Free Liar's Island: A Novel by Tim Pratt

clearly wasn’t going to part with it willingly, though, and since he was holding Hrym, he didn’t think she’d try it by force. She shook her head, and didn’t look at Rodrick again before disappearing above, followed by her mate.
    Tapasi leaned in the doorway. “This is all very strange.” She gazed at the lacework of ice on the hull. Maybe she thought it was pretty, too. Rodrick felt she was something of a kindred spirit, though it was possible he just felt that way because he wanted to see her with no clothes on.
    â€œI thought Jalmeray was famed for its strangeness?”
    â€œNot this kind of strange. Well, no permanent harm done. Would you like to go above and watch as we come into the port? I think the captain wants you off her ship, but I’m grateful to you for saving us, and would enjoy more moments of your company.”
    Rodrick quickly packed his few belongings and slipped Hrym into the scabbard at his waist, hesitating only a moment as he did so. If the sword had another fit, would he blow holes in Rodrick , ones that couldn’t be so easily patched? A terrifying thought. But the fits didn’t usually come one right after another. He had to admit that ignoring his friend’s problem was no longer a viable strategy. Jalmeray was supposed to be full of scholars from the Impossible Kingdoms and all over the Inner Sea as well. Perhaps one of them would know of a cure. But what if the only cure involved Hrym’s destruction? People looked at him and saw a sword, albeit a wondrous one, but to Rodrick, Hrym was a person —indeed, he was more of a person than many of the more conventionally people-shaped persons Rodrick had met.
    He went upstairs, pouch in his pocket jingling with gold—albeit less than before, wasn’t that always the way—pack on his back, sword on his hip, ready to go forth and seek his fortune again, ideally before Saraswati figured out for sure that Hrym had damaged her ship. He didn’t think she’d do anything drastic, not when the thakur wanted to see him, but having an enemy in a foreign land was never a good idea, and enemies who’d once been friends were the worst. A double handful of women he’d slept with had turned into implacable enemies over the years, and he had no desire to increase that number.
    Luckily, Saraswati was busy shouting commands as the crew bustled about. He joined Tapasi at the railing near the bow and watched in wonder as a water elemental glided into view, shaped vaguely like a fat human, big as an ox. The churning, wave-tossed water before them turned smooth as fine glass, and the elemental gestured, seeming to shepherd them in. A sudden strong current bore the Nectar of the Gods toward an open berth, where it was soon nestled among other ships. Members of the crew jumped from the deck and began tying ropes to wooden posts and doing other maritime things.
    â€œI must go to the temple and make gifts to She Who Guides the Wind and the Waves in thanks for our successful journey.” Tapasi squeezed Rodrick’s arm in a companionable way. “It has been … interesting knowing you, Rodrick. Perhaps we will meet again, if you survive whatever use the thakur has for you.”
    â€œCheerful,” he muttered as she walked away.
    â€œSo it wasn’t interesting knowing me ?” Hrym grumbled. “I’m far more interesting than you. Infinitely. Categorically.”
    â€œYou weren’t very sociable on the voyage. I’m sure if she’d been exposed to your charms she would have liked you better than me.”
    â€œPossibly,” Hrym said. “She seemed like a fairly sensible woman, after all.”
    The captain strode across the deck toward them, and Rodrick put on his best smile. Saraswati stood before him, hands on her hips, glaring, then reached out and put her hands on his shoulders, pulling him close for a kiss as deep as any she’d given him in her