Steven Brust - Dzur

“But the conflict in South Adrilankha itself might create an opening for me. I can do things here that most Jhereg can’t.”

“What sort of things do you mean?”

“I don’t know yet; I don’t know enough about what’s going on. But something could open up. I need information sources.”

“For South Adrilankha, I can’t help with that.”

“I understand.”

I considered what she’d told me. “Okay, then the question becomes, exactly how is the Left Hand, or maybe just Triesco, helping Terion? And, secondly, what does this have to do with the sorceress attacking me? Oh.”

“Oh?”

“Well, I got a piece of that.”

“Yes. Now that I think of it, me too. The Jhereg wants you badly enough that Terion delivering your head will put him in a good position.”

“Yeah. Or else it was part of the deal to begin with. Either way, it means that sorceress was planning to kill me. Good. That makes me feel better.”

“It does?”

“Yeah, a little anyway.”

“Uh, you’ll have to explain that to me.”

“I haven’t told you what Daymar learned.”

“Daymar? Yes, I remember him. What did he learn?” I told her.

“Okay,” she said. “Yes. That makes sense. And the sorceress is called Crithnak?”

I nodded.

“I should see what I can learn about her.”

“I would certainly appreciate that. Then, I have to see how I can get her to attack me on ground of my choosing.”

Kiera frowned. “Get her to attack you?”

“Why, yes,” I said innocently. “Sethra Lavode once told me that defending is stronger than attacking.”

“Ah. I see.” Her face gave away nothing. “Well, I wouldn’t know, but I imagine that, first of all, she was speaking tactically, not strategically. And, second, that she would tell you that this de­pends on the particular tactics involved at the time. She might mention that there are times—such as when offensive battle spells have acquired an advantage over defensive battle spells—that the reverse is true.”

“Oh. You think she’d say that?”

“I’m just guessing, but yes.”

“I’ve never been clear on the difference between strategy and tactics anyway.”

“Haven’t you? Tell Sethra that. She’ll probably make you a general.”

“Because of what I don’t know?”

“Because you don’t have the preconceptions that tactics are always tactics, strategy is always strategy, and the one never turns into the other.”

“I didn’t realize they did turn into one another.”

“But you didn’t assume they don’t, which is a problem Dragons tend to have. Strategy only remains strategy, apart from tactics, in our heads. Once you get into battle, into war, they may turn into one another at any time. Dragons often have trouble with that. That’s why Dragons always try to recruit a few Dzur. Or, at any rate, that’s what I think Sethra would tell you.”

“At which point Sethra would have lost me entirely.”

“When a Dzur sees an opening, he’ll take it.”

“And Dragons don’t?”

“Some do. But too often they get an idea into their heads and just plow through with it, regardless of what the obstacles are, or if a better way has appeared.”

“I think of Dzur as just charging in, no matter what.”

“They do that, too, but in different ways. The Dzurlord will charge into a fight without thinking, because they do their thinking in the middle of the fight.”

“I’m not sure if you can call that thinking.”

“Maybe. Sethra would tell you it’s the purest form of thinking.”

“Well. Good thing Sethra isn’t here. I never win arguments with her.”

I considered Morrolan and Aliera and what Kiera had told me about preconceptions. After a moment, I decided to file it away for future thought. I said, “Dzur are more complex than they appear.”

“Yes.”

“But then, everyone is.”

“You’ve changed, Vlad.”

“Have I?”

“Yes. You talk different. You, I don’t know. You’re different.”

“Maybe. I suppose it was going back East. That was—”

“You went back East?”

“Yeah. Scouting for Sethra the Younger.”

She gave me a courtesy smile and said, “How was it?”

“It managed to be nothing like I expected. Which was odd, since I went in with no expectations.”

“What happened?”

I let my memory drift for a moment, then said, “I lost a finger, and gained ...”

“Hmmm?”

“Nothing. Another time.”

Kiera nodded. “One more thing.”

“Yes?”

“There’s another who wishes to know if you need his help.”

“Anoth—oh. Mario?”

She nodded.

“Not yet,” I said. “Perhaps soon, though.”

She stood up. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“You really shouldn’t risk—”

“I promise, Vlad. I won’t show my face in the Imperial library.”

“Ah. Well. That’s a great load off my mind. Really, Kiera. I’ve got you, Mario, and Lady Teldra working for me. What could they come up with that even presents a good challenge?”

“I assume that’s intended as irony.”

“Well, yeah, maybe a little.”

“Be well, Vlad.”

“Kiera—”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

She nodded and went through the curtain. 11. Descani Wine

Mihi came and replaced the wine with a Descani, which is something like what you’d get if you poured half a glass of white into half a glass of red. It sounds awful, but it really isn’t that bad. And this, whatever it was, produced a very mild tingle on the tongue that went well with the sweetness of the candied rose petals.

“They seem to like you here,” said Telnan.

“Hmmm?”

“Just, the way that guy—”

“Mihi.”

“Yes. The way he always smiles at you.”

“Well, I’ve been a regular customer for a long time. And, of course, I’m an Easterner like they are.”

He nodded. He was right, though. I was pretty popular with the staff here. I’d found that out some years ago. I had accidentally come across Vili at an inn in South Adrilankha, and he’d been drinking. We talked a bit, and it turned out that, well, they sort of knew what I did, and they knew I was successful at it. In other words, I was an East­erner who walked around the upper echelons—or, the middle echelons at least—of Dragaeran society. I was one of them who’d made good, and the exact way I had either didn’t matter, or maybe even added a little spice to it.

And, in turn, knowing they felt that way made eating atValabar’s all the more pleasant for me.

But I didn’t care to explain all of that to Telnan.

“How you doing, Boss?”

“Better. It was good of her.”

“It doesn’t scare you that she found you?”

“Not as much as it should”

“So, what now?”

“I’m thinking about sending you to the Imperial library to continue my research.”

“That’s really funny, Boss.”

“Okay, then how about you find out everything you can about Triesco and Terion.”

“Sure, Boss.”

“Okay, then. Skip that. You’ll just keep guarding me when I step outside, and I’ll ...”

“Yes?”

“I haven’t worked that part out, yet. Fortunately, however, I’m hungry and tired, so I can get some food, then sleep, and put off the decision for a while.”

“I knew I could count on you to have the answer, Boss.”

Having made a plan, I promptly put it into action. It worked perfectly.