Hertail flexed upward.
Isaactook his uncle’s letter from his sleeve.“You should’ve held on to this.I toldyou it would grant me safe passage.”
Shebreathed out, swirling the dust.“Isaac, you best believe—”
“No,Zaria, listen to me—”
“Get meoutta here, you sodding ape!”
He tooka slow breath.“I’m sorry.For what it’s worth, I only did this because I knewthe fall wouldn’t kill you.”
“No!”she shouted back.“It didn’t kill me!And you’ll be right sorry for it if youdon’t free methis instant!”
“I’dadvise you not to threaten me.”
Shestood straight, fists clenched, breathing slow and hard.
“Look,”he said, shrugging his pack off, “I’m going to give you this.”He dug around inhis phylactery pouch, pulling out a glass vial full of green liquid.He let thevial fall, and she caught it in her hand, twisting the capsule as she peeredinside.
“What’sthis?”she called back.“Some poison to end my life, so I don’t die of thirst?You call that mercy?”
“It’scorrosive acid.You’re in a grave robber’s cell.It’s held with metal bars.Youcan figure out the rest.”
Sheglanced over to the cell bars.A flow of rock was bulging the door inwards, therusted metal barely holding to its foundation.
“Ofcourse,” Isaac said, “it seems there was a cave-in.The tunnels are likelygone.It’ll take you a while to dig your way to the exit.But, of course,you’re a hardy pirate with more kills than bathing sessions.I’m sure you canhandle it.”
Sheclenched the vial in her fist.“So help you and your furless neck, once I’mclear from this—”
“You’renot going to follow me,” Isaac said.“I’m going to enter the tomb now, and theshibboleth will end your life if you try.”
Thedust had mostly settled again, and Isaac could finally make out her eyes.Shewas glaring up at him, her hackles raisedand her lip curled to a snarl, revealing a pair of wicked yellow fangs.He wasvery glad there was a twenty-foot drop between them.
“By theway,” he said.“Do you still have my map?”
“That Ido,” she replied.“Want to come down for it?”
“No,actually.I want you to keep it.In fact, check the markings for me.”
Shecontinued to watch him.
“Go on.I can wait.”
Withreluctance, she slung her pack from her shoulder, nudged her poleaxe along thefloor, and took the rolled map from a side pocket.
“Checkthe south-eastern edge of the Charnel Waste,” Isaac said.“I’ve marked a staron a little fishing hamlet, close to the flood plains.You see it?”
“Aye.There’s a—” She squinted at it.“What’s these letters say?”
“It’sthe name of the Diet contact we have in the region.He goes by the alias ofSparrow.The rest of that writing is the code phrase he’ll expect you torecite.‘The snake flies alone.’Can you remember that?”
“Oh,aye,” Zaria said, “the snake flies alone, just like you and your cock, nevertasting a woman’s clunge.”
“There’sno need to be rude.”
“Fuckyourself, squire.This is the dumbest cloak-and-dagger shite I’ve heard in mylife.Vekra’s tits, you’d be laughed outta every port in the Nine, if you triedspoutin’ this nonsense.”
“Theimportant thing,” Isaac said, “is that Sparrow operates a safehouse for magesworking on Diet business.He owns the tavern in the middle of town, thirdbuilding to the right of the well.He knows how to ward off assassins.He isfree of foreign scrutiny.Go to him and say that phrase.He’ll look at youfunny, but he won’t ask questions.You’ll be safe.”
