Thraxas and the Ice Dragon - By Martin Scott Page 0,67

fair fight. But she hasn't, so now he's going to make sure she doesn't get past the semi-final. We can expect a full scale assault, while the Tournament Sorcerer looks the other way. You'd better be prepared to deflect incoming spells."

"Isn't there some other way of dealing with this?" I say. "The King wouldn't be pleased to know the tournament's being magically disrupted. It's meant to be fair."

"I don't see what I can do about that. I can't go telling tales to the King. It'll look like I'm scared of Lasat."

We leave the kitchen. Makri is waiting in the corridor, standing in front of a marble bust of Saint Quatinius. It's hard to say which one looks angriest.

"Makri, I'm sorry I - "

"Lisutaris, we'll have to leave for the fight a few minutes early. General Hemistos is meeting us at the bookmaker's. He'll put our bet on for us, and lead me into the arena. If you happen to see that fat, drunken oaf, Thraxas, and he's sober enough to talk - which is unlikely - tell him not to bother showing up. I don't want my reputation sullied."

Makri departs. Lisutaris looks at me. "Makri's as angry as a troll with a toothache. You'd better do something about it."

"Don't you think it's going a bit far, accusing me of sullying her reputation? Orcish gladiators don't have reputations to sully."

"I don't know about that," says Lisutaris. "Makri's gaining quite a following. She fights well. She behaves properly when there are Barons around, out of respect to me. She doesn't invade the King's Royal Bathing House, bellowing insults about the Samsarinan army."

"They never could fight. Don't worry about Makri, I know her weaknesses. I'll pacify her."

Later, on my way to visit Baroness Demelzos, I walk past the Jolly Bandit. I wouldn't mind a beer to set me up for the day, but decide I'd better not risk it. There's no knowing what might happen. At the Baroness's mansion, I have to wait quite a while before being led into her reception rooms. The Baroness greets me cooly.

"I thought you were coming to visit me yesterday. I waited for several hours."

"Other matters intervened," I explain. "Important new leads in the investigation."

"Really? I thought it might have had something to do with your all-day drinking session with Baron Girimos."

"You heard about that?"

"Everyone's heard about it," says the Baroness. "My Chief Steward was in the King's Bathing House when you stumbled in, brandishing a stick. His report was extremely graphic."

"Well, it was really Baron Girimos who was doing most of the - "

"And my kitchen maid encountered you outside the Jolly Bandit. Was it you or the Baron who offered her fifty gurans for a night's whoring?"

"It must have been the Baron. I don't have that sort of money."

"As for my pastry-cook, she saw you - "

"Is there any member of your household who didn't spend the entire day spying on me? Don't they have better things to do?"

Baroness Demelzos suddenly laughs, quite heartily. "I was hoping you hadn't lost your touch, Thraxas. You always were entertaining, back in the old days." The Baroness pours wine into a goblet from a silver decanter and passes it to me. I take a seat opposite her at the table. She asks me if I've made any progress.

"Some. Can you tell me more about your finances?"

"How do you mean?"

"I've heard you're not doing so well."

The Baroness frowns. "That's not exactly polite. And not relevant, as far as I can see."

"I've been down all the relevant paths. They didn't lead anywhere. I'm broadening my enquiries."

Demelzos purses her lips. "It's true we've had some reverses. My husband did lose money in bad shipping transactions. Some of it was bad luck. Some of it was bad business. Does that satisfy you?"

"Did you know Baron Vosanos is in difficulty too?"

"I find that hard to believe. Vosanos is one of Samsarina's wealthiest men."

"Not any more, he isn't. He owes tax to the King. He's trying to keep it quiet but it's true."

"That's interesting," says the Baroness. "But you said he was in difficulty too. That's inaccurate. My family might have lost money but we're not in difficulty. My husbands financial misfortunes haven't affected our queenstone mines. They still provide a good income. That's why we settled one of the mines on Orgodas for his wedding."

"What do you mean?"

"Our son gets the mine as his wedding gift from us. Vosanos will settle something equally valuable on his daughter. Or perhaps not, if what you