Elaine Cunningham - Honor Among Thieves

“But this task I can do,” he said firmly. “Go now,and leave me to it.”

The two friends exchanged another troubled glance,but they left the room without further comment.

Avidan poured a little wine and sipped. To hissurprise, the rich taste of pomegranate liqueur slid across histongue. He had not tasted this treasure of Veldoon since-

He stopped this thought before it could lead him ontodangerous pathways. He could not afford to think about those lostyears, not if he hoped to play the part of a sane man.

A woman’s laughter rang out in the hall beyond thesupper room. The door opened and Vishni swept in on the arm of thealchemist she’d hunted and charmed.

As always, Avidan could see through the illusionVishni wore to the reality beneath. The experience was a bit likelooking through a very solid rainbow. Tonight she chose to appearblond and blue-eyed and buxom-the quintessential northland woman,everything a visitor to Sevrin might hope to find in a temporarycompanion.

The man with her was somewhat less than averageheight, by the standards of Sevrin, and slightly built. He wore hisglossy black hair neatly combed and oiled. His skin had been warmedby the southern sun to a color just short of brown. His nose wasthin and aquiline, his eyes an unusual shade of light graysurrounded by a darker ring.

Looking upon him was like gazing into a mirror.

Avidan rose and spread both hands palms up in theVeldooni gesture of greeting.

The alchemist started when he saw Avidan. “I did notexpect to meet a countryman.” His gaze swept Avidan’s simple bluetunic. “And a brother of alchemy, as well!”

Avidan glanced at Vishni. “I am equallysurprised.”

“A pleasant surprise, I trust.” The Veldooni manbowed. “Shavin Insa’amid.”

“An honor, Master Insa’amid.” He returned the bow. “Ifollow the Sevrin custom of a single name. Avidan.”

The man’s dark brows rose. “A common name among myfamily, though I have not heard it elsewhere.”

“Shall we sit?” Vishni said. “I’m famished, and thoselittle pies smell wonderful.”

They took their places around the small table. Vishnikept up a spate of entertaining chatter as she poured wine andheaped food onto small plates.

“I hope you don’t mind me inviting Avidan to joinus,” she told her guest. “He has been longing for news from home,so I thought I’d surprise you both.”

“How long has it been since you left our homeland?”Shavin asked.

“I have not been in Veldoon for generations.”

Shavin laughed. “How well I understand thatsentiment! Though I left but four moons ago, it seems years havepassed. Do you plan to return home soon?”

“I hope to. But I no longer consider Veldoon tobe-”

Vishni kicked him under the table.

He took a deep breath and chose one of the questionsFox had bid him memorize. “What brings you to Sevrin, brother?”

“Oh, the fame of the adepts, of course! I have thehonor of conferring with one of Sevrin’s masters tomorrow. Do youknow the adept Muldonny?”

“I am familiar with his work and reputation, butsince we are not on the same level of accomplishment, there islittle call for us to confer.”

“You are too modest, I’m sure.”

“Not at all. Muldonny’s attempts to achieve alkahestare far from-”

Another sharp kick warned Avidan away from thatparticular precipice. Vishni sent him an innocent smile and reachedfor the wine bottle.

“Alkahest!” Shavin said with a smile. “That was mygreat-grandsire’s study. They say he was determined to solve thealkahest conundrum. Do you know it?”

“A universal solvent cannot be formulated until onediscovers a container it cannot dissolve.”

The Veldooni man slapped his knee and beamed. “That’sit precisely!”

“A dragon’s tooth.”

Shavin’s smile faltered. “Pardon?”

“The container,” Avidan said. “Dragons are notcreatures of this realm of existence. The great Palanir limits thedefinition of ‘universal’ to substances known to the mortal realm.Thus, alkahest can be contained by immortality.”

The Veldooni’s eyes brightened with the excitement ofa swordsman meeting a worthy foe. He gestured to the tapestry. “Ah,but can an immortal being be slain?”

“More importantly,” Vishni broke in, “can the peoplewho wove that tapestry be slain before they weave again?”

Shavin chuckled and Avidan found the corners of hisown lips turning up in agreement.

“If the old tales hold fact as well as truth, godscan die,” Avidan said. “Would you deem them mortal, as well?”

The Veldooni’s eyebrows rose. “Palanir again! Aclassic rhetorical argument, one I have not heard in years. So fewmen of our years bother to study the Philosophers. Alchemy hasbecome the art of mixing and measuring.”

“Like a guild of bakers.”

“Just so!” Shavin slapped his knee again. “If it werein my power to do so, I would invite you to accompany me tomorrow.Muldonny has expressed an interest in my pursuit of alkahest. Ifall well short of my great-grandsire’s knowledge on this subject,but what I know I will gladly share with him.”

Vishni poured the last of the wine into her cup andtossed it back. She reached for the bottle and turned to Avidan.“Do you think you can take it from here?”

“I believe so, yes.”

The fairy rose, the empty bottle in her hand. Sheraised it high and brought it down hard on Shavin’s head.

His eyes glazed and his jaw fell slack. The grapehe’d just popped into his mouth dropped out and rolled off thetable.

“He’s not falling,” Vishni said. “Shall I hit himagain?”

Avidan reached out and gave the man’s shoulder alittle nudge. He slumped and fell face down into the smokedfish.

The fairy pouted. “You’re not much fun.”

“Oh, I think you’ve amused yourself quite enough forone day.”

Vishni beamed. “That was fun, wasn’t it? For a minutethere, you looked like you’d seen a ghost. When Shavin and I camein.”

“Highly diverting, I’m sure.”

She waited for more. When none was forthcoming, sheshrugged and turned toward the hearth. “I’ll call Fox andDelgar.”

“Wait.”

He reached into the neck of his tunic and found thechain holding his most prized and dreaded possession: a tiny bottleshaped like a green teardrop.

Vishni caught her breath. “Is that-”

“Nepenthe,” he said. “The potion of forgetfulness.The fairies’ last and kindest gift.”

He pulled the tiny stopper and reached for Shavin’sgoblet. Vishni caught his wrist before he could empty it.

“That vial holds enough to remove a hundred yearsfrom a mortal’s memory. A single drop will empty Shavin’s mind ofeverything that occurred since he left his homeland.”

Avidan took a needle from his bag and dipped it intothe vial. The tiny drop that fell from the slender dipper would, hehoped, steal no more than a few days from his kinsman’s memory.

He pushed Shavin upright and let his head fall back.While Vishni held the alchemist so he would not fall from hischair, Avidan fed him the drugged liqueur little by little,patiently spooning oblivion down the man’s slack throat.

When the task was finished, Vishni regarded Avidanwith something akin to compassion in her dark eyes.

“There’s enough left to take the memory of faeriefrom you. You could drink and forget.”

“Would you drink? Would you choose to forget?”

He turned away without waiting for her reply andtapped his foot twice on the flagstone portal.

The stone swung aside. Delgar and Fox hauledthemselves into the room and took in the scene.

“You can take him right to his chambers,” Avidansaid. He held up the teardrop bottle. “He will not recall anythingthat transpired here.”