Swords Against Wizardry by Fritz Leiber ...

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by my own skills as flayer and swift tanner, will hang forever in place of honor in
our halls, while the spirit of Flindach holds my chair for me in the Dark World
beyond the stars, a Lord Paramount there until I come, and eternally a Hero of
Quarmall."
Before any cheering or hailing could be started -- which would have taken a
little while, since all were much bemused -- Fafhrd cried out, "Oh cunningest
king, I honor you and your babe so highly and the Queen who carries him in her
womb that I will guard her moment by moment, not moving a pace from her,
until I and my small comrade here are well outside Quarmall -- say a mile -together
with horses for our conveyance and with the treasures promised us by
those two late kings." And he gestured as Quarmal had toward the crushed litter.
The Mouser had been about to launch at Quarmal some subtly intimidating
remark about his own skills as a sorcerer in blasting Gwaay's eleven. But now he
decided that Fafhrd's words were sufficient and well-spoken, save for the
slighting reference to himself, and he held his peace.
Kewissa started to withdraw her hand from Fafhrd's, but he tightened his grip
just a little, and she looked at him with understanding. In fact, she called brightly
to Quarmal, "Oh, Lord Husband, this man saved my life and your son's from
Hasjarl's fiends in a storeroom of the Keep. I trust him," while Brilla, dabbing
tears of joy from his eyes with his undersleeve, seconded her with, "My very dear
Lord, she speaks only nakedest truth, bare as a newborn babe or new-wed wife."
Quarmal raised his hand a little, reprovingly, as if such speaking were
unnecessary and somewhat out of place, and smiling thinly at Fafhrd and the
Mouser said, "It shall be as you have spoken. I am neither ungenerous nor
unperceptive. Know that it was not altogether by chance that my late sons
unbeknown to each other hired you two friends -- also mutually unknowing -- to
be their champions. Furthermore know that I am not altogether unaware of the
curiosities of Ningauble of the Seven Eyes or of the Spells of Sheelba of the
Eyeless Face. We grandmaster sorcerers have a -- But to speak more were only to
kindle the curiosity of the gods and alert the trolls and attract the attention of the
restless hungry Fates. Enough is enough."
Looking at Quarmal's slitted eyes, the Mouser was glad he had not boasted,
and even Fafhrd shivered a little.
Fafhrd cracked whip above the four-horse team to set them pulling the highpiled
wagon more briskly through this black sticky stretch of road deeply marked
with cart tracks and the hoofprints of oxen, a mile from Quarmall. Friska and
Ivivis were turned around on the seat beside him to wave as long a farewell as
they might to Kewissa and the eunuch Brilla, standing at the roadside with four
impassive guardsmen of Quarmall, to whom they had but now been released.
The Gray Mouser, sprawled on his stomach atop the load, waved too, but only
with his left hand -- in his right he held a cocked crossbow while his eyes
searched the trees about for sign of ambush.
Yet the Mouser was not truly apprehensive. He thought that Quarmal would
hardly be apt to try any tricks against such a proven warrior and sorcerer as
himself -- or Fafhrd too, of course. The old Lord had shown himself a most
gracious host during the last few hours, plying them with rare wines and loading
them with rich gifts beyond what they'd asked or what the Mouser had purloined
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