Tsalmoth (Vlad Taltos, #16)

by Steven Brust

He said, “Don’t you want me to tell you what I’ve come up with?” “Sure. What have you come up with?” “Check into his family.” “Good thinking.” “Thanks.” “Get on that, then.” “Already did.” “I suppose you expect a compliment.” “And a bonus.” “Good work.” “Thanks. The bonus?” “Very good work.” “Nice.”

A minute later the guy came out and nodded me in. He didn’t even stick his foot out to trip me as I went by, which I’d half expected; sometimes our massive and sophisticated criminal organization operates at the level of a pre-adolescent street punk.

“So,” he said. “You claim that someone broke into my house and stole something I never had.” “Well,” I said. “To be fair, some of that is your claim.”

She stood up too, touching her daggers and checking a few other surprises about her person. I still wasn’t sure I’d found them all, but the joy is in the search.

again. Single-minded, that’s what I am. “Kragar or Fentor?” Cawti wanted to know. “Now, how did you know—Fentor. You know me too well.” “Yeah, dangerous. You should marry me.” “Guess I might as well.” “We jhereg are able to vomit at will.”

The best thing about psychic communication is that you don’t have to worry about swallowing your food before saying something, so I kept eating.

We went back to the office to see if Kragar was ready to report, but he hadn’t returned, so we went back to her place. Kragar was, to be brief, missing the whole next day. And then the day after that. If you know Kragar, you’d know that was a good sign. On the third day, he was in the office when I showed up. Cawti was with me, because we’d just had breakfast. Kragar was looking smug. “Okay,” I said. “Tell me you solved all my problems.” “Nope,” he said. “But I got you a whole bunch of new ones.”

“My turn again,” said the sorceress. “What do you know about Tavissa buying land around Northport a hundred years ago?” “I know that she did,” I said, “because you just told me. Other than that, nothing.” I frowned. “You just gave me that for free. You wanted me to know. You want me to find Tavissa for you. Funny, so does my boss. Nice that we all agree on what I should do.” She smiled sweetly. “Your turn to ask a question,” she said. “I hate to admit it,” I told her, “but I’m starting to enjoy this. Okay, what is the significance of that thing you just told me, about the land deal.” “I have no idea,” she said. Now it was my turn to give the hard stare. “I really don’t,” she said. “It was something we uncovered, and it was big, and we have no idea why she wanted it.”

My guests left after saying some things that were polite compared to, I don’t know, setting my hair on fire or something. Once they were safely gone, I called out, “Kragar?” “Yeah?” he said from the corner. I glared. “Have you been there all this time?” “Three of them, three of us,” he said. “Hey now,” said Loiosh.

“So, what was that spell she was talking about?” he wanted to know. “A spell.” “Someone cast a spell on you?” “Let it go.” “Okay. What now, then?” I turned to Cawti. “I think locating the source of that spell has just become more important.” “What spell?” said Kragar, just to be annoying.