Part 15 (1/2)

Since Prince Kadakithis knew that Hanse could not read, the bit of fine paper contained not writing, but clever drawings. The Governor's seal, with a hand extending from it, beckoning to a dark splotch. It was man-shaped - a shadow.

Under that was an untidy jumble of (turnip slices?) with straight lines raying up from them. Shadowsp.a.w.n's frown was a momentary thing. Then he was nodding in comprehension - he hoped.

'The P-G wants me to come calling on him, and here's a promise of reward: s.h.i.+ny coins. He sealed up the message in the walnut sh.e.l.l and gave it to one of his harem, with instructions. No one should see Hanse the thief receive a message from the Prince-Governor, else Hanse's name become Plague and he be avoided the same. So that girl found another, and pa.s.sed on the walnut and a coin, with her lord's instructions: ”Take this to Moonflower for Hanse.”'

And she had actually done it, without prying open the sh.e.l.l in an attempt to gain greater treasure than one coin! Well, miracles had happened before, Hanse mused, gazing pensively at the strange message. Had she opened the sh.e.l.l, she'd likely have discarded the note.

Or nervously pressed it back into the sh.e.l.l to scuttle to Moonflower with it.

Maybe someone does know that Hanse received a message that shows a beckoning hand from the Rankan seal, and a pile of coin. I hope she's the quiet sort!

If I knew who she is, I'd scare her into silence. But then maybe she didn't open it at all...

The point is, I hate to walk into the palace, day or night. How would that look?

Me!

Besides, someone inside probably spies for someone out here, and the word would be pa.s.sed. Hanse just walked right up and in, and he was pa.s.sed, too! Better watch him; maybe he's a spy for that golden-haired Rankan boy in the palace!

And so Hanse had thought on that, and begun to grin, and then to plan, and out he went to reconnoitre and plan, and now he had broken in, all unseen and unknown, to await his summoner in the latter's own privy apartment!

And now, sitting there waiting, Hanse reflected and contemplated the more, and his face clouded. The p.r.i.c.kling in his arms started slowly, and grew.

Unwittingly the tool of that pretty Lirain who had so cleverly seduced or 'seduced' him (with no trouble at all!), he had gained this apartment before, also by night and secretly. That time he had stolen the very symbol of Rankan power, that wand called the Savankh. Eventually all that had turned out, and governor and thief reached an understanding. By way of reward, Hanse was granted pardon for all he might have done - once he had a.s.sured the royal youth that he had never slain. (He had, since. It afforded him little enjoyment or pride.) Hanse also came out of that painful adventure with a nice little fortune.

Unfortunately it was in two saddlebags currently reposing at the bottom of a well. He hoped those saddlebags were of good leather.

Now he had broken in here twice. This time he had proven that he could enter this apartment without help from inside or out. What then, when Kadakithis gave thought to that?

Hanse had respect for the youthful Rankan's mind. It even possessed a devious quality. Hanse had seen and felt proof of that, when as Kadakithis's unwilling agent he had partic.i.p.ated in the ruin of the two plotters. Bourne and Lirain.

Suppose, the frowning Hanse mused, that Kadakithis pondered and kept thinking.

There existed in Sanctuary one who could gain his chambers and thus his royal and gubernatorial self, at will. At any time, and never mind guards and sentries! Suppose that one chose to come again, as thief? - or was hired to do, as a.s.sa.s.sin? Would such a possibility not tend to prey on Kadakithis's good mind? Might he not decide that he was less than wise to trust him called Shadow sp.a.w.n, a thief and ruthless besides? Might he not go even further in his thinking, and decide - wisely, as he would see it - that all things considered, Hanse was more dangerous than valuable?

In that case, the Prince-Governor might very well conclude, he and thus Sanctuary and thus Ranke were better off without such worries, such a possibility. In that event, it might occur to him that the world were better off without Hanse's continued presence in it. Nor would the world take heed of the timely demise of a c.o.c.ky young thief.

Hanse swallowed, blinked. Sitting stiffly on a divan in the luxurious apartment, he put it all through his mind again and chased its tail. He came to his own conclusion.

I have been a fool. I did all this for my pride, to be such a clever fellow. I am a clever thief, but a stupid fellow! Being here thus when he comes in could gain me another signature on another doc.u.ment from him - this time my death order! Oh d.a.m.n plague and pox, what have I done!?

Nothing, he thought as he rose with a great sigh, that could not be undone... he hoped. All he had to do was betake himself from here so that neither Kadakithis nor anyone else would ever know he had broken in. He glanced around and swallowed hard. It certainly was hard and against the grain not to steal something!

And so Shadowsp.a.w.n went to the window, and wearily began the process of breaking out of the Governor's Palace and its grounds.

2.

'It develops that I need help,' Prince-Governor Kadakithis said, 'and I cannot see a way to threaten it out of anyone.'

'Including me?'

'Including you, Hanse. Furthermore, if you won't help, I can't see how I can punish you either.'

'I'm glad to hear it. But I didn't know there were things a governor couldn't do, much less a prince.'

'Well, Shadowsp.a.w.n, now you know. Even Kitty-Kat isn't all powerful.'

'You need help and the h.e.l.l Hounds can't provide it?'

'That is close, Hanse. The Imperial Elite Guardsmen cannot help me with this. Or so I perceive it.'

'I sure do wish you would sit down. Highness, so I can.'

Kadakithis walked across the rich carpet of his privatemost chamber and sat on the edge of the peac.o.c.k spread of his bed. He gestured. 'Do take that divan, Hanse, or those cus.h.i.+ons as it pleases you.'

Hanse nodded his thanks. He sank among the cus.h.i.+ons, curbing a grin at their luxury. Last night he had sat on the divan, and only he knew it. This day he chose the luxury of the jumble of stuffed Aurveshan silk. (Quag the h.e.l.l Hound had been on duty at the gate. He had recognized the hooded blind beggar, who winked at him. Having been secretly apprised that Hanse was invited. Quag conducted the blind beggar to His Highness. The hooded robe lay on the bed beside the prince now, who had congratulated Hanse on the cleverness of his entry. Hanse forbore to tell him how much more clever he had been last night.) Now he decided that he could afford a modic.u.m of daring: 'Either I'm hearing sideways or you just told me you need me for something the h.e.l.l Hounds, I mean Imperial Elites, can't do. Or that your Highness can't trust them with? Or that you don't want them to know about.' Revelation: 'Or ... something illegal?'

'I will not affirm or deny anything that you have said.' That said, the prince merely gazed at him. The boy did a good job of looking enigmatic, Hanse mused, overlooking the fact that they were about the same age.

'If the prince will forgive me saying it... his Chief of Security is surely not one to baulk at such a ... mission.'

The prince continued to stare. One pale eyebrow rose slightly under that disgustingly handsome shock of yellow hair. And then Hanse was staring.

Tempus! It's about Tempus, isn't afl I haven't sees him for weeks.'

'Kadakithis turned his gaze on an ornate Yenizedish tapestry. 'Hanse: neither have I.'

'He is not on a mission for your Highness?'

'Just use the p.r.o.noun for me, Hanse, and we can save whole days of our lives.

No. He is not. He is missing. Who might wish him to be missing?'

Hanse was wary of being used as informant, but saw no reason not to answer that one. 'Oh, half the people in town. Maybe more. About the same number that would wish the governor to be missing. Your pardon of course. Governor. Or the Emperor. Or Ranke.'

'Hmm. Well, Empire is built on conquest, not love, however often they are the same. But I have striven to be decent here. Fair.'

Hanse considered. 'It is possible that you have been fairer than we might have expected.'

'Nicely put. Carefully chosen words. You may well become a diplomat yet, Shadowsp.a.w.n. And the h.e.l.l Hounds'! What of them?'

Hanse smiled briefly at the slim n.o.ble's calling his elite guards by the people's name for them; indeed, even the h.e.l.l Hounds called themselves h.e.l.l Hounds these days. It was a dramatic name with a romantic and rather sinister sound that appealed to their sort.

'Shall I answer that, to one from Ranke, with all the power there is? What power have I?' .

'You have influence with the Prince-Governor, Hanse, and with his Chief of Security. You uncovered the plot against me and helped break it up. You regained that awful fear-rod, and it cost you. Recently you helped Tempus in a matter, too. Now we are even in one area at least, aren't we?'

'Even? I? Me? Hanse of Sanctuary and the Emperor's brother?'

'Stepbrother,' the prince corrected, and fixed Hanse with a wide-eyed gaze, all blue. It reminded Hanse of his own ingenuous pose. 'Yes. Now we have both killed. I, Bourne. You... the night Tempus lost his horse.'