Swords Against Wizardry by Fritz Leiber ...

ABBYY PDF Transformer 2.0
Click here to buy
w w w.A BBYY.co m
meeting there were the few freelance thieves bold and resourceful enough to defy
the Guild and the few thieves of aristocratic birth, sometimes most brilliant
amateurs, whom the Guild tolerated and even toadied to, on account of their
noble ancestry, which dignified a very old but most disreputable profession.
Midway along the bare stretch of wall, where none might conceivably
overhear, a very tall and a somewhat short thief drifted together. After a while
they began to converse in prison-yard whispers.
A distance had grown between Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser during their long
and uneventful trek south from the Great Rift Valley. It was due simply to too
much of each other and to an ever more bickering disagreement as to how the
invisible jewels, gift of Hirriwi and Keyaira, might most advantageously be
disposed of -- a dispute which had finally grown so acrimonious that they had
divided the jewels, each carrying his share. When they finally reached Lankhmar,
they had lodged apart and each made his own contact with jeweler, fence or
private buyer. This separation had made their relationship quite scratchy, but in
no way diminished their absolute trust in each other.
"Greetings, Little Man," Fafhrd prison-growled. "So you've come to sell your
share to Ogo the Blind, or at least give him a viewing? -- if such expression may
be used of a sightless man."
"How did you know that?" the Mouser whispered sharply.
"It was the obvious thing to do," Fafhrd answered somewhat
condescendingly. "Sell the jewels to a dealer who could note neither their nightglow
nor daytime invisibility. A dealer who must judge them by weight, feel, and
what they can scratch or be scratched by. Besides, we stand just across from the
door to Ogo's den. It's very well guarded, by the by -- at fewest, ten Mingol
swordsmen."
"At least give me credit for such trifles of common knowledge," the Mouser
answered sardonically. "Well, you guessed right; it appears that by long
association with me you've gained some knowledge of how my wit works, though
I doubt that it's sharpened your own a whit. Yes, I've already had one conference
with Ogo, and tonight we conclude the deal."
Fafhrd asked equably, "Is it true that Ogo conducts all his interviews in pitchy
dark?"
"Ho! So there are some few things you admit not knowing! Yes, it's quite true,
which makes any interview with Ogo risky work. By insisting on absolute
darkness, Ogo the Blind cancels at a stroke the interviewer's advantage -indeed,
the advantage passes to Ogo, since he is used by a lifetime of it to utter
darkness -- a long lifetime, since he's an ancient one, to judge by his speech.
Nay, Ogo knows not what darkness is, since it's all he's ever known. However, I've
a device to trick him there if need be. In my thick, tightly drawstringed pouch I
carry fragments of brightest glow-wood, and can spill them out in a trice."
Fafhrd nodded admiringly and then asked, "And what's in that flat case you
carry so tightly under your elbow? An elaborate false history of each of the jewels
embossed in ancient parchment for Ogo's fingers to read?"
"There your guess fails! No, it's the jewels themselves, guarded in clever wise
so that they cannot be filched. Here, take a peek." And after glancing quickly to
either side and overhead, the Mouser opened the case a handbreadth on its
ABBYY PDF Transformer 2.0
Click here to buy
w w w.A BBYY.co m