Tales from the vulgar unicorn- Thieves World 02 Read Online Free PDF

a leather bag about the size of Masha's head. Over one shoulder and the side of his neck was coiled a thin rope.
    'Tools of the trade,' he said in answer to Masha's look. Masha wondered what the trade was, but she didn't have time for him. She felt Kheem's forehead and pulse,'then went to the water pitcher on the ledge in the corner.
    After mixing the powder with the water as Nadeesh had instructed and pouring out some into a large spoon, she turned. Smhee was on his knees by the child and reaching into the bag on his belt.
    'I have some talent for doctoring,' he said as she came to his side. 'Here. Put that quack's medicine away and use this.'
    He stood up and held out a small leather envelope. She just looked at him.
    'Yes, I know you don't want to take a chance with a stranger. But please believe me. This green powder is a thousand times better than that placebo Nadeesh gave you. If it doesn't cure the child, I'll cut my throat. I promise you.'
    'Much good that'd do the baby,' Wallu said.
    'Is it a magical potion?' Masha said.
    'No. Magic might relieve the symptoms, but the disease would still be there, and when the magic wore off, the sickness would return. Here. Take it! I don't want you two to say a word about it, ever, but I was once trained in the art of medicine. And where I come from, a doctor is twenty times superior to any you'll find in Sanctuary.'
    Masha studied his dark shiny face. He looked as if he might be about forty years old. The high broad forehead, the long straight nose, the well-shaped mouth would have made him handsome if his cheeks weren't so thick and his jowls so baggy. Despite his fatness, he looked intelligent; the black eyes below the thick bushy eyebrows were keen and lively.
    'I can't afford to experiment with Kheem,' she said. He smiled, perhaps an acknowledgement that he detected the uncertainty in her voice.
    'You can't afford not to,' he said. 'If you don't use this, your child will die. And the longer you hesitate, the closer she gets to death. Every second counts.'
    Masha took the envelope and returned to the water pitcher. She set the spoon down without spilling its contents and began working as Smhee called out to her his instructions. He stayed with K-heem, one hand on her forehead, the other on her chest. Kheem breathed rapidly and shallowly. Wallu protested. Masha told her to shut up more harshly than she'd intended. Wallu bit her lip and glared at Smhee.
    K-heem was propped up by Smhee, and Masha got her to swallow the greenish water. Ten minutes or so later, the fever began to go down. An hour later, according to the sandglass, she was given another spoonful. By dawn, she seemed to be rid of it, and she was sleeping peacefully.
    7
    Meantime, Masha and Smhee talked in low tones. Wallu had gone to bed, but not to sleep, shortly before sunrise. Eevroen had not appeared. Probably he was sleeping off his liquor in an empty crate on the wharf or in some doorway. Masha was glad. She had been prepared to break another basin over his head if he made a fuss and disturbed Kheem.
    Though she had seen the fat little man a number of times, she did not know much about him. Nobody else did either. It was certain that he had first appeared in Sanctuary six weeks (sixty days) ago. A merchant ship of the Banmalts people had brought him, but this indicated little about his origin since the ship ported at many lands and islands.
    Smhee had quickly taken a room on the second floor of a building, the first of which was occupied by the K-habeeber or 'Diving Bird' Tavern. (The proprietor had jocularly named it thus because he claimed that his customers dived as deeply into alcohol for surcease as the khabeeber did into the ocean for fish.) He did no work nor was he known to thieve or mug. He seemed to have enough money for his purposes, whatever they were, but then he lived frugally. Because he smeared his body and hair with rancid butter, he was called 'The Stinking Butterball' or 'Old Rotten', though