Stalking Darkness

the brightly painted cards for a new deal. “The hazard is three gold sesters, the limit eight. As the new player, you begin the bid.”
    Keeping one eye on Rythel’s style, Seregil played conservatively for the first few rounds, managing to collect a modest pile of winnings. He chatted with the others as they played, spicing the light banter with investment advice and allusions to recent successful ventures, including an interest in the privateer fleet being overseen by Nyreidian.
    Rythel listened with polite interest, saying little until the deal came around to him again.
    “I suggest a change of game,” he said, gathering the pack. “Sword and Coin? There are enough of us to partner two games.”
    The other players were agreeable and when the chairs and tables had been shifted, Seregil was not surprised to find himself sitting across from Rythel. With a silent nod to Illior, he settled down to make his partner a richer man.
    The less circumspect players were soon winnowed out as Seregil, no stranger to creative card shuffling, gently tipped the scales in his and Rythel’s favor. Rythel, too, showed signs of certain talents; in an hour’s time the two of them had exhausted the resources of the other players.
    Seregil gave him a slight bow as they rose to divide their winnings and extended his hand. “Well played. I’m Lord Seregil, as you may have gathered. And you?”
    “Rythel of Porunta, my lord.” His hand was hard in Seregil’s, but not as stained and roughened as he’d expected. The man had obviously taken pains to hide his current occupation.
    “Porunta? That’s down near Stoneport, isn’t it? What brings you so far north this time of year?”
    “I’m in commerce there, my lord, in a modest way.” Rythel paused, giving Seregil a disarmingly open smile. “I must confess, some of the ventures you’ve mentioned tonight interest me.”
    “A man of vision, eh?” Seregil, said with a knowing wink. “I’m a great admirer of ambition, and our brief partnership tonight didn’t do my purse any harm. Perhaps you’d like to discuss things further over a bit of supper?”
    “I’d be honored, my lord,” Rythel replied, just a hint too eager.
    “Anyplace in particular?”
    Rythel shrugged. “No, my lord. I’ve no plans for the night.”
    Damn
, thought Seregil.
Looks like we’ll spend the evening plying each other with drink and fishing for secrets
.
    A harsh, clear dawn was breaking when Seregil returned to the Cockerel. Alec was asleep on the couch, legs stretched out toward the ruins of a fire. He awoke with a start when Seregil flopped wearily down beside him.
    “Well, how did it go?”
    Seregil shrugged, running both hands back through his hair. “He’s not the greatest spy in the world, but he knows how to keep his mouth shut. We spent most of the night drinking at the Rose, then he decided he wanted a woman. I hoped maybe he needed to meet someone at a brothel, but instead he was ready to take up with the first pair of clapmongers we passed in the street. I finally managed to steer him into the Black Feather.”
    “The Feather? That’s quite a comedown from Eirual’s.”
    “The same thought occurred to me. Either he was putting on an act for my benefit, or his fortunes fluctuate considerably from week to week. It’s something to keep an eye on. At any rate, we parted company there a few hours ago and I followed him down to Sailmaker Street. He didn’t go out again.”
    “Sounds like a wasted evening.”
    “As far as this sewer business goes it was. Still, you can’t spend a whole evening drinking and whoring with a person and not learn something. He’s passing himself off as some well-heeled merchant and, to tell you the truth, he carries it off so well that I wonder if some of it isn’t true. I’d say he’s Skalan born, and has done a bit of this kind of work before—a small-time noser. The Plenimarans know how to find that type and use them.”
    Alec gave him a wry grin. “So do you.”
    “It’s too soon to tell with this one, though.” Seregil stretched wearily. His night at the Feather had left him feeling gritty and in need of a bath. “Although Lord Seregil clearly made quite an impression on him. I let a few details slip about privateers and suddenly he was my boon companion. I passed on a few rumors; it’ll be interesting to see where they pop up later. How’d you do?”
    Alec pulled a flattened roll of parchment from inside his tunic and waggled it