Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids by Michael McClung

Author:Michael McClung [Michael McClung]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ragnarok Publications
Published: 2016-06-14T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

“Why didn’t you kill him, Angrado?” Gavon asked as he motioned us to sit at a candlelit table in the center of the upstairs gloom.

“Why should I bother?” Holgren replied.

Gavon chuckled. “You always were too squeamish for your own good. That one won’t thank you for sparing him. He’ll kill you if he can.”

“But he can’t. Not on his best day. And if I’m squeamish, what does that make you?”

“A man unconcerned with niceties.”

“You mean morals. Or is it scruples?”

Gavon smiled, mirthlessly. “No one can hold a grudge like a Low Countryman, it seems.”

“You would know, wouldn’t you? But I’m only half Low Country, as you seemed to take every opportunity to point out.”

“I believe I also said you were half a man.”

Holgren grinned, and I knew things were about to turn ugly. “Mariette seemed to think I was man enough,” he said. “How is you sister?”

And that’s when the knives came out. Gavon suddenly held two huge pig stickers, and Holgren a spitting, hissing blade of white light. They were both standing, chairs knocked back.

“I’ll see your half-breed guts on the floor for that,” said Gavon. Holgren just smiled.

I cleared my throat. “So I guess you two know each other?”

“Oh, yes,” said Gavon. “Holgren Angrado and I have a history.”

I turned to look at Holgren. “You might have mentioned that,” I said.

“You never asked.”

“I have an idea,” I said. “Let’s put away the blades and do some business. Gavon, you can still kill somebody, and make a profit to boot.” I heaved the satchel up onto the table in front of him. His eyes flickered to all that gold. His knives disappeared and suddenly he was smiling. He deliberately turned away from Holgren to face me directly.

“Knowing that one won’t get you a discount, you know. In fact I should charge extra.”

“Believe me, I am regretting his acquaintance at the moment.” Holgren took the hint and extinguished his blade.

“So talk to me.”

I heaved an inner sigh of relief. Outwardly, I put on my dubious face. “To be honest, I don’t think you’ll touch this contract.”

“I have never yet come across one that couldn’t be fulfilled.”

“I’d want you to execute it personally.”

“Now that is a problem. I don’t really do that anymore. Only on special occasions, you might say.”

“Well then, I’m sorry to have wasted your time.” I flipped the satchel closed and began to heave it back on my shoulder.

“Let’s hear it, at least,” said Gavon, taking his seat again.

I took off Holgren’s fetish. “You inked a contract on one Amra Thetys. I want to take out a contract on anyone who turns up to get paid for it.”

He laughed outright. “Oh, you’ve got balls, I’ll give you that. It’s almost clever. I suppose you’d want it to be public knowledge, as well.”

“Naturally. The dead don’t care about revenge.”

“What made you think I would agree to something like this?”

I put on a puzzled expression. “Money, of course. One chain just for saying yes, and ten more on the off chance you have to kill someone.

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