Death's Executioner (Paperback)

‘Seven,’ said Nanda, laying a brightly-inked card upon Konrad’s parlour table. She held four more in her hands, close to her face; these she surveyed with a roguish half-smile, and cast a sideways glance at Konrad.

He was not fooled. Nanda’s strategy for card games was to appear as though she was on the point of winning, always, but never to let on how.

‘Hats,’ said Alexander Nuritov, police inspector by day and… well, frequently by night as well, when he wasn’t playing cards at Bakar House. The deep darkness of full night beat against the parlour windows, but inside all was warmth and cheer. A bright fire crackled in the grate, two of Konrad’s favourite people sat around his table, and all of them were rosy on apple brandy.

Konrad himself might be termed somewhat more than rosy, though not quite inebriated enough to fumble the game. Hopefully.

‘Incorrect,’ said Nanda, with triumph.

Alexander scowled, and drew a card.

‘Chalices,’ said Konrad, in his turn.

Nanda rolled her eyes at him. ‘Your snakies told on me.’

‘They did not.’

‘They did. I can practically feel them slinking about somewhere.’ She cast her eyes around the parlour, her gaze lingering upon the shadows in the corners, and shivered.

‘Are you calling me a cheat?’ Konrad demanded.

‘Yes.’

He narrowed his eyes at her. ‘Chalices,’ he repeated.

‘Correct.’

‘I want a three, or a five.’

Nanda gave him a card elaborately inked with a scrolling numeral five. The smug look was back on her slightly too-pale face. She would never own to losing.

I heard that, hissed Eetapi, a sudden jangle at the back of his mind. He shuddered as an icy chill rippled down his spine: she was displeased.

The cheek! he agreed.

Now I shall cheat, just to punish her.

You may not.

Eetapi grumbled. Why not?

Because I would rather lose than cheat, as you very well know.

You never did have any sense, muttered Eetapi.

Konrad ignored that. Play continued, delivering Alexander a pair of nines and Konrad a useless two. He was losing, alas. He had no head for cards, unlike the inspector, who won at least two games out of every three. Nanda and Konrad both had more sense than to play for money, if Alexander was present.

‘Crowns!’ announced Alexander, beaming, and spreading cards before him. He’d won again, curse him. ‘Three, seven, nine, and—’

‘Konrad!’ A youthful, cheery voice hailed him from the parlour door, and Tasha came barrelling in. Fourteen winters old, at least in appearance, and an endless fountain of energy (or so it seemed), she brought a cold wind swirling into the room with her, and had left the door wide open behind.

‘That is Mr. Savast, to you,’ said Konrad, without much hope.

This she waved off. ‘I won’t call you anything so priggish, and you’d hate it if I did.’

‘Priggish?’

‘Only prigs insist on formality. Isn’t that right, Mr. Nuritov?’

Alexander just looked at her, and took a sip of brandy.

‘Cool head,’ said Tasha. ‘I like that.’ She leaned Nanda’s way, and said confidingly, ‘He’s much more fun.’ Her pointing finger indicated Konrad.

‘He does take the bait so nicely,’ Nanda agreed.

Konrad let this pass. ‘Alexander wins,’ he said, and smiled at his friend. ‘Again. I bow to your superior skill.’

‘Many long winters with little else to do,’ Alexander remarked, though he looked pleased.

Konrad was going to enquire why Alexander had found himself so short of entertainments, but Tasha interrupted. ‘Don’t you want to know why I am here?’

‘Do you need a reason, besides the unending desire to disturb our peace?’

‘It is a favourite hobby of mine,’ she allowed. ‘But I did, as it happens, have another reason.’

Konrad sighed. ‘All right. Why are you here?’

Tasha drew herself up importantly. It did not help much. She was an undersized child, and if the lamaeni were capable of physical growth, Konrad had never witnessed any evidence of it. ‘Well—’ she began.

‘Your hat is torn,’ said Konrad, frowning. She wore a black cap and dark coat as a matter of course, indoors and out; in fact, both of them were ripped.

‘I’ve been brawling,’ said Tasha indifferently. ‘Anyway—’

‘Brawling?’ Konrad exchanged a look with Alexander. ‘Is that any way for a police ward to behave?’

‘It is if they are named Tasha.’

‘Let it go,’ murmured Alexander. ‘You will never prevail with her.’

Konrad grinned. ‘I don’t expect to. I am just enjoying forestalling the news she is dying to tell us.’

‘It is important,’ snapped Tasha.

‘How important?’

‘To you? Supremely. In fact—’

‘I had better let you get on with it, then, had I not?’

Tasha gave him a flat stare of pure hatred. ‘Don’t think I won’t drain the life out of you, just because you’re the Malykant.’

‘You cannot,’ said Nanda serenely. ‘Konrad isn’t allowed to die anymore, remember?’

‘Then he had better behave himself, hadn’t he?’

‘Fine,’ said Konrad, and sat back, letting his cards fall to the table. ‘Tell us your news.’

‘There is a dead body,’ said Tasha, slowly and distinctly, ‘in the alley behind this house.’

‘There is no alley behind this house.’

‘All right, it isn’t directly behind— oh, hold your tongue.’

Konrad permitted himself a brief smirk. He did not often get the best of Tasha. ‘Is there truly a dead body, or are you just entertaining yourself at our expense?’

‘As often as the latter is true, no. There is a body, and it’s headless, and you should maybe think about looking into it.’

Headless! trilled Eetapi with glee.

She is right, Master, said Ootapi, wafting into the parlour by way of the wall. I have observed it myself.

No doubt you took the greatest pleasure in it, Konrad said sourly.

Ootapi said nothing, only radiated blissful satisfaction.

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