Midnight Tides & The Bonehunters - By Steven Erikson Page 0,26

One more example, Tehol reflected, of what people would pay for, given the chance.

The three women at a table in the far corner stood out for not just the obvious detail – they were the only women present – but for a host of subtler distinctions. Handsome is ... just the right word. If they were sisters it was in sentiment only, and for the shared predilection for some form of martial vigour, given their brawn, and the bundled armour and covered weapons heaped beside the table.

The one on the left was red-haired, the fiery tresses sun-bleached and hanging in reluctant ripples down onto her broad shoulders. She was drinking from a clay-wrapped bottle, disdaining or perhaps not understanding the function of the cup that had accompanied it. Her face belonged to a heroic statue lining a colonnade, strong and smooth and perfect, her blue eyes casting a stony regard with the serene indifference of all such statues. Next to her, and leaning with both forearms on the small tabletop, was a woman with a hint of Faraed blood in her, given the honeyed hue of her skin and the faint up-tilt of her dark eyes. Her hair was either dark brown or black, and had been tied back, leaving clear her heart-shaped face. The third woman sat slouched back in her chair, left leg tipped out to one side, the right incessantly jittering up and down – fine legs, Tehol observed, clad in tight rawhide, tanned very nearly white. Her head was shaved, the pale skin gleaming. Wide-set, light grey eyes lazily scanning the other patrons, finally coming to rest on Tehol where he stood at the courtyard's threshold.

He smiled.

She sneered.

Urul, Huldo's chief server, edged out from a nearby shadow and beckoned Tehol over.

He came as close as he dared. 'You're looking ... well, Urul. Is Huldo here?'

The man's need for a bath was legendary. Patrons gave their orders with decisive brevity and rarely called Urul over for more wine until the meal was finished. He stood before Tehol now, brow gleaming with oily sweat, hands fidgeting over the wide sash of his belt. 'Huldo? No, Errant be praised. He's on the Low Walk at the Drownings. Tehol, those women – they've been here all morning! They frighten me, the way they scowl whenever I get close.'

'Leave them to me, Urul,' Tehol said, risking a pat on the man's damp shoulder.

'You?'

'Why not?' With that, Tehol adjusted his skirt, checked his sleeves, and threaded his way between the tables. Halting before the three women, he glanced round for a chair. He found one and dragged it close, then settled with a sigh.

'What do you want?' asked the bald one.

'That was my question. My servant informs me that you visited my residence this morning. I am Tehol Beddict... the one who sleeps on his roof.'

Three sets of eyes fixed on him.

Enough to make a stalwart warlord wilt ... but me? Only slightly.

'You?'

Tehol scowled at the bald woman. 'Why does everyone keep asking that? Yes, me. Now, by your accent, I'd hazard you're from the islands. I don't know anyone in the islands. Accordingly, I don't know you. Not to say I wouldn't like to, of course. Know you, that is. At least, I think so.'

The red-haired woman set her bottle down with a clunk. 'We've made a mistake.'

'I'm sorry to hear that—'

'No,' the bald woman said to her companion. 'This is an affectation. We should have anticipated a certain degree of ... mockery.'

'He has no trousers.'

The dark-eyed woman added, 'And his arms are lopsided.'

'Not quite accurate,' Tehol said to her. 'It's only the sleeves that are somewhat askew.'

'I don't like him,' she pronounced, crossing her arms.

'You don't have to,' the bald woman said. 'Errant knows, we're not going to bed him, are we?'

'I'm crushed.'

'You would be,' the red-haired woman said, with an unpleasant smile.

'Bed him? On the roof? You must be insane, Shand.'

'How can not liking him be unimportant?'

The bald woman, the one named Shand, sighed and rubbed her eyes. 'Listen to me, Hejun. This is business. Sentiments have no place in business – I've already told you that.'

Hejun's arms remained crossed, and she shook her head. 'You can't trust who you don't like.'

'Of course you can!' Shand said, blinking.

'It's his reputation I'm not happy with,' said the third, as yet unnamed, woman.

'Rissarh,' Shand said, sighing again, 'it's his reputation what's brought us here.'

Tehol clapped his hands. Once, loud enough to startle the three women. 'Excellent. Rissarh with the red hair.