Sveta Zenvanose had been a charming girl of seventeen when Tal had last seen her. The passing two years had done nothing but turn a pretty lass into a burgeoning beauty. She had lily-white skin with a hint of rose on her high cheekbones and eyes the color of cornflowers, all topped off with hair so black it shone with blue-and-violet highlights when the struck by the sun. Her previously slender figure had also ripened, Tal noted as he quickly returned her smile.
“My lady,” he said with a slight bow. She began to flush, as she always had when confronted by the notorious Tal Hawkins. Tal kept the flirtation to a minimum, just enough to amuse the girl, but not enough to pose any serious issues between him and the girl’s father. While the father posed no threat to him directly, he had money, and money could buy a lot of threats. The father appeared a moment later, and as always Tal wondered how he could have sired girl as pretty as Sveta. Kostas was gaunt to the point of looking unhealthy, which Tal knew was misleading, for he was lively and moved quickly. He also had a keen eye and a canny knack for business.
He moved swiftly between his daughter and his tenant, and smiled. “Greetings, Squire. Your rooms have been readied, as you requested, and I believe everything is in order.”
“Thank you.” Tal smiled. “Has my man put in an appearance?”
“I believe he has; otherwise, you have an intruder above who has been banging around all day yesterday and this morning. I assume it’s Pasko moving the furniture to dust and clean, and not a thief.”
Tal nodded. “Am I current with our accounts?”
As if by magic, the moneylender produced an account ledger and consulted it, with one bony finger running down the page. With a nod and an “ah” he said, “You are most certainly current. Your rent is paid for another three months.”
Tal had left the island nation almost two years previously, and had deposited a sum of gold with the moneylender to keep the apartment against his return. He had judged that if he didn’t return within two years, he’d be dead, and Kostas would be free to rent out the rooms to someone else.
“Good,” said Tal. “Then I will leave you to your business and retire. I expect to be here for a while, so at the end of the three months, remind me, and I’ll advance more funds against the rents.”
“Very well, Squire.”
Sveta batted her lashes. “Good to see you home, Squire.”
Tal returned the obvious flirtation with a slight bow and smile, and fought down a sudden urge to laugh. The rooms above were no more his home than was the palace of the King. He had no home, at least he hadn’t since the Duke of Olasko had sent mercenaries to destroy the land of the Orosini. As far as Tal could judge, he was the sole surviving member of his people.
Tal left the office. One quick glance around the street told him that the man who had followed him from the ship was out of sight, so he mounted the stairs next to the door, climbing quickly to the entrance to his rooms. He tested the door and found it unlocked. Stepping in, he was confronted by a dour-looking man with a droopy mustache and large brown eyes.
“Master! There you are!” Pasko said. “Weren’t you in on the morning tide?”
“Indeed,” replied Tal, handing his jacket and travel bag to his manservant. “But as such things are wont to be, the order of landing was dictated by factors of which I am ignorant.”
“In other words, the ship’s owner didn’t bribe the harbormaster enough to get you in early.”
“Most likely.” Tal sat down on a divan. “So expect the luggage to arrive later today.”
Pasko nodded. “The rooms are safe, master.” Even in private, Pasko observed the formalities of their relationship: he the servant, Tal the master, despite the fact that he had been one of Tal’s instructors over the years.
“Good.” Tal knew that meant Pasko had employed various wards against scrying magic, just he would have inspected the premises against more mundane observation. The chances of their enemies knowing that Tal was an agent of the Conclave of Shadows were small, but not out of the question. And they had sufficient resources to match the Conclave in dealing with opponents.