symmetrical patterns their trailing brocades left in the rich layer of floor dust, and brooded on the sequence of events that had brought him here, beginning with an innocent walk to the corner for an order of fried eel.
That he had reached that time in life when really good fried eel was at least as interesting as romance made his subsequent misadventure all the more unexpected. Nor was he especially attractive. Even the girl’s brothers had to admit there must have been a mistake on somebody’s part, though they weren’t about to retract their vow to see Smith’s head on a pike, since without benefit of hot-blooded youth or personal beauty, he had nevertheless sent three of their kinsmen to the morgue.
He sighed now, swirling his beer and noting in disgust the fine sediment of dirt at the bottom of the glass. He thought of waving for a waiter, but his cousin came bustling up again with somebody new in tow.
“…with complete confidence, my lord. The man is a seasoned veteran of the roads. Er—Smith! I have the great honor of commending to your care the very noble Lord Ermenwyr of the House Kingfisher.”
“Honor to your house, lord,” said Smith, rising to his feet though he’d never heard of the House Kingfisher.
Lord Ermenwyr was doubled over in a coughing fit. When he straightened up, dabbing at his lips with an embroidered handkerchief, Smith beheld a slender young man. A pomaded and spangled beard was visible below his half mask, which was that of a unicorn’s head. He had extended the unicorn theme to an elaborate codpiece, from which a silver horn spiraled up suggestively. The eyes behind the mask had the glitter of fever.
“Hello,” he croaked. “So you’re the fellow taking me to Salesh-by-the-Sea? I hope you’ve had some training as a psychopomp too. I expect to die en route.”
“His lordship is pleased to be humorous,” said Smith’s cousin, wringing his hands. “His lord father has paid a great deal for his passage to the health resort at Salesh, and I have written to assure him in the strongest terms that Lord Ermenwyr will arrive there safely.”
“Really?” said Lord Ermenwyr. “Watch this, then.” He reached out with the toe of his boot and drew a bull’s-eye in the dust. Stepping back several paces, he hawked and spat in a neat arc, hitting the center of the target with a gob of blood.
“You see?” he said brightly, as Smith and his cousin stared. “Utterly moribund. Don’t worry, though; I’ve got embalming spices in my luggage, and Daddy won’t mind my early demise much, whatever he may have written.”
Smith’s cousin closed his mouth, then said hastily, “It’s simply the inconvenience of our local weather, my lord. I myself coughed up a little blood not an hour ago. It passes with the first winter rains!”
“I’ll be in Hell or Salesh by the time they start, I devoutly hope,” snarled the young man. He turned a gimlet eye on Smith. “Well, caravan master, I suppose we’re starting at some ungodly hour in the morning? If I’m still moaning on my painful couch at cockcrow, you’ll leave without me, no doubt?”
“The caravan departs from the central staging area by the West Gate an hour before dawn, my lord,” said Smith’s cousin helpfully.
“Fine,” said Lord Ermenwyr, and turned unsteadily on his heel. “I’m going to go get laid while I’m still among the living, then.” He staggered off into the crowd, hitching up his spangled tights, and Smith looked at his cousin.
“Does he have anything catching?” he demanded.
“No! No! Delicate lungs, that’s all,” chattered his cousin. “I believe his lord father’s apt phrase was—” From the depths of his brocade he drew out a heavy, folded parchment to which was affixed a ponderous seal of black wax. “Here we are. ‘Hothouse lily.’ In any case the young lord will be traveling with a private nurse and ample store of physic, so your sole concern will be conveying him in one piece to Salesh-by-the-Sea.”
“And what if he dies?” asked Smith.
His cousin shivered and, looking quickly at the letter as though it might overhear him, folded it again and thrust it out of sight. “That would be very unfortunate indeed. His lord father is a powerful man, cousin. He’s paid a great deal for this passage.”
Smith sighed.
“The lad’ll be in a palanquin the whole way,” added his cousin, as though that answered everything. “You’ll have him there in no time. A routine trip. Your first of many, I’m