The Second Book of Lankhmar

into him and he helplessly collapsed sideways against an arm of his chair without quite falling out of it. Fafhrd got a shove behind and slumped face-down on the table in a dish of stewed plums, his great arms outsweeping unconsciously, upsetting cups and scattering plates.
    The starsman kept crossbow trained on each new space uncovered. Slinoor watched with eagle eye, flipping aside silken fripperies with his cutlass point and using it to overset the rats’ table, peering the while narrowly.
    “There's where the vermin feasted like men,” he observed disgustedly. “The curry was set before them. Would they had gorged themselves senseless on it.”
    “Likely they were the ones to note the drug even through the masking spices of the curry, and warn the women,” the starsman put in. “Rats are prodigiously wise to poisons.”
    As it became apparent neither girls nor rats were in the cabin, Slinoor cried with angry anxiety, “They can't have escaped to the deck—there's the sky-trap locked below besides our guard above. The mate's party bars the after hold. Perchance the stern-lights—”
    But just then the Mouser heard one of the horn windows behind him being opened and Squid 's arms-master call from there, “Naught came this way. Where are they, captain?”
    “Ask someone wittier than I,” Slinoor tossed him sourly. “Certain, they're not here.”
    “Would that these two could speak,” the starsman wished, indicating the Mouser and Fafhrd.
    “No,” Slinoor said dourly. “They'd just lie. Cover the larboard trap to the hold. I'll have it up and speak to the mate.”
    Just then footsteps came hurrying across the middeck and Squid 's mate with blood-streaked face entered by the broken door, half dragging and half supporting a sailor who seemed to be holding a thin stick to his own bloody cheek.
    “Why have you left the hold?” Slinoor demanded of the first. “You should be with your party below.”
    “Rats ambushed us on our way to the after hold,” the mate gasped. “There were dozens of blacks led by a white, some armed like men. The sword of a beam-hanger almost cut my eye across. Two foamy-mouthed springers dashed out our lamp. ‘Twere pure folly to have gone on in the dark. There's scarce a man of my party not bitten, slashed or jabbed. I left them guarding the foreway to the hold. They say their wounds are poisoned and talk of nailing down the hatch.”
    “Oh monstrous cowardice!” Slinoor cried. “You've spoiled my trap that would have scotched them at the start. Now all's to do and difficult. Oh scarelings! Daunted by rats!”
    “I tell you they were armed!” the mate protested and then, swinging the sailor forward, “Here's my proof with a spearlet in his cheek.”
    “Don't drag her out, captain, sir,” the sailor begged as Slinoor moved to examine his face. “'Tis poisoned too, I wot.”
    “Hold still, boy,” Slinoor commanded. “And take your hands away—I've got it firm. The point's near the skin. I'll drive it out forward so the barbs don't catch. Pinion his arms, mate. Don't move your face, boy, or you'll be hurt worse. If it's poisoned, it must come out the faster. There!”
    The sailor squeaked. Fresh blood rilled down his cheek.
    “'Tis a nasty needle indeed,” Slinoor commended, inspecting the bloody point. “Doesn't look poisoned. Mate, gently cut off the shaft aft of the wound, draw out the rest forward.”
    “Here's further proof, most wicked,” said the starsman, who'd been picking about in the litter. He handed Slinoor a tiny crossbow.
    Slinoor held it up before him. In the pale candlelight it gleamed bluely, while the skipper's dark-circled eyes were like agates.
    “Here's evil's soul,” he cried. “Perchance ‘twas well you were ambushed in the hold. ‘Twill teach each mariner to hate and fear all rats again, like a good grain-sailor should. And now by a swift certain killing of all rats on Squid wipe out today's traitorous foolery, when you clapped for rats and let rats lead your cheers, seduced by a scarlet girl and bribed by that most misnamed Mouser.”
    The Mouser, still paralyzed and perforce watching Slinoor aslant as Slinoor pointed at him, had to admit it was a well-turned reference to himself.
    “First off,” Slinoor said, “drag those two rogues on deck. Truss them to mast or rail. I'll not have them waking to botch my victory.”
    “Shall I up with a trap and loose a dart in the after hold?” the starsman asked eagerly.
    “You