Steven Brust - Jhereg

But I still didn’t black out. I took a chance, then, because I had to, and lunged, cutting down at his forehead. He stepped back and parried with his dagger. I backed up another step before the sword came sweeping down at me again. It occurred to me that, even if the jhereg should choose to respond, it might be too far away to do me any good.

“ And what do you ask? ”

Mellar was smiling again. He could see that I was going, and all he had to do was wait. He continued pressing the attack.

“ For the future, aid in my endeavors, and your friendship, and your wisdom. For the present, save my life! ”

Once again, Mellar struck at the side of my head and got through. There was a ringing in my ears, and I felt myself start to fall. I saw him move in, raising the dagger and grinning broadly . . .

. . . and then he was turning, startled, as a winged shape struck at his face. He moved back and took a swipe with his sword; missed.

I dropped my sword and caught myself with my right hand. I heaved myself up from there until I was standing; barely. Mellar took another swing at the jhereg. I transferred the dagger to my right hand, and fell forward, walking being somewhat beyond my powers at that point. My left hand grasped his left arm, his dagger-arm, and swung him around.

He turned, and I saw panic in his eyes, and his dagger began to arc toward my neck. I tried to hold back his right arm, which was swinging forward with the sword, but it slipped from my grasp.

I thrust straight in, then, with everything that was left in me.

The stiletto took him in the left eye, burying itself to the hilt in his brain. He screamed then—a long wail of despair, and he lost interest in removing my head. I saw the light of life go out in his right eye, and I might even have rejoiced if I’d been capable of it.

I was screaming then, as well, as we twisted, toppled, fell. We landed on each other, with me face up, and the only thing still in the air was his lifeless arm, holding a living dagger in a fist that wouldn’t let go. I watched it, unable to do anything, as it fell . . . fell . . . fell . . . and hit the ground next to my left ear.

I could feel its frustration, and had a crazy moment of sympathy for any hunter that loses its prey by such a small margin.

A thought, then, came into my mind and set up housekeeping. “ I accept ,” it said.

Just what I need, I remember thinking, another wiseass jhereg.

I didn’t quite lose consciousness, although I don’t think I was completely conscious, either. I remember lying there, feeling damned helpless, and watching the jhereg take bits out of Mellar’s corpse. At some time in there, various animals came up and sniffed me. I think one of them was an athyra; I’m not sure about the others. Each time, the jhereg looked up from its meal and hissed a warning. They backed off.

Eventually, perhaps half an hour later, I heard a sudden disturbance. The jhereg looked over, hissed, and I looked too. Aliera was there, holding Pathfinder. With her were Cawti and Kragar and Loiosh.

The other jhereg was female. She hissed at Loiosh. With the jhereg, the female is dominant. (With the Jhereg, the matter is still up in the air.)

Cawti rushed up to me with a cry and sat down. She carefully placed my head on her lap and began stroking my forehead. Aliera began inspecting and treating my various wounds. I’d be hard pressed to say which helped more, but it was nice getting all the attention.

Kragar assisted Aliera, after verifying that the two corpses were, indeed, corpses.

Loiosh had found the other jhereg. They were looking at each other.

Aliera said something then, I think it was about Daymar’s mind-probe having worked, but I wasn’t really listening, so I’m not sure.

Loiosh spread his wings and hissed. The female spread her wings further and hissed louder. They were silent for a while, then exchanged hisses again.

I tried to communicate with Loiosh, but found nothing. At first I thought that it was because my mind was still too exhausted from the spell I’d done, but then I realized that it was because Loiosh was blocking me out. He’d never done that before. I got a sinking feeling.

Suddenly, the two of them rose into the air. I lacked the strength to look up and follow their flight, but I knew what must be happening. Tears blinded me, and desperation gave me a small loan against my future energy holdings. I tried to force my way into his mind, and I sent out my desperate call, trying to pierce the barriers he had erected against me.

“ No! Come back! ” I think I called.

Cawti’s face above me began to waver, as my body and mind gave up their fight at last, admitted defeat, and the darkness that had been hovering over and around me finally found entry.

Nevertheless, the contact was as sharp and distinct as it had ever been, sneaking under the gate even as it closed.

“ Look, boss. I’ve worked for you nonstop for more than five years now. You’d think I could have a few days off for my honeymoon! ”

Epilogue

“Failure leads to maturity; maturity leads to success.”

On my terms, this time.

The Blue Flame was quiet at this hour, with three waiters, a busboy, a dishwasher, and three customers.

All of them were enforcers who worked for me. All of them, at one time or another, had done ‘work.’

This time I faced the door, and my back was against the wall. I had a dagger out, lying openly on the table next to my right hand.

I wished Loiosh was back, but he wasn’t necessary this time. I was making the rules, and we were playing with my stones. Somewhere, Cawti and Kragar were watching.

Let him try . . . anything. Anything at all. Sorcery? Ha! No spell would go in this place that didn’t have Aliera’s approval. Try to bring in an assassin? Maybe, if he wanted to pay for Mario, he could come up with something I’d worry about. Other than that, however, I wasn’t about to get upset.

A face appeared in the doorway, followed by another.

The Demon had brought two bodyguards with him. They stopped in the doorway and looked around. Being competent, they saw how things were and spoke to the Demon quietly for a while. I saw him shake his head. Good. He was smart, and he was gutsy. He was going to do it my way because he knew, at this point, that it was the only way it would get done—he was too good a businessman not to realize that it had to get done.

I saw him signal his men to wait by the door, and he came forward alone.

I rose as he reached me, and we sat down at the same moment.

“Lord Taltos,” he said.

“Demon,” I said.

He looked at the dagger, seemed about to speak, and changed his mind. At this point, he could hardly blame me, after all.

Since I had requested the meeting, I ordered the wine. I chose a rare dessert wine, made by the Serioli. He spoke first while we waited for the wine to arrive.

“I note that your familiar is missing,” he said. “I hope he isn’t ill.”

“He isn’t ill,” I said. “But thank you for asking.”

The wine came. I allowed the Demon to approve it. It’s the little touches that make the fine host. I sipped mine and let it flow down my throat. Cool, and sweet, but neither icy nor cloying. That was why I’d chosen it. It had seemed appropriate.

“I was afraid,” the Demon continued, “that he’d eaten something that had disagreed with him.”

I chuckled. I decided that I’d come to like this guy, if we didn’t kill each other first.

“I take it the body has been found,” I said.

He nodded. “It’s been found. A bit jhereg-eaten, but there isn’t any harm in that, certainly.”