“Okay, Vlad. Now. What are—?”
“You,” I interrupted, “are just about the sneakiest son-of-a-bitch I know.”
“Huh? What did I do now?”
“It’s what you’ve been doing for years, and never told me about.”
“Uh ... Vlad, I’m not sure—”
“Tell the proprietor his shipment is ready, and he might need more space to store it all.”
Kragar’s jaw dropped, which provided me a measure of satisfaction.
“How did you ... I don’t know which question to ask first.”
I nodded. “My life is often like that.”
“Vlad—”
“Okay, we can get to your questions in a bit. But first, you have a job to do.”
“A what?”
“A commission to fulfill.”
“What commission?”
“Tell the proprietor—”
“You mean, you’re serious about that?”
“What would make you think I’m joking?”
After a while, he said, “Umm, all right. You’re serious. I need to—Verra’s tits, Vlad! You just come in here and ... all right. Do you have a name?”
“Sandor.”
“Okay, where do I find this Sandor?”
“No, no. That’s my name. While I’m in disguise.”
“Is that a disguise? I thought you’d just changed the cut of your clothes.”
“Shut up,” I suggested.
“Nice beret, though. It suits you.”
“Shut up.”
“Okay, well, good, now I know what to call you while you aren’t answering my question.”
“You mean the name of the target.”
“Yeah, that would be helpful.”
“It’s a sorceress named Crithnak. Left Hand.”
“Okay. Any other information?”
“Her sister is dead.”
“Okay. Is that important?”
“I doubt it.”
“What else?”
“She’s very good. She managed to find me when she shouldn’t have been able to.”
“I’m sure he’ll be terrified. What else?”
“How long have you been his contact, Kragar?”
“About, uh, ninety years, I guess.”
“How did you meet him?”
“A mutual friend introduced us.”
“A friend? I didn’t think Aliera even liked you.”
He chuckled. “One for you, Vlad.”
“Kragar, didn’t you once tell me, in so many words, that you didn’t know how to get hold of Mario?”
“Uh, I don’t think I ever said that. I may have implied it pretty strongly.”
“Heh.”
“But I also asked him if he wanted to get involved that time. He didn’t.”
“Why not?”
“I didn’t think to ask him. I usually don’t.”
“Okay.”
He nodded. “Wait here. I have an errand to run.”
“Yep.”
I sat back to wait.
“You think he’s doing it, Boss?”
“You mean, as opposed to running off to arrange to get the bounty on my head?”
“Yeah.”
“I trust him. Don’t you?”
“Yes, but mostly because if he doesn’t get that message to Mario, Mario will kill him.”
“Good point.”
I glanced at the open door, and wondered if I should shut it. But, no, it wasn’t my office anymore. I looked around. Yeah, I missed the place. Maybe not all that much, but I missed it.
“Okay, Vlad. Now do I get to ask questions?”
I jumped about halfway to the ceiling and glared at Kragar. “Don’t ask why I’ve never killed you, because I don’t think I know the answer.”
He smiled. Maybe I’ve never killed him because he’s the only one who always knows when I’m joking.
“What about me?”
“You missed one just the other day.”
“So, where have you been, Vlad?”
“You mean, for the past few years?”
“Well, no, I meant the past few days. But I’m curious about the past few years, too.”
“All over. Went back East, northwest ... all over.”
“Okay. But, these last few days—oh. You’ve been in South Adrilankha, walking around like an Easterner.”
“Right. How have you taken to running things?”
“I like the money.”
“Yeah, that part is nice. Any problems?”
“Yeah. Finding someone so stupid that he’s willing to do for me what I always did for you.”
“That would be tough, wouldn’t it?”
He nodded. “So what’s been going on? I haven’t heard—”
“You’ve been working for Mario all this time, you sneaky bastard?”
“Well, yeah.”
I shook my head. “And the worst part is, you’re really enjoying it that I’m so shocked.”
He smiled innocently.
“Bastard.”
“Does this mean you won’t tell me what’s going on?”
“Do you really want to get any more involved with my affairs than you already are?”
He shrugged. “Why not?”
“Well, for starters, they’ll kill you.”
“Okay. What after that?”
“Chances are, that’s all.”
“So only one thing to worry about? That’s not so many.”
“How long did you say you’d been Mario’s contact?”
“About ninety years, and I prefer the term ‘business agent.’”
“You mean, messenger.”
“Something like that, yeah.”
I shook my head.
“So, what’s the plan, Vlad?”
I studied him for a little. He frowned. “Vlad, are you wondering if you can trust me?”
“Actually, no.”
“Good.”
“I know I can trust you. I’m having real doubts about getting you killed.”
“Why? You never did before.”
“This is different and you know it.”
“What’s so different about it?”
“Well, it’s Morganti. And it’s the whole damned Jhereg. And the Left Hand is involved. I’m gone. I’m out of here. If you’re known to be in this with me, and you live through it, then you’ll have to be gone, too. You can’t come back from this and go on with business.”
“Isn’t that my decision?”
“It isn’t that simple.”
“Yes it is.”
“Not to me.”
“That’s because you complicate everything.”
“Oh. So that’s my problem?”
“One of them.”
“Going to give the whole list?”
He grinned. “Not unless you ask for it.”
I sighed. “I’ve put things into motion that I can’t control. Things have started. I—”
“Just now? With my errand?”
“A little before that, actually. It all centers around South Adrilankha.”
“Yeah, I knew that part.”
“Do you know why?”
He smiled happily. “Not even a guess.”
“For one thing, Terion,” I said.
“What about him?”
“He’s pushing for the number-one spot on the Council.”
“Okay. And?”
“He’s enlisted the help of the Left Hand.”
“How did he do that?”
“His mistress is one of them.”
“Ah.”
“How is—”
“By gaining control of South Adrilankha.”
“Why there?”
“It’s the most lucrative area that’s up for grabs. They’re already fighting for it. I mean, the Jhereg. I mean, the Right Hand.”
“Bodies turning up?”
“No,” I said. “But one of the parties tried to start up a little enterprise among the Easterners. Small stuff, but if it had worked, it could have eventually put the heat on the Left Hand, and maybe interfered with their business there.”
“Could have?”
“I sort of squelched it.”
“Okay, that leaves Terion.”
“As far as I know. And I’m pretty sure I know the whole way.”
“And Terion’s connection to the Left Hand is his mistress. Who is—wait. Crithnak.”
“Yeah.”
“Terion won’t be happy.”
“With any luck, Terion won’t be alive.”