Uneasy Alliances Read Online Free PDF Page A

boy’s sleeve. “The mage-king must be psychically linked to his guards, or at least to some of them. Probably makes it easier to keep track of what’s going on in the palace. And now he knows for certain that we’re here, and he knows what we’re after. We’ll have to hurry.”
    “You bastard!” Noph stared at the little assassin. “You cold-blooded bastard!”
    Trandon put an arm on the youth’s shoulder. “Come on, Noph. It’s—”
    Noph shook him off furiously. “Don’t do that! I’m the only one of you who cares!” He glared at Entreri and raised his fists. “Come on, you son of a—”
    Entreri cuffed him across the mouth, knocking the youth to his knees. He looked calmly at Noph and spoke to him with no appearance of anger.
    “We have no time for this. Behave yourself.” He turned away.
    Noph rose. His stomach ached and his breath smelled sour. He badly wanted a drink of water. His face ached where Entreri had hit him, and he felt a trickle of blood down his chin. Trandon and Kern stared pointedly away from him.
    Noph looked at the stiffening body of the guard, then at Sharessa, hoping for comfort and sympathy. She, too, was gazing at the body, but Noph saw, to his surprise and dismay, that she showed no emotion. She turned away and slapped Ingrar’s shoulder in a comradely gesture.
    Noph found Kern at his side. The paladin looked at him and then, catching Noph’s eye, looked awkwardly away again.
    “Are you all right?” he asked.
    Noph nodded. “I … I guess so. It’s just that when we killed before, it was us against the fiends. The only humans I’ve seen die were Anvil and … Harloon.”
    Kern nodded slowly. “I know. It’s never easy to see men die, even those whom you don’t know.”
    “He was so cold about it.” Noph stared at Entreri. The little man was now exploring the far end of the room with Ingrar and Sharessa. “He didn’t pause for a minute. He just…” He shut his eyes, as if trying to squeeze out the memory. Then he opened them wide. “And Shar. She could have killed Artemis back there when we were fighting that shadow-thing.”
    Trandon, coming up behind Kern, snorted and lowered his voice. “Not a bad job if she had. That’d be one less problem in our way.”
    Noph turned on him hotly. “Don’t say that! Haven’t you seen enough death?” His eyes filled with tears. “I thought being an adventurer was supposed to be glorious and exciting, not dirty … and …” His voice faded as he looked at the body of the guard.
    Kern shrugged his broad shoulders. “Noph, adventuring is about duty—about doing your duty and keeping an eye on what needs to be done. It’s about doing what’s best in the eyes of your god.” He looked contemptuously at Entreri and the pirates. “For a pack like that, the only thing that counts is profit. And if that means betraying your friends and companions, so be it. Master Entreri would kill anyone or anything if he were paid for it.”
    He turned away from Noph and said over his shoulder in a voice that carried throughout the room, “And don’t lose any sleep over trying to keep in the good graces of Master Entreri. When you were wounded, he was ready enough to slit your throat and leave your carcass to the fiends.”
    Noph started and stared at Artemis, who looked at him stolidly and said nothing. Shar moved toward the young man. “Noph—”
    “No, Shar.” Noph turned away from the beautiful mercenary. “I’m sorry. I guess I just don’t have what it takes to be a real pirate. You see, I care about other people.”
    He walked away from her. Shar stood motionless, her dark hair framing a face drained of blood.
    Another low rumble came from beyond the room, and the floor shook. In the distance came the sound of faint screams and a shrill, ululating shriek. Trandon stepped to another door set in the chamber’s west wall and listened intently.
    “Fiends! Coming this way!” He drew his sword. Kern and Shar ranged themselves