors?’
Golden aimed a playful, halfhearted cuff at Jimmy, who ducked easily, then sat next to the boy. ‘No, you misbegotten son of an alley cat, I have not. My current “benefactor” is the widow of the famous Masterbrewer Fallon.’ Jimmy had heard of the man; his ales and beers had been so highly prized they had even graced the table of the late Prince Erland. ‘And given her late husband’s and now her far-reaching business concerns, she has received an invitation to the reception.’
‘Reception?’ Jimmy knew Golden had some tidbit of gossip he wished to unfold in his own good time.
‘Ah,’ said Golden, ‘did I fail to mention the fact of a wedding?’
Jimmy rolled his eyes upwards but played along. ‘What wedding,
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