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

"Wise of them. I would be interested in knowing which one finally did."

"I'm sure you would," Shadow grinned. "But as he'd probably like to
keep his miserable life, I'll keep my peace."

Blade's voice was expressionless.

"Nevertheless, he has taken a considerable riskтАФas have you, by coming
here."

"And I'm about to add risk to risk," Shadow nodded. "You're not known
for your restraint, but I'll ask you to hear me out before you decide to use
that famous dagger of yours on me. You'll lose nothing by waiting, and I'll
wager you stand to gain something. Will you listen?"

Blade paused, then nodded.

"Good." Shadow leaned her chair back, propping her feet up on Blade's
table.

"As you've probably guessed, I'd like to hire you again. This time,
however, I don't plan to pay you myself; I mink you'll find the payment
inherent in the task."

"I do not work that way," Blade said flatly.

"I know. Still, I don't think you'll find this too onerous." Shadow pulled
a golden pin from the considerable ebony mass of coiled braids that
crowned her head, using the pin to scratch one pointed ear. "A very large
ruby which once adorned the Temple of Urex recently disappeared. A very
professional-looking job, I'll admit, and done to look very much like my
style. It was safeguarded well enough that peopleтАФsome of them my own
thieves, the sorry lotтАФare saying that no one but myself could've taken it.
Nevertheless, I didn't take it, although the Council of Churches didn't
seem to believe me when I told them so."

"Do you blame them?" Blade asked with the closest thing to a smile
Shadow had yet seen on her face.

"What, you mean to say they might hold a grudge after I discredited
them with the City Council, had their leader's assistant killed, burnt down
their leader's temple, and unseated their toady from the Guild? Never."
Shadow chuckled. Then she frowned and shook her head, rubbing it as if it
ached.

"In any event," she said, more seriously, "they are rather upset. They've
already made that displeasure rather tangible. I've spent a nasty year
trying to turn that sorry excuse for a Guild into something the city can
respect, but there's still a long and stony road ahead. I've worked too hard