Thieves World 03 – Asprin, Robert

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It was a slow night at the Vulgar Unicorn. Not slow in the sense that there had

been no fights (there hadn’t) or that there weren’t many customers (there weren’t) but rather a different kind of slow; the slow measured pace of a man on

his way to the gallows, for the Unicorn was dying, as was the entire town of Sanctuary. More people were leaving every day and those left were becoming

increasingly desperate and vicious as the economy dipped to new lows.

Desperate people were dangerous; they were quick to turn predator at the smallest imagined opportunity, which in turn made them vulnerable to the real

predators drawn to the town like wolves to a sick animal. Anyone with an ounce

of sense and a good leg to hobble on would have deserted Sanctuary long ago.

Such were the thoughts of Hakiem, the Storyteller, as he sat brooding over a cup

of cheap wine. Tonight he did not even bother adopting his usual guise of dozing

drunkenly while eavesdropping on conversations at the neighbouring tables.

knew all the patrons present and not one of them was worth spying on – hence no

need to fake disinterest.

He would leave Sanctuary tomorrow. He would go somewhere, anywhere, where people

were freer with their money and a master storyteller would be appreciated.