Orb Sceptre Throne Read Online Free PDF Page A

distaste. ‘I doubt that’s from Elingarth.’
    Jallin gave an easy shrug. ‘I wouldn’t know. Another?’
    ‘Abyss, no.’
    ‘Sure. It’s early yet.’
    In keeping with the diminishing flow of treasure-hunters, the inn’s common room was deserted. A pair of guards, no more than old-hand hustlers like Jallin, sat by the door. Two men sat hunched almost head to head at a table nearby, both staring sullenly out into the day’s last slanting yellow rays. One elegantly dressed young man, a scion of some aristocratic family or other, commanded another table. He was with three others, all of whom Jallin knew as local thugs and would-be guides, like himself.
    The young man leaned back suddenly and announced: ‘Then there’s no sense heading out. It’s too late by far. The place has been picked clean by now.’
    The old soldier, Red, turned to watch him.
    One of the local guides said something to which the nobleman answered, dismissively, ‘Well, who’s come back recently? Has anyone?’
    Another of the companions offered, ‘If I found anything out there I sure as death wouldn’t come back
here
.’ They all had a good laugh at that, except the noble youth.
    Jallin leaned forward, murmured, ‘That’s all just sour talk. He’s afraid to head out.’
    ‘So,’ the veteran drawled, ‘where are all the ships?’
    Two more tankards arrived care of a shuffling serving boy. ‘Anchored off shore. Launches put in at dawn and you buy your berth. But,’ he added, lowering his voice, ‘it’s possible to slip out past them at night. For a fee.’
    The soldier nodded his understanding. ‘At dawn, when the boats put in. Why doesn’t everyone just rush ’em?’
    ‘Southern Free Cities Confederation soldiers, my friend. They got things wrapped up.’
    ‘So what’s to stop others from showing up with their own boats?’
    Jallin laughed. ‘Oh, they’ve tried. They’ve tried. But these Confederation boys are pirates and wreckers like none other. Sank the lot of them.’
    ‘But a warship maybe? Malazan?’
    Jallin drained his tankard. ‘Yeah. A couple months back. A Malazan warship bulled its way through. Ain’t been seen since.’ He grinned toothily. ‘Maybe they all got done in.’
    The old soldier took a long pull from his tankard. ‘Just like the guy said. No one’s come back. Is that right?’
    Jallin did his best to laugh good-naturedly. ‘What? You want someone else to get out with a boatload of loot? Listen, the main isle is damned huge. It takes a lot of time to search through all that. You don’t just arrive and trip over some kinda chest of gold.’ He pretended to take a deep sip of his second tankard, unconcerned, but damned the loudmouth, whoever he was. Anyway, all that mattered was that the old guy accompany him down to the shore to meet his ‘friend’. He would meet him all right.
    The veteran sucked his teeth then brushed at his moustache. ‘Right. Well, that’s about all I need to hear. Thanks for the drink.’ He stood, draped the bags over one shoulder.
    Jallin stood with him. ‘But I could get you out tonight. My friend—’
    ‘Would bash me over the head,’ the soldier finished.
    Jallin caught Akien’s eye, spread his hands. ‘Fine. You don’t want my help? To Hood with you.’
    From the bar, Akien nodded to his two guards, who stood and blocked the door. The soldier pulled up short. He glanced to the big bull-like owner who was crossing the floor, tapping a truncheon in one hand. ‘What’s the problem?’ the old guy asked.
    ‘The problem, sir, is of the bill.’
    Jallin had kept his distance, waiting for his chance, and the veteran motioned directly to him. ‘This one here. He’ll pay.’
    Akien stopped before his guards, which put Jallin directly to the soldier’s rear. Jallin curled his fingers around his belt, close to the worn grips of his daggers. ‘No,’ Akien said, slow and stubborn, like the bull he resembled. ‘It is plain to me that you ordered the drinks,