Free Tiassa by Steven Brust Page B

what matters is that the constabulary were called and told that tagged coins had been passed, which, in the lingo of the trade, kicked the first log. We were moving now, and things would happen in regular sequence—or not. Of course, at the time I didn’t know just what was happening, or exactly when.
    The Phoenix Guards showed up—two of them, I later learned. Ibronka spotted them easily, warned Blue, and he was through a window and gone.
    I wish I’d been able to see the race. From what I heard, Foxy started out with a good lead, and had to slow down a bit to avoid losing them completely.
    I was told none of the guys I’d set up to interfere with the chase were needed. Wasted money, unless you believe that if I hadn’t hired them I’d have needed them. I sort of believe that.
    Blue found me at the Cups and sat down across from me.
    “Any problems?” I said.
    “None so far.” He set the bag of coins on the table.
    “Good,” I said, as Omlo arrived from behind me, scooped up the bag, and walked away; never saying a word or even acknowledging our presence—just like a damned Hawklord. Blue-boy walked off in the other direction. So far as I could tell, no one had noticed anything.
    I remained at the table and had some more wine.
    I was only there for a couple of minutes after Omlo left when Ibronka showed up. She sat down across from me and said, “Well?”
    “As far as I know. I imagine My Lord the Fox will be a while yet. Meantime, we wait. What shall we chat about?”
    “We could discuss what your corpse will look like after it has been left to rot on the beach for a month or two.”
    “I’m going to assume that means you’d rather not engage in small talk while we wait.”
    Around the time we were having that conversation, Bluey had let himself be caught. If he’d been a Jhereg, it wouldn’t have mattered as much that he didn’t have tagged coins on him—they’d have either planted something on him or beaten him. But he was a Tiassa, so eventually they let him go.
    Not fair, if you ask me.
    Just to remind you, I didn’t know about any of this at the time. I knew what was supposed to happen, and I learned later what actually did happen, and since at this point they were the same, that’s what I’m telling you, all right? Turn that thing off for a minute, I need some water.
    Where was I? Right. Fox-boy was taken and, after an hour or so of questions, released. Meanwhile, Omlo proceeded to his meeting, now carrying several imperials’ worth of tagged gold. The meeting was set for Feorae’s office in the Dragon Wing of the Palace—a bit that pleased me. It’s always worth a little extra to have one on a Dragonlord, even if you can’t let anyone know.
    Omlo made it to Feorae’s office pretty close to when he said he would—close enough for a Hawklord, anyway. Omlo pulled out a case, opened it, and carefully removed a lovely silver tiassa with sapphires for eyes. Feorae studied it and tried not to show how excited he was. Omlo accepted six hundred and forty imperials in gold and pushed the case toward Feorae, leaving a little present in it as he did so. He rose, bowed, and left. The good lord Feorae studied his new prize for a few minutes; then, being a conscientious administrator, he put the tiassa back in its case, put the case on a shelf of the room where he kept his treasures, then went back to doing the work the Empire paid him to do.
    And he continued doing it until the Phoenix Guards came to see him.
    The first I knew of any of this was when Blue arrived at the table. He and Ibronka kissed while I signaled for more wine and another cup. I poured for each of them out of the pitcher.
    “Good stuff,” said Fox when he tasted it. “I like the fruit.”
    “An Eastern drink,” I said. “Wine, fruit, and fizzy water. Good for hot days.”
    “It isn’t all that hot anymore.”
    “No, but I imagine it will be before we’re done talking.” He cocked an eyebrow. I asked him how it