Free Teckla by Steven Brust Page A

into an Easterner klava hole located right across the street. It was long, narrow, darker than I like except when I want to kill someone; everything was of wood in surprisingly good condition, considering. I led us all the way to the far end and put my back to the wall. That isn't really a useful way of protecting yourself, but on that occasion it made me feel better.
    I had promised to buy her a cup of klava, but actually it came in a glass. I burned my hand on the side when I first picked it up, then, setting it down, slopped some onto the table and burned my leg. I put cream in to cool it down, which didn't help much because they warmed the cream. Tasted good though.
    Sheryls eyes were wide and bright blue, with just a hint of freckles around them. I said, "You know what I'm doing?"
    "Not exactly," she said. There was the hint of a smile about her lips. It suddenly occurred to me that she might think I was making a pass at her. Then it occurred to me that maybe I wanted to. She was certainly attractive, and had a bit of the innocent wanton about her that I found stimulating. But no, not now.
    I said, "I'm trying to find out why Franz was killed, and then I'm going to do whatever I have to to make sure that Cawti isn't." The almost-smile didn't waver, but she shook her head. "Franz was killed because they're scared of us."
    There were a lot of snappy answers that I didn't make. Instead I said,
    "Who is scared?"
    "The Imperium."
    "He wasn't killed by the Imperium."
    "Perhaps not directly, but—"
    "He was killed by a Jhereg named Herth. Herth doesn't kill people for the Imperium. He's too busy trying to keep the Imperium from finding out that he kills people."
    "It may look like that—"
    "All right, all right. This isn't helping." She shrugged, and by now the smile was gone. On the other hand, she wasn't looking angry, so it was worth continuing. I said, "What was he doing, in particular, that would threaten a Jhereg trying to make money, in particular?"
    She was quiet for a while, and at last said, "I don't know. He sold papers, just as I was doing, and he spoke at meetings, just as I do, and he gave lessons on reading, and on revolution, just as I do—"
    "Wait. You also give reading lessons?"
    "We all do."
    "I see. All right."
    "I guess what it was is that he did more of everything. He was tireless, and enthusiastic, and everyone responded to that—both we, and people we'd run across. When we'd travel through the neighborhoods, he always remembered people better than the rest of us, and they always remembered him. When he spoke, he was better. When he gave reading lessons, it was Jike it was vital to him that everyone learned to read. Whenever some group that I was in was doing something, he was always there, and whenever some group that I wasn't in was doing something, he was always there, too. Do you see what I mean?"
    I nodded and didn't say anything. The waiter came and poured more klava. I added cream and honey and used the napkin to hold the glass. Glass. Why not a cup? Stupid Easterners; can't do anything right. I said, "Do you know any of the Jhereg who operate around here?" She shook her head. "I know there are some, but I wouldn't recognize them. There are a good number of Dragaerans, and a lot of them are Jhereg, but I couldn't tell you that guy works for the organization,' or something."
    "Do you know what kind of things they have going on?"
    "No, not really."
    "Are there places to gamble?"
    "Huh? Oh, sure. But they're run by Easterners."
    "No, they're not."
    "How do you know?"
    "I know Herth."
    "Oh."
    "Are there prostitutes?"
    "Yes."
    "Brothels?"
    "Yes."
    "Pimps?"
    She suddenly looked, perhaps, the least bit smug. "Not any more," she said.
    "Ah ha."
    "What?"
    "What happened to them?"
    "We drove them off. They're the most vicious—"
    "I know pimps. How did you drive them off?"
    "Most of the pimps around here were really young kids."
    "Yes. The older ones run brothels."
    "They were part of the