Master Of The Hashomi

The Baran did not appear to be offended. «I will be happy to do so. To begin with, the man you chased into the canal was a master in the Thieves Guild. The Thieves take offense easily. When it is a question of avenging a master, they are willing to face even the wrath of Kubin Ben Sarif.»

«Some of them seemed to have doubts about that,» said Blade, remembering how Esseta's threat had stopped the advance in the hallway.

«I know,» said the Baran. «I have personally spoken to Esseta as well as to Kubin. Like you, Esseta will be joining my service. I do not imagine that you will complain about having her here in the palace?»

«Not at all,» said Blade, smiling. He suspected that the Baran would complain even less. The ruler of Dahaura was said to have a robust appetite for women, and also high standards. Esseta would certainly satisfy both the appetites and the standards, and would hardly object to sharing the Baran's bed for however long he found her pleasing.

«But we wander far afield,» said the Baran. «The Thieves Guild met that same afternoon, and it was decided to move against the House of the Night's Tale. They wanted you and Esseta above all, and were prepared to kill anyone else in their path. They had also found a willing traitor in Hadish. Kubin Ben Sarif was not happy about that, I might add. I suspect that a good many of his people will be answering some very sharp questions in the next few weeks.»

«Poor Kubin,» said Blade, with a wry smile.

«Indeed,» said the Baran. «He wanted to keep you around to help with the questioning, and was most reluctant to dispense with your services. However, it was not impossible to persuade him in the end. I am the Baran, after all, and I also paid him five hundred mahari. I have also promised him the services of the Busud-Barani, the Eyes of the Baran. Not you, though-I have other things for you to do when you become one of my Eyes.»

«Your Eyes,» said Blade carefully. «They are-those who watch your enemies?»

«Yes. And from time to time strike them down. They need to be men who can think as well as strike, like you.»

«I see,» said Blade, still cautious.

«I trust you do,» said the Baran. «Many of the people who might be fit for this sort of work think it beneath them. One of my Eyes might come from the oldest nobility of Dahaura, but he may have to spend ten months as a porter in the storerooms of a brewer. But again, we wander from the events of last night.»

The rest of the story was told quickly. More than thirty members of the Thieves Guild descended on the House of the Night's Tale, and through Hadish's treachery they got in. They would have done their work and been gone in a few minutes except for Blade's fight. From first to last he'd killed or crippled ten men. He'd delayed the rest until the City Riders could come up and kill or capture most of the rest. The Baran himself had been with the City Riders, and he'd been firmly in charge of the situation by the time Kubin Ben Sarif arrived.

It had been an embarrassing night for Kubin, all things considered.

«I trust Kubin will not suffer for this,» said Blade. «He did me no injury, and I would not play a part in any move against him.»

«On the contrary,» said the Baran. «He has promised to organize the Assembly of the Brothel Keepers against the Thieves Guild. Many in the assembly will listen to him because they owe him money or favors. Others will listen because they know he commands some of the best and most reliable fighting men in Dahaura.» The Baran smiled complacently. «I do not think the Thieves will find the Brothel Keepers an easier prey than they found the House of the Night's Tale.»

The Baran rose to his feet and was halfway to the door before Blade remembered the Hashomi. He raised a hand to call the Baran back, but the ruler of Dahaura only stopped and shook his head. «No, Blade, no more tonight. You have wounds to let heal, and strength to regain. Also, a friend is coming to you, who will be better company than I. Whatever you have to say can wait a few days.»

The guards threw the door open and swiftly followed the Baran out. The door remained open, though. Blade lay back on the pillows and tried to relax, in spite of all the thoughts bubbling in his mind. A soft voice made him sit up again.

«Greetings, friend.» Esseta was standing in the doorway, dressed in a green robe, her hair falling down her back. She looked very much like a seventeen-year-old girl.

Blade laughed. «I'd say I was surprised to see you, but at this point nothing much would surprise me.»

«I can imagine,» said Esseta, smiling. She pulled the door closed behind her and walked across the room toward the bed, undoing her robe as she did. It fell to the floor. Underneath she wore another robe, this one of light silk that covered everything but concealed nothing. She did not take that one off until she climbed into the bed beside Blade.

As his arms went around her, Blade could not help thinking of the Hashomi one last time. The Baran had to know. On the other hand, he'd said he would hear Blade again in a few days. Certainly the Hashomi were not going to bring Dahaura down in a few days-not when they faced a man such as the Baran seemed to be.

Then Blade was no longer interested in anything except Esseta.

Chapter 18

Blade's room was in a tower of the White Palace, one of the five palaces in the Baran's private citadel. He was there for a week, until the doctors pronounced him entirely fit and recovered.

The week was tedious. Blade was confined to the room by the doctor's orders, and even if he hadn't been he couldn't have wandered freely in the palace. There were guards at every stairway and in every corridor. Even the Baran's most trusted men could go only where they were supposed to, when they were supposed to.

Esseta spent two nights with Blade, and he did not lack female company on the other nights. The Baran saw to that. He also visited Blade twice, once bringing the scroll that proclaimed Blade a free citizen of Dahaura with the rank of Demad, once just to talk. The second time, Blade was finally able to tell of his adventures among the Hashomi.

The Baran listened to Blade's entire story without comment. When Blade had finished, the Baran stood up, went to the window, lit his pipe, and stood there smoking it in silence for nearly ten minutes. Blade was not comfortable during those ten minutes. He could not be entirely sure that the Baran would believe him, or what might happen if the Baran thought he was lying.

Finally the Baran turned to Blade and frowned. «I am not sure I want to believe you. No, do not be afraid. I do not say this because I think you are an enemy to the Baranate, a teller of lies to sow fear and confusion. You would not have spat in the face of the Thieves Guild if you were. That was the act of a brave man, an honorable one, a man worthy to be a Demad and one of the Eyes of the Baran.

«I do not want to believe you, because if what you say is true, then there is no hope of peace with the Fighters of Junah.»

«How much hope did you think there was before?» Blade asked bluntly.

«More than there can be now,» replied the Baran, after a moment's hesitation. «I ca

Blade was tempted to point out that rulers unwilling to shed the blood of their subjects often wound up with the subjects shedding the rulers' blood. However, saying that would certainly give offense.