Steven Brust - Athyra

More implications began to sink in. He said, “I assume you made me physick you? That was why I found you so easily?”

“No,” said Vlad.

“What do you mean, No?”

Vlad adjusted his position against the wall. “I was unconscious, and even if I wasn’t, it wouldn’t have occurred to me that you’d be able to heal me.” He paused. “How did you find me?”

“I remembered what you said about spells to make tele-ports easier, and I remembered what you’d been doing in the road, and I thought about how quickly you’d tele-ported, and I just put it together.”

Vlad gave one of his characteristic laughs—a small chuckle that never left his chest. “Virtue, I’ve been told, is its own reward.”

“What does that mean?”

“I almost blocked out your memory of what I’d been doing, but I didn’t want to do more to your memories than I had to.”

“That’s bleeding noble of you,” said Savn.

“So to speak,” said Vlad.

“How can you do things like that?” said Polyi, in a tone more curious than reproachful.

“I’ll do what I have to, to save my life,” said Vlad, giving her the briefest of glares. “Who wouldn’t?”

“I wouldn’t,” said Polyi firmly. “Not if to save my life I had to go into people’s heads and change them. That’s evil. It’s better to just kill them.”

“Maybe it is,” said Vlad. “But if they’re alive, they can change again, and perhaps recover. If they’re dead, it’s all over.”

“But—”

“But yes, I know, altering someone’s mind is an ugly thing to do. Don’t think I don’t know it. But don’t think that you can pretend these questions are easy, because they aren’t, and anyone who says they are is lying.”

“You’d know a lot about lying, wouldn’t you?” said Savn.

“Yes,” said Vlad. “I’ve done a great deal of it. Also killing. Also, tricking people into doing what I wanted them to do. I’m neither proud nor ashamed of any of this—I do what I must.”

“It sounds,” said Polyi, “like you’ll do anything to anyone, as long as it’s useful to you.”

Vlad took a deep breath, as if he was about to shout at her, then let it out slowly. “You may be right,” he said.

“Is that why you taught me witchcraft?” said Savn. “Because you thought it would be useful to you?”

Once again, the chuckle. “No.” Vlad shook his head and closed his eyes. Savn waited. After a moment, the Easterner sighed. “I guess, what with one thing and another, I owe you the truth.”

Savn nodded, but didn’t say anything. He felt Polyi looking at him, but she, too, waited.

Vlad said, “The first time, here in this spot, I didn’t teach you anything. I just put you to sleep for a while so I could explore.”

“I don’t understand. Why did you bother putting me to sleep?”

Vlad turned his palms up. “I didn’t want your company while I explored.”

“Then why have me along at all?”

“You knew where this place was,” he said, gesturing at the cave around them.

“This place? I don’t understand.”

“I knew there had to be an underground waterway, and Dark Water can be useful against the undead, and I was looking for a way into Loraan’s manor house. I thought you might know how to find it, so I—”

“So you asked me leading questions until I found it for you.”

“Yes,” said Vlad. “That’s right.” He closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, his face was, once more, without expression.

“And the second time you pretended to teach me witchcraft? What was that about? That time, you even had me convinced you’d taught me something.”

“I did. That time there was no trickery, Savn. I taught you because you wanted to know, and because I’d started to like you. I hate to sound trite, but you remind me of myself. Take that for what it’s worth.”

“I will,” said Savn, hearing the bitterness in his own voice. Then he said, “Do you remember when we were talking about Athyra?”

“Yes.”

“Do you remember how you said those who explore the world see people as objects, and mystics act like people don’t really exist at all?”

“Yes,” said Vlad. And, “Oh.”

He looked down, and chewed on his lower lip. No one said anything, because there seemed to be nothing more to say.

I will not marry an acrobat,

I will not marry an acrobat,

He’d always think that I’m too fat.

Hi-dee hi-dee ho-la!

Step on out ...

At last Vlad broke the silence. “Maybe you’re right,” he said. “Maybe I’m no better than your Baron. But all I know is that he’s killed someone who once helped me. And years ago he nearly destroyed a close friend of mine. And now he is cooperating with a Jhereg assassin who plans to kill me—”

It took a moment before Savn realized that when Vlad said Jhereg he meant the House, not the animals. Then Savn gasped. “What?”

“That’s what Fird told me, though I’d already guessed it. There’s an assassin staying with Baron Smallcliff at the manor house, and I don’t think he’s here because he likes linseed-flavored wine. The Baron is cooperating with the Jhereg to assassinate me.”

“I don’t believe you,” said Savn.

Vlad shrugged.

“Why would he do that?” said Savn.

“They both hate me; it makes sense that they’d work together.”

“The Jhereg hates you?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Why?”

“I picked an unfortunate method of terminating my relationship with them.”

“What do you ... you mean, you’re a Jhereg?”

“I used to be.”

“What did you do?”

Vlad took a deep breath and met Savn’s eyes. “I killed people. For money.”

Savn stared at him, but couldn’t think of anything to say.

“I reached a point where I couldn’t do it anymore, and I left. In the process, I killed someone important, and I threatened the House representative to the Empire—sort of like your Speaker. So now they want to kill me. I can’t really blame them, but I’m hardly going to cooperate, am I?”

“I don’t believe you,” said Savn.

“Then I doubt I can convince you. But don’t you wonder why the Baron attacked me?”

“Because you killed Reins—or because he thought you did.”

“Is that the way justice usually works around here? If someone is suspected of a crime, your Baron Smallcliff sends his soldiers to kill them? You’ll notice they made no effort to arrest me.”

“I don’t know,” said Savn. “I never said I understood everything. But I know His Lordship wouldn’t hire an assassin.”

“Not hire,” said Vlad. “Merely help.”

“He wouldn’t do that.”

“Why is it that, just at the time I happen to be coming by, Loraan decides to leave his home and take up residence in his manor house, which just happens to be near the place I’m passing by? You think this has nothing to do with me?”

“I don’t know.”

“And then Reins dies, which is enough to keep me here—”

“I don’t believe you.”

Vlad sighed and shook his head. “Why does everyone only see what he wants to?”

Savn twitched, started to speak, then realized he had no answer. He sat on the floor of the cave, looking down.

At length, Vlad broke the silence. “What are you going to do?” he said.

“About what?” said Savn.

“I’d like to know if you plan to tell your Baron where I am, or perhaps the townspeople.”

“Oh. Well, you never told me your plans; why should I tell you mine?”

Vlad chuckled. “Well taken. Whatever you decide, you should probably get home soon.”