Free Night's Haunting by Matthew Sprange Page B

considered a rival. Nate was the youngest thief on the guild's council and was known to be ambitious, yet Lucius had leapfrogged right over him to adopt a very senior position among the thieves. Some said Nate was merely biding his time to avenge himself, but Lucius had found him to be more or less dependable, though the young man could argue with the best of them during the meetings.
    There was an empty seat next to Lucius, as his place was at Elaine's left hand. On her right was Wendric who, officially, at least, was her lieutenant and second in command of the guild. Lucius' presence made that position a little less clear, and many thieves in the lower ranks assumed that he had usurped Wendric as well.
    What they did not know was that the void left by the death of the previous guildmaster had been resolved neatly between Lucius and Elaine, one night while on a mission to finish the thieves' war. Lucius did not want the responsibility of ownership of the guild, but he did want a position on the council. Elaine, on the other hand, very much wanted to become leader of the guild. By allowing Wendric to retain his position as lieutenant, both he and Elaine had worked to dissipate the suspicions that had grown over Lucius' magical talents. Most thieves had been set against allowing wizards into the guild, believing them portents of bad luck, but Elaine and Wendric, helped by Lucius' own actions, had convinced most that having a Shadowmage could only benefit them all.
    Lucius' attention was brought back to the meeting by Nate hammering his fist on the table as he stood, leaning forwards.
    "Launch a rescue bid or retreat, those are the only choices," he said, his ire aimed squarely at Wendric. "I won't leave our people in the Citadel to rot, but if that is the choice of this council, then we have no option but to shut down our operations. We no longer have the manpower to operate effectively."
    Ambrose laid a hand on Nate's arm, indicating that the younger man should sit down.
    "In principle, I agree with you, Nate - we all do," said Ambrose. "In practice, we have to be smart."
    "We are in danger of losing control of all operations," Wendric pointed out.
    "True," said Ambrose. "But we are not losing them to a rival guild. The merchants and wealthy citizens will still be out there in the days and weeks to come. My point is we need not act hastily."
    "Agreed," Lucius said.
    "I suspect, if we wait just a little longer, we may have unexpected allies," Ambrose said, and the others looked quizzically at him. "Taxes have been increased fourfold. People are required - required - to attend services of the Final Faith in that damned Cathedral of theirs. This is a dictatorship in the making and, if I know the people of Turnitia, they won't stand for it. One day, very soon I'd wager, they'll wake up to realise what cold steel fist they have around their throats."
    "That is a lovely idea, Ambrose," said Wendric. "But while the people of this city may grumble about Vos' new regime, they will do little about it."
    "That is true," Lucius said. "Vos has been smart, giving people just what they thought they wanted. The streets have been swept clean of crime, trade is increasing and, on the face of it, life is getting better. Maybe they will awake to see what is really happening but by then, it will be too late."
    "For that matter, there may not be any real people of Turnitia left," said Nate.
    "What do you mean?" Lucius asked.
    Nate shrugged. "Have you seen who is arriving in the city, who is responsible for the influx of trade? They are all coming from Vos. And they are buying property here too - they are set to stay. It won't be long before these visitors from Vos outnumber the natives. Then we will be a true Vos city."
    That thought floated over the table for a few minutes before anyone else spoke.
    "Well," Wendric said finally, "that is something to worry about in the future. Our prime concern right now is that our work as a guild is being