for a relief against the injustices of the world, consider that your Autarch is busily making a point of snubbing my family and that his monks would not be here for me to impose upon otherwise. Good day.’ With that, he turned on his heel and marched out of the temple. His men followed, as did Master Sy, still dragging Berren by the ear. Outside, the prince stopped again. He looked at Master Sy and, fleetingly, at Berren.
‘Gentlemen, I thank you for your services. Loathsome duty now beckons. Lord Tanngris will settle our accounts with the Watchman’s Arms.’ He stopped and stared at Master Sy. ‘You. However much I have called you dull, you do not belong here. You are rotting on the inside, and believe me, on that subject I know what I’m talking about. Thief-taking is not for you. Go and do whatever it is you need to do.’
Master Sy bowed. He was trying not to show it, but the prince’s words had touched him somewhere raw. His hands were trembling and his skin had turned pale. Berren didn’t have time to think about that, though, for the prince was looking at him now. His eyes were pale and watery. They had a bit of ice to them. A bit of ice and a bit of anger and a lot of sadness, Berren thought.
‘You. Take this, boy.’ He pressed something into Berren’s hand. ‘When your master goes, he’s not going to want you with him. You’ll probably follow him anyway, whether he likes it or not, but at least let me give you a choice. You may come to Varr. Go to the Kaveneth. Present this and tell them that you have answered my summons. Tell them I say you should be working for Eagle-Beak, if he’s still alive. They’ll know who you mean.’ Whatever he’d put in Berren’s hand, the prince closed Berren’s fingers over it. ‘And don’t lose it, eh?’
Before Berren could even look up, the prince had turned and was walking away. Master Sy put a hand on Berren’s shoulder. ‘Watch him go, lad. That’s the last you’ll ever see of him, yet his favour will haunt you like a curse. It will be a weight around your neck before this year is up, I promise you.’
Berren opened his fingers to see what the prince had given him. It was gold, like an emperor fresh from the imperial mint but bigger and with a more complicated stamp on it. Not the Emperor’s head but a sword and a shield on one side and the imperial standard, a flaming eagle within a triangle, on the other.
‘Worth a bit, that,’ muttered Master Sy.
Berren nodded. He was staring at the token. He had no idea what it meant but he held it as though it was the most precious thing he’d ever had. He couldn’t pocket it for fear of somehow losing it. Maybe a chain, around his neck …
‘You could sell it.’
He closed his fingers around the token, clutching it tight. Yes, a chain around his neck, that was the only way to be safe.
The thief-taker sighed. He clapped Berren on the shoulder. ‘Remember, lad, when this all turns sour, that it all came about because you did the right thing and for the right reasons. Now I’m hungry and my friendships with the priests in this temple have just been royally slaughtered. Ah well, only took ten years to build. Come on: I need a drink, I’ve got a pocket full of the Prince’s silver, Justicar Kol owes me a purse and the most expensive tea-house in the city is right across the square beside the guild-house. So that’s where I’m going. You can come with me if you like, or you can stay here for midday prayers if you like the look of your new teacher so much.’
Berren reddened. ‘ Her? ’
‘Don’t think I didn’t see you looking, and don’t think that she didn’t either. You’re in for some hard hard work, lad.’ He chuckled. ‘So are you coming or are you staying?’
For a moment Berren hesitated. Not that he wanted to be in the temple for any longer that he had to; but after prayers the monks were going to do their demonstration and that was something he didn’t want to miss. He’d get to
‘Gentlemen, I thank you for your services. Loathsome duty now beckons. Lord Tanngris will settle our accounts with the Watchman’s Arms.’ He stopped and stared at Master Sy. ‘You. However much I have called you dull, you do not belong here. You are rotting on the inside, and believe me, on that subject I know what I’m talking about. Thief-taking is not for you. Go and do whatever it is you need to do.’
Master Sy bowed. He was trying not to show it, but the prince’s words had touched him somewhere raw. His hands were trembling and his skin had turned pale. Berren didn’t have time to think about that, though, for the prince was looking at him now. His eyes were pale and watery. They had a bit of ice to them. A bit of ice and a bit of anger and a lot of sadness, Berren thought.
‘You. Take this, boy.’ He pressed something into Berren’s hand. ‘When your master goes, he’s not going to want you with him. You’ll probably follow him anyway, whether he likes it or not, but at least let me give you a choice. You may come to Varr. Go to the Kaveneth. Present this and tell them that you have answered my summons. Tell them I say you should be working for Eagle-Beak, if he’s still alive. They’ll know who you mean.’ Whatever he’d put in Berren’s hand, the prince closed Berren’s fingers over it. ‘And don’t lose it, eh?’
Before Berren could even look up, the prince had turned and was walking away. Master Sy put a hand on Berren’s shoulder. ‘Watch him go, lad. That’s the last you’ll ever see of him, yet his favour will haunt you like a curse. It will be a weight around your neck before this year is up, I promise you.’
Berren opened his fingers to see what the prince had given him. It was gold, like an emperor fresh from the imperial mint but bigger and with a more complicated stamp on it. Not the Emperor’s head but a sword and a shield on one side and the imperial standard, a flaming eagle within a triangle, on the other.
‘Worth a bit, that,’ muttered Master Sy.
Berren nodded. He was staring at the token. He had no idea what it meant but he held it as though it was the most precious thing he’d ever had. He couldn’t pocket it for fear of somehow losing it. Maybe a chain, around his neck …
‘You could sell it.’
He closed his fingers around the token, clutching it tight. Yes, a chain around his neck, that was the only way to be safe.
The thief-taker sighed. He clapped Berren on the shoulder. ‘Remember, lad, when this all turns sour, that it all came about because you did the right thing and for the right reasons. Now I’m hungry and my friendships with the priests in this temple have just been royally slaughtered. Ah well, only took ten years to build. Come on: I need a drink, I’ve got a pocket full of the Prince’s silver, Justicar Kol owes me a purse and the most expensive tea-house in the city is right across the square beside the guild-house. So that’s where I’m going. You can come with me if you like, or you can stay here for midday prayers if you like the look of your new teacher so much.’
Berren reddened. ‘ Her? ’
‘Don’t think I didn’t see you looking, and don’t think that she didn’t either. You’re in for some hard hard work, lad.’ He chuckled. ‘So are you coming or are you staying?’
For a moment Berren hesitated. Not that he wanted to be in the temple for any longer that he had to; but after prayers the monks were going to do their demonstration and that was something he didn’t want to miss. He’d get to
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