red and gold slashed doublet, the peacock finery of a court hanger-on that was particularly hateful to the eyes after a hard night and little sleep. Gambin said, "I've business elsewhere, Captain, if you don't mind." The bravado in his voice was unconvincing.
Lucas raised an eyebrow. Thomas glanced at the lieutenant as he set his rapier down. Ignoring Gambin, he poured wine into the other tankard, tasted it, and winced in disgust. He said to Lucas, "Adijan '22? Are you mad?"
Lucas shrugged. "It wakes me up."
"It wakes the dead." Thomas dropped into a chair and looked at the spy. He waited until Gambin's pale eyes shifted away from his, then said, "Someone gave you a package."
"They do. I'm handy for that," Gambin muttered.
"This was for the Dowager Queen."
The spy licked his lips. "Was it?"
"Was it?" Lucas echoed.
"It was," Thomas said. He drew the rapier from the fine black leather of the scabbard and out of the corner of his eye saw Gambin shift nervously. The hilt was unadorned beyond the inherent elegance in the shapes of the half-shell guard and the blunt points of the quillions, and the metal was worn smooth from use. Thomas ran a finger down the flat of the narrow blade, apparently giving all his attention to the shallow dents and scratches it had collected. "Who gave it to you?"
"I'm not saying I had any package."
Lucas pulled the packet of letters out of his rumpled doublet and dropped it on the table. Last night, after discovering that it was Gambin who had delivered the packet to one of Ravenna's gentlewomen, Thomas had given it to Lucas along with instructions to bring in the spy.
Thomas held the rapier up and sighted along the blade. Despite last night's misadventures, it was still unbent. "Where'd this package come from, then?"
Gambin laughed nervously. "There's no proof I had anything to do with that."
Thomas looked up at him. "A Queen's word is not good enough?" he asked softly. "That's dangerously close to treason."
"I... That's..."
"Who gave it to you?"
Gambin made the mistake of changing defensive tactics. "I can't tell you that."
"'Can't'? Surely not 'can't,' " Lucas pointed out. "Perhaps you mean 'shouldn't'? There is a distinct difference."
"I meant I don't know who it was; he had his man give it to me," Gambin protested.
"That's a pity." Thomas laid the rapier gently back on the table and stood up. "You're no use to us, then, are you?"
"So I'll be on my way, then."
"Yes, do that."
The spy hesitated, started to speak, then made a sudden dash for the door. Thomas caught him as Gambin faltered in the doorway at the sight of a group of guards dicing in the next room. He slung the spy around and slammed him face first onto the table.
Lucas deftly rescued the wine bottle and moved it out of the way.
Gambin yelped, the cry escalating into a scream as Thomas twisted the spy's arm upward at an unnatural angle. He said, "Keep yelling. There's no one to hear you who gives a damn. Now I suggest you consider an answer."
"Look here, I... I'll find out who it is for you. I swear, he... I've got friends that can find him." The spy's voice rose in desperation.
"I think you're lying. Doesn't it seem like he's lying?" Thomas asked Lucas.
Lucas shrugged. "Well, he is handy that way."
"No, no, it's the truth," Gambin panted. "I'll find him."
"Are you sure?" Thomas put a little more of his weight on the man's abused arm bone.
Gambin shrieked. "Yes, yes! I swear it!"
Thomas let him go and stepped back. Gambin fell to the floor, gasping. He staggered to his feet, clutching his arm, and stumbled for the door. Thomas stood his chair upright and recovered his tankard from the floor. He gestured at the wine bottle Lucas was holding protectively. "Are you keeping that all for yourself?"
Lucas passed it to him as he took his own seat. "I thought it woke the dead."
"It does. That's what bad years are for." He poured the tankard full and took a long drink. He resented wasting the time on Gambin, and
Lucas raised an eyebrow. Thomas glanced at the lieutenant as he set his rapier down. Ignoring Gambin, he poured wine into the other tankard, tasted it, and winced in disgust. He said to Lucas, "Adijan '22? Are you mad?"
Lucas shrugged. "It wakes me up."
"It wakes the dead." Thomas dropped into a chair and looked at the spy. He waited until Gambin's pale eyes shifted away from his, then said, "Someone gave you a package."
"They do. I'm handy for that," Gambin muttered.
"This was for the Dowager Queen."
The spy licked his lips. "Was it?"
"Was it?" Lucas echoed.
"It was," Thomas said. He drew the rapier from the fine black leather of the scabbard and out of the corner of his eye saw Gambin shift nervously. The hilt was unadorned beyond the inherent elegance in the shapes of the half-shell guard and the blunt points of the quillions, and the metal was worn smooth from use. Thomas ran a finger down the flat of the narrow blade, apparently giving all his attention to the shallow dents and scratches it had collected. "Who gave it to you?"
"I'm not saying I had any package."
Lucas pulled the packet of letters out of his rumpled doublet and dropped it on the table. Last night, after discovering that it was Gambin who had delivered the packet to one of Ravenna's gentlewomen, Thomas had given it to Lucas along with instructions to bring in the spy.
Thomas held the rapier up and sighted along the blade. Despite last night's misadventures, it was still unbent. "Where'd this package come from, then?"
Gambin laughed nervously. "There's no proof I had anything to do with that."
Thomas looked up at him. "A Queen's word is not good enough?" he asked softly. "That's dangerously close to treason."
"I... That's..."
"Who gave it to you?"
Gambin made the mistake of changing defensive tactics. "I can't tell you that."
"'Can't'? Surely not 'can't,' " Lucas pointed out. "Perhaps you mean 'shouldn't'? There is a distinct difference."
"I meant I don't know who it was; he had his man give it to me," Gambin protested.
"That's a pity." Thomas laid the rapier gently back on the table and stood up. "You're no use to us, then, are you?"
"So I'll be on my way, then."
"Yes, do that."
The spy hesitated, started to speak, then made a sudden dash for the door. Thomas caught him as Gambin faltered in the doorway at the sight of a group of guards dicing in the next room. He slung the spy around and slammed him face first onto the table.
Lucas deftly rescued the wine bottle and moved it out of the way.
Gambin yelped, the cry escalating into a scream as Thomas twisted the spy's arm upward at an unnatural angle. He said, "Keep yelling. There's no one to hear you who gives a damn. Now I suggest you consider an answer."
"Look here, I... I'll find out who it is for you. I swear, he... I've got friends that can find him." The spy's voice rose in desperation.
"I think you're lying. Doesn't it seem like he's lying?" Thomas asked Lucas.
Lucas shrugged. "Well, he is handy that way."
"No, no, it's the truth," Gambin panted. "I'll find him."
"Are you sure?" Thomas put a little more of his weight on the man's abused arm bone.
Gambin shrieked. "Yes, yes! I swear it!"
Thomas let him go and stepped back. Gambin fell to the floor, gasping. He staggered to his feet, clutching his arm, and stumbled for the door. Thomas stood his chair upright and recovered his tankard from the floor. He gestured at the wine bottle Lucas was holding protectively. "Are you keeping that all for yourself?"
Lucas passed it to him as he took his own seat. "I thought it woke the dead."
"It does. That's what bad years are for." He poured the tankard full and took a long drink. He resented wasting the time on Gambin, and
Similar Books
