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

"I am curious why you have placed yourself in a vulnerable position,
meeting me in my own place alone and showing very dangerous
knowledge."

Shadow shrugged. "Fortune hates a coward," she said. "Living safely is
enough to kill by boredom alone. I said what I did because I'd like your
help, and because you know I have nothing to gain now by lying to you,
and also because I have a tempting bait to dangle before youтАФBaloran's
present whereabouts."

"I am not easily manipulated," Blade said softly. "I could have such
information from you quickly."

"I don't doubt that," Shadow said wryly, peeping over the table at the
black dagger. "I wouldn't like to fall prey to your soul-sipping companion,
and I doubt I'd like any other methods of persuasion you might offer. I'm
sure you make Bobrick and his friends look like Ebraris's sweetest
courtesans in that arena, by all accounts. However, I'm willing to give you
the information you want without obligation on your part. Do what you
like with Baloran; I don't care, especially if it puts him out of my misery.
Doubtless he has numerous valuables that might interest you. Maybe you
could persuade him to break the dagger's binding, if he could do it, which
I don't know. At the very least you'd have revenge. All I want is the ruby,
and I'm perfectly willing to share the risk in order to get it. That puts me
under your watchful eye the whole time. But you really don't have to doubt
my ability, or my willingness, to hold my peace about any information I've
gathered about you. After all, we've had some profitable traffic, you and I.
If word got about of any connection between us, I'd only stand to lose the
confidence of my Guildmembers and the trust of people who don't know I
traffic with assassins. And that is why I met you here, in your own place,
aloneтАФbecause I've also got something to lose by a little knowledge in the
wrong place."

Blade was silent a long moment, then nodded.

"I begin to see how you have held the seat," she said at last. "For all
your dangerous games, you have a shrewd mind."

"Not really," Shadow chuckled. "Just about five hundred years of
experience in dealing with humans and the like. Mind, I'm not offering
you a contract, or a bargainтАФ I'm just pointing out that in this particular
instance I think our interests coincide, and aтАФwellтАФa partnership might
be profitable on both sides."

"And you only want this ruby, out of all Baloran's renowned riches?"
Blade smiled ironically. "I find that difficult to believe."

Shadow grinned shamelessly.

"Well, I can't go so far as to say that. But I won't begrudge you first