Tales from the vulgar unicorn- Thieves World 02 by Robert Asprin Page A

for some other reason?'
    'What if? What if? I told you this would be very dangerous. But the rewards are worth the risk.'
    She stiffened. That strange cry had come again. And it was definitely nearer.
    'It may be hunting us,' Smhee said. 'It could have smelled the blood of the ape.'
    'What is it?' she said, trying to keep her teeth from chattering.
    'I don't know. We're downwind from it, butTt sounds as if it'll soon be here. Good! That will put some stiffening in our backbone, heat our livers. Let's go now!'
    So, he was scared, too. Somehow, that made her feel a little better. They stuck their legs down into the chilly water. They found no bottom. Then Smhee ran around to the inland side and bent down. He probed with his hand around the edge.
    'The rock goes about a foot down, then curves inward,' he said. 'I'll wager that this was once a pothole of some sort. When Kemren came here, he carved out tunnels to the cave it led to and then somehow filled it with river water.' He stood up.
    The low strange cry was definitely closer now. She thought she saw something huge in the darkness to the north, but it could be her imagination.
    'Oh, Igil!' she said. 'I have to urinate!'
    'Do it in the water. If it smells your urine on the land, it'll know a human's been here. And it might call others of its kind. Or make such an uproar the Raggah will come.'
    He let himself down into the water and clung to the stony edge.
    'Get in! It's cold but not as cold as death!' She let herself down to his side. She had to bite her lip to keep from gasping with shock. He gave her a few hurried instructions and said, 'May Weda Krizhtawn smile upon us!' And he was gone.
    10
    She took a deep breath while she was considering getting out of the pool and running like a lizard chased by a fox to the river and swimming across it. But instead she dived, and as Smhee had told her to do, swam close to the ceiling of rock. She was blind here even with her eyes open, and, though she thought mostly about drowning, she had room to think about the crabs. | Presently, when her lungs were about to burst and her head I rang and the violent urge to get air was about to make her breathe, I her flailing hand was grasped by something. The next instant, she was pulled into air.
    There was darkness all about. Her gaspings mingled with Smhee's. He said, between the wheezings, 'There's plenty of air-space between the water and the ceiling. I dived down and came up as fast as I could out of the water, and I couldn't touch the rock above.'
    After they'd recovered their wind, he said, 'You tread water while I go back. I want to see how far back this space goes.'
    She didn't have to wait long. She heard his swimming - she hoped it was his and not something else - and she called out softly when he was near. He stopped and said, 'There's plenty of air until just before the tunnel or cave reaches the pool. Then you have to dive under a downthrust ledge of rock. I didn't go back out, of course, not with that creature out there. But I'm sure my estimate of distance is right.'
    She followed him in the darkness until he said, 'Here's another downthrust.'
    She felt where he indicated. The stone did not go more than six inches before ceasing.
    'Does the rope or your boots bother you any?' he said. 'If they're too heavy, get rid of them.'
    'I'm all right.'
    'Good. I'll be back soon - if things are as I think they are.' She started to call to him to wait for her, but it was too late. She clung to the rough stone with her fingertips, moving her legs now and then. The silence was oppressive; it rang in her ears. And once she gasped when something touched her thigh. The rope and boots did drag her down, and she was thinking of at least getting rid of the rope when something struck her belly. She grabbed it with one hand to keep it from biting her and with the other reached for her dagger. She went under water of course, and then she realized that she wasn't being attacked. Smhee, diving back, had