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.file:///H|/NOVEL/New%20novel/3.htm[9/25/2009 10:25:54 AM]AmaSour FictionCorinos hunched his shoulders against the despair clawing at him.He had to find Culebra, and worrying himself to deathwould not help.Ruisenor had found the trail every other time; she would find it again when the rain abated.Until then, hewould rest where he wouldn't drown and make himself sick - because that would not help him find the prince any faster.He fell into the first relatively clean seat he saw, carefully not taking too close a look at the table.The table had one otheroccupant, across from him and down one, and Corinos spared him only enough attention to determine the man couldhandle himself but was no threat.He got a brief nod, returned it, then searched out a barmaid and signaled her for a drink."Careful," the man said with a chuckle."The ale tastes like piss.It makes me wonder."Corinos grimaced."Thanks." He pulled out two silver when the girl reached his table."Bring me something worth drinking.Aglass - make certain it's a clean one.""Yessir," the girl replied, eyes going wide at both the silver and his commanding tone, then turned and all but bolted for thekitchens."That'll get you knifed around here, stranger.If they see silver, they'll think you're hiding gold.""Let them try," Corinos said."I could use a fight." Gold.Ha.He had a royal signet.Flashing that would get him more thansimple gold."Here in Morinos, you'll get one." The man nodded to a group of three men in the far corner."Flash your silver their way,you'll get one.The one with the beard, though, he'll go for your back."Corinos threw his head back and laughed."Friends of yours?" he asked.The man snorted."If by friend, you mean they've tried to knife me and wound up out cold? Yes.They tried it twice.I don'tthink they'll try it a third."Corinos glanced at the men in the corner again - two were larger than he, and the other had Granito's compact, sturdybuild.He turned back to the man at his table - much slighter, though too muscled to be truly slender.Something about theman did not fit with his rough image - if Corinos had to guess, he would say the man was a sword for hire.They always hadthat look about them.Yet something about this man did not fit that, though he could not place what."What did you do tomake them pay attention to you?""They insulted my partner.She tends to laugh such things off, but I did not take kindly to it.The second time was justbecause I left them in the mud the first."Corinos laughed."Perhaps you are the one I should be worried about, stranger.""Fidel is the name, and you've no cause to worry from me." Fidel extended his hand."Rino," Corinos replied."You seem too refined for this place.""I go where the money takes me, yeah? Besides, this is a good place to pick up things, if you know what I mean."Information.Swords to hire.An odd place for it, except that the Verde border was only three days away.He wondered howmany of the room's occupants were ferrets or owls or whatever.Curiosity drove him to look around the room again, but hesaw no one with the tell-tale pale features and pointed ears."I could say the same of you," Fidel said idly.Corinos considered the question and the speaker."Hunting," he said at last."Dangerous business that.""But profitable," Corinos said."Very true."They fell silent as the barmaid returned with a dusty bottle of something dark-amber in color and a glass."Bring another,"Corinos said, and flipped her another silver."Be quick."Obediently, the girl returned almost immediately with another glass.Neither of the two was what he'd ever describe asterribly clean, but they could have been much worse.He filled them both and passed one to Fidel.file:///H|/NOVEL/New%20novel/3.htm[9/25/2009 10:25:54 AM]AmaSour Fiction"Obliged."Corinos shrugged the words away and took a sip from his own glass.Whiskey.Far from the best he'd had, but at least itwasn't questionable swill.It took care of the chill that clung to him, and eased some of the tension from his muscles."Thisweather is wretched.""It does rather make travel difficult.I should be leaving tonight to rejoin my partner; she will not be pleased when I show upa day late." Fidel laughed."She will be even more displeased that I had a roof and dry floor, while she is struggling outside.""If I were you," Corinos said with a laugh of his own, "I would perhaps take the long way back to her."Fidel flashed a grin over the rim of his glass."Tempting, I assure you.Cor has a mean left hook.The right - you do notwake up for a good hour or three, my friend.Sadly, I know this from experience."Corinos winced."Nothing is worse than a woman who learned how to throw a punch.My mother? We were never late fordinner, I will tell you that.""My mother was much the same," Fidel said, and Corinos saw a shadow pass over his face."Still, my father would doanything for her." The shadow deepened for a moment, then it was replaced with a smile [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]