Free Water Sleeps by Glen Cook Page A

we couldn’t find some way to take advantage of that.”
    Swan looked from one of us to the other. I watched One-Eye’s hands as he picked
     up his first bunch of cards. Just in case he might have done something to this
     deck sometime in the past. “Little girl?”
    “Is there an echo in here?” Slink asked.
    “Is that suddenly a problem?” I asked.
    “No! No.” Swan showed me the palm of his free hand. “I’m just getting a lot of
     surprises here. Soulcatcher thought she was pretty solid on the Company
     survivors. But I’ve already run into four people who are known to be dead,
    including the world’s ugliest wizard and that Nyueng Bao woman who acts like
     she’s in charge.”
    One-Eye growled, “Don’t you go talking about Goblin that way. He’s my pal. I’ll
     have to stand up for him. Someday.” He snickered.
    Swan ignored him. “And you. That we had down as a man.” ’
    I shrugged. “Not many knew. And it’s not important. The dope with the eye patch
     and smelly hat should’ve had sense enough not to mention it in front of an
     outsider.” I glared.
    One-Eye grinned, drew a card from the pile, discarded. “She’s feisty, Swan.
    Smart, too. Designed the plan that pulled you in. You started on another one,
    Little Girl?”
    “Several. I think Sahra will want the Inspector-General next, though.”
    “Gokhale? He can’t tell us anything.”
    “Say it’s personal. Swan. You know anything about Gokhale? He dabble in little
     girls like Perhule Khoji used to?”
    One-Eye gave me an evil look. Swan stared. My mess-up this time. I had given
     something away.
    Too late to fuss about it. “Well?”
    “Actually, yes.” Swan was pale. He focused on his cards, having trouble keeping
     his hands steady. “Those two and several others in that office. Common interests
     brought them together. The Radisha doesn’t know. She doesn’t want to know.” He
     discarded out of turn. He had lost his zest for the game.
    I realized what the problem was. He thought my speaking freely meant I expected
     to elevate him to a higher plane before long. “You’re all right, Swan. Long as
     you behave. Long as you answer questions when you’re asked. Hell, I got to save
     you. There’s a bunch of guys buried under the glittering plain that want to talk
     to you about that when they get back.” Might be interesting to watch him talk it
     over with Murgen.
    “They’re still alive?” The idea seemed to stun him.
    “Very alive. Just frozen in time. And getting angrier by the minute.”
    “I thought . . . Great God . . . shit.”
    “Do not speak so on the name of God!” Slink growled.
    Slink was Jaicuri Vehdna, too. And much less lapsed than I. He managed prayers
     at least once a day and temple several times a month. The local Vehdna thought
     he was a Dejagoran refugee employed by Banh Do Trang because he had done the
     Nyueng Bao favors during the siege there. Most of our brothers endured genuine
     employment and worked hard to resemble pillars of the local community.
    Swan swallowed, said, “You people ever eat? I ain’t had nothing since
     yesterday.”
    “We eat,” I said. “But not like you’re used to. It’s true what they say about
     Nyueng Bao. They don’t eat anything but fish heads and rice. Eight days a week.”
    “Fish will do right now. I’ll save the bitching till my belly’s full.”
    “Slink,” I said. “We need to send a kill team down to Semchi to watch the Bhodi
     Tree. The Protector’s probably going to try to smash it. We could make some
     friends if we save it.” I explained about the Bhodi disciple who burned himself
     and Soulcatcher’s threat to turn the Bhodi Tree into kindling. “I’d like to go
     myself, just to see if the Bhodi non-violent ethic is strong enough to make them
     stand around while somebody destroys their most holy shrine. But I have too much
     work to do here.” I tossed my cards in. “In fact, I have work to do now.”
    I was tired but