Free Swords & Dark Magic by Jonathan Strahan; Lou Anders

Charm.”
    “Uhm. So what does it say?”
    “Not much, directly. But very formally. The Lady orders the Limper to come east to find and capture a woman named Tides Elba. No why, no suggestion how, just do it, then bring her back alive and undamaged.”
    “And there ain’t nothing in there about her being some new phenom rookie Rebel captain?”
    “Not a hint.”
    “The Limper lied.”
    “The Limper lied. And not just to us. He isn’t dedicated to the success of his mission.”
    Elmo asked, “How can you tell?”
    “Limper had to sign both copies, agreeing that he understood his assignment. On his keeper copy, here, he wrote, ‘Up Yours, Bitch.’”
    “Whoa!” Hagop barked, awed rather than surprised.
    Elmo asked, “Could that be a plant?”
    “You mean, did he leave it so we could find it?”
    “Yeah. To let us set ourselves up.”
    “I’ve been brooding about that. I don’t think so. There are a thousand ways that could go wrong. He’d have no control. We might never notice it. But, more important, there’s what he wrote instead of signing.”
    They thought. Twice One-Eye started to say something but thought better.
    We focused on clever tricks the Limper might try. Looking for deep strategies and devilish maneuvers. It took the least among us, a simple line soldier, to point out a critical fact.
    Hagop asked, “If he signed it that way won’t he get nervous when he realizes that it’s gone?”
    We all considered him with widening eyes and galloping hearts. Elmo growled, “If the little shit goes bugfuck we’ll know for sure that it’s real.”
    “Silver lining.” Goblin grinned but there was sweat on his forehead.
    I pushed the parchment across to One-Eye. “See if that’s tagged so he can trace it. Then see if there’s a way he could tell who’s been handling it.”
    “You going to put it back?”
    “Hell, no! I’m going to bury it somewhere. It could come in handy someday. The Lady wouldn’t be pleased if it fell into her hands. Speaking of forgetting. Goblin, fix it so Hagop has no recollection of the parchment. The Captain saw him hanging around the Limper’s carpet. Questions might be asked.”
    “I’ll have to work on you, too, then. You were seen hanging around the carpet, too.”
    I expect a lot of guys took the opportunity for a close-up look. But fear streaked down my spine, reached my toes, and cramped them. “Yeah. You’d better.”
    Both wizards started to get out of their seats. Goblin said, “We’ll need to shove those memories down so far that only the Lady’s Eye could find them.”
    I had a thought. “Hang on. Wait a minute. Hagop, go get Zhorab.”

    Markeb Zhorab had been something else before he became a tavern-keeper. His face alone recalled several desperate fights. And he was a sizable man, often mistaken for the bouncer. But his past had left his courage a little sketchy.
    He asked me, “You wanted me?”
    “I have something I need done, not traceable to me. I’m willing to pay.”
    “Risky?”
    “Possibly. But probably not if you do exactly what I tell you.”
    “I’m listening.”
    I showed him the rescript. “I need an exact copy calligraphed by a professional letter-writer who has no idea who you are.”
    “What is it?”
    “A wanted poster. But the less you know the better. Can you do that?”
    He could, once we finished talking money. I did not offer enough to make it seem like I was worried. With all the practical jokes that went on around us, I hoped he thought I was putting something together. He asked, “How soon do you need this?”
    “Right now would be especially good.”

    Zhorab brought my copy. And the original. “Good enough, Croaker? He couldn’t match the parchment.”
    “It’s fine. I want it obvious that it’s a copy.” I paid the agreed sum. I handed back the copy. “Hold on to this. Later on Goblin will tell you when to give it back. There’ll be another payment then.”
    Elmo grumbled, “If we can ever get the