"Anne Logston - Shadow 02 - Shadow Hunt" - читать интересную книгу автора (Logston Anne)

Shadow poured herself a goblet of wine, drank.

"You can see it's not poisoned," she said. "Really excellent wine."

Blade shook her head again.

Shadow chuckled.

"That's right, you drink Dragon's Blood. I suppose I owe the credit for
the title as much to you as anybody. Your timing was impeccable, you
know. I'd grown a bit weary of Bobrick's basement hostel, not to mention
his entertainment. Did you see it, when I challenged Ganrom? Half dead
on my feet, and I still took him out in proper style. Everyone was so
impressed that I've had no challenges to speak of since I took the seat last
year. And I got the credit for Bobrick, tooтАФhow anyone thought I had the
chance, I don't know. Thirty years of life is nothing to an elf. It was a good
bargain."

Blade gave the barest hint of a smile.

"Few are so pleased with the bargains they strike with me."

"So I understand. I imagine that's what happened to Tomor on the
Cloth Road, isn't it?"

Blade betrayed no reaction.

"What makes you think that?"

Shadow laughed softly.
 "Oh, please. It's common knowledge that Rivero was about to put him
out of business. Rivero turns up dead. Then Tomor turns up dead with
your rather unmistakable mark on his hand. It wouldn't have been so
obvious if either of them had been robbed, but not so much as a copper
was disturbed although they were both wearing thousands of Suns in
jewels. It isn't hard to guess that Tomor, having gotten what he wanted,
probably balked at paymentтАж or part of his payment, anyway. You're
becoming quite a sore point with the law these days."

"The same could be said of you, Guildmistress," Blade said softly.

"Only by the Council of Churches," Shadow chuckled. She quaffed the
remainder of her wine and poured more. "The rest of Allanmere is very
happy with me, you see. I've reformed the Guild considerably. Even the
constabulary occasionally makes use of me and my contactsтАФnot that
you'd get them to admit it, of course. There's very little I don't know or
can't find out. Although I will admit," she added, "that some information
is hard to come by, such as how to find you. Few know, and fewer will
talk."