A Malazan Book of the Fallen Collection 3

dreams?'
    Tehol clambered onto the roof. He closed the hatch then stood and studied the stars overhead until she emerged from the darkness to one side and spoke. 'You're late.'
    'No, I'm not. Midnight. Still a quarter off.'
    'Is it? Oh.'
    'And how's life, Shurq? Sorry, I couldn't resist.'
    'And I've never heard that particular quip before. It's a miserable existence. Day after day, night after night. One step in front of the other, on and on to nowhere in particular.'
    'And being dead has changed all that?'
    'Don't make me laugh, Tehol Beddict. I cough up stuff when I laugh. You want to offer me a contract. To do what?'
    'Well, a retainer, actually.'
    'Ongoing employment. I refused all retainers when I was alive; why should I do anything else now?'
    'Job security, of course. You're not young any more.' He walked over to his bed and sat down, facing her. 'All right. Consider the challenges I offer. I have targets in mind that not a thief alive today would touch. In fact, only a high mage or someone who's dead could defeat the wards and leave no trail. I don't trust high mages, leaving only you.'
    'There are others.'
    'Two others, to be precise. And neither one a professional thief.'
    'How did you know there were two others?'
    'I know lots of things, Shurq. One is a woman who cheated on her husband, who in turn spent his life savings on the curse against her. The other is a child, origin of curse unknown, who dwells in the grounds of the old tower behind the palace.'
    'Yes. I visit her on occasion. She doesn't know who cursed her. In fact, the child has no memory of her life at all.'
    'Probably an addition to the original curse,' Tehol mused. 'But that is curious indeed.'
    'It is. Half a peak was the going price. How much for sorcery to steal her memories?'
    'Half as much again, I'd think. That's a lot to do to a ten-year-old child. Why not just kill her and bury her in some out of the way place, or dump her in the canal?' He sat forward. 'Tell you what, Shurq, we'll include the pursuit of that mystery – I suspect it interests you in spite of yourself.'
    'I would not mind sticking a knife in the eye of whoever cursed the child. But I have no leads.'
    'Ah, so you've not been entirely apathetic, then.'
    'Never said I was, Tehol. But, finding no trail at all, I admit to a diminishment in motivation.'
    'I'll see what I can do.'
    The dead woman cocked her head and regarded him in silence for a moment. 'You were a genius once.'
    'Very true.'
    'Then you lost everything.'
    'That's right.'
    'And with that, presumably, a similar loss in confidence.'
    'Oh, hardly, Shurq Elalle.'
    'All part of your diabolical plan.'
    'Every worthwhile plan is diabolical.'
    'Don't make me laugh.'
    'I'm trying not to, Shurq. Do we have a deal?'
    'The secret of the curse upon the child was not your intended payment for my services, Tehol. What else?'
    'I'm open to suggestions. Do you want the curse undone? Do you long for eternal night? The final stealthy departure of your slinking soul? Do you want to be resurrected in truth? Gifted life once more? Revenge against the one who cursed you?'
    'I already did that.'
    'All right. I admit I'm not surprised. Who was blamed for it?'
    'Gerun Eberict.'
    'Oh, that's clever. Speaking of him ...'
    'Is he one of your targets?'
    'Very much so.'
    'I don't like assassination, in principle. Besides, he's killed more than one knave.'
    'I don't want you to kill him, Shurq. Just steal his fortune.'
    'Gerun Eberict has been getting more brazen, it's true.'
    'An actual liability.'
    'Assuming maintaining the status quo is a worthwhile endeavour.'
    'Make no assumptions, Shurq. It's more a matter of who's controlling the dissolution of said status quo. The Finadd is losing control of his own appetites.'
    'Are you one of his targets, Tehol?'
    'Not that I'm aware of, not yet, anyway. Preferably not at all.'
    'It would be quite a challenge defeating his estate's defensive measures.'
    'I'm sure it would.'
    'As for my retainer, I'm not interested in living again. Nor in dying with finality. No, what I want is to be granted the semblance of life.'
    Tehol's brows rose.
    'I want my skin glowing with palpable vigour. I want a certain dark allure to my eyes. My hair needs styling. New clothes, a flowery scent lingering in my wake. And I want to feel pleasure again.'
    'Pleasure?'
    'Sexual.'
    'Maybe it's just the company you've been keeping.'
    'Don't make me laugh.'
    'You'll cough up stuff.'
    'You don't want to know, Tehol Beddict.