Iorich Read Online Free PDF Page B

“Yes, I’ll try that first. I should be ableto get the petition written up and submitted in an hour. We might get results by the end of the day.”
    “They don’t waste time.”
    “Not with this. For whatever reason, they’re in a hurry with this case.”
    “Um, yeah,” I said. “So it seems. Why is that?”
    “Good question. If you want to do something useful, find out.”
    “What makes you think I’d be able to do that?”
    “I recognized your name.”
    “Oh. I’m famous.”
    “If you wish.”
    “Can you tell me where to start looking?”
    “You could ask the Empress.”
    “Okay.”
    His eyebrows rose a fraction of an inch. “I wasn’t serious.”
    “Oh?”
    “You know the Empress?”
    “We’ve spoken.”
    “Well, if you think you can get her tell you anything, I won’t stop you.”
    “All right,” I said. “If that doesn’t work?”
    “Lord Delwick, of my House, might be able to tell you some things, if he’s willing to talk to you. He’s our Imperial Representative.”
    “Okay,” I said. “A word of advice: Don’t do anything to mess up his relationship with the Empire. The House hates that.”
    “So I’ve heard,” he said.
    “All right, I’ll get started, then.”
    He opened up a desk drawer, dug around for a while, andthen handed me what looked like a copper coin with the Iorich insignia. “Show him this, and tell him I sent you.”
    I accepted it, put it in my pouch, and said, “I’ll check back with you from time to time.”
    “Of course.”
    I stood and gave him a bow, which he acknowledged with gesture of his head, then I let myself out.
    I made my way back to the entryway of the House without too much effort, assisted by Loiosh, who has a pretty good memory for twists and turns.
    I sent him and Rocza out ahead of me to spot any assassins lurking in the area, was told there weren’t any, and made a brisk walk across the way to the entrance of the Palace. I went as straight through as the twists of the Wing would permit, and out into the Imperial Wing.
    Wherever you are in the Imperial Wing (all right, wherever I’ve been) you’ll see pages and messengers scurrying around, all with the Phoenix badge, usually carrying a green folder, though sometimes it will be a gold one, and occasionally something other than a folder. I always resent them, because they give the impression they know their way around the place, which is obviously impossible. Doors, corridors, stairways are everywhere, and going off at absurd angles as if designed by a madman. You have no choice but to ask directions of someone, usually a guardsman, who will of course let you know exactly what they think of Easterners who can’t find their way around.
    It’s annoying.
    To the left, however, finding one of the rooms where the Empress is available to courtiers is one of the easier tasks, and after only a couple of minor humiliations I arrived outside that wide, open, chairless room called the Imperial Audience Chamberor something like that, but informally known among the Jhereg as Asskiss Alley.
    There were big double doors there, with a pair of guards outside of them, and a well-dressed man who could have been a relative of Lady Teldra—when she was alive—standing at his ease with a half smile on his face. I wanted to touch Lady Teldra’s hilt, but restrained myself. Instead, I placed myself before this worthy and bowed like I meant it.
    “Vladimir Taltos, House Jhereg, and Count of Szurke, at your service.”
    He returned my bow exactly. “Harnwood,” he said, “House of the Issola, at yours, my lord.”
    “I’m afraid I don’t know the procedure”—he gave me an encouraging smile—“but I would have words with Her Majesty, who may wish to see me.”
    If the request was surprising, he gave no indication. “Of course, my lord. If you will come with me into the waiting room, I will inquire.”
    He led me to an empty room painted yellow, with half a dozen comfortable chairs, also yellow.