A Thief in the Night by David Chandler Read Free Book Online Page B

disappeared. Cythera glanced down at Malden, threw up her hands in resignation and followed.
    Malden found the two of them sitting at table, picking apart a cheese between them. “But,” he said, “it was—it looked like it was to be a fight to the death. Clearly they were going to kill each other.”
    â€œYet for some reason they’ve decided not to,” Cythera pointed out.
    â€œYou saw the big man, though. He’s a beast! The bloodlust had him. What kind of man can just go from wanting to kill an enemy to embracing him like that?” Cythera shot him a knowing look, and it was Malden’s turn to shrug. “Other than Croy, I mean. I admit that’s exactly the kind of thing Croy would do.”
    Cythera and Coruth nodded in unison.
    Croy had a sense of honor that other people often found confusing. Malden thought of it as sheer stupidity, but sometimes he was glad enough for it. One of the knight’s tenets was that he tried never to let anger overcome him when he was fighting, so that he never struck anyone down for ignoble reasons. More than once Malden had benefited personally from that compunction. “I still don’t see it, though. The barbarian just left six men in a moaning heap. He maimed some of them for life. Now Croy’s acting like this fellow’s as blameless as an honest priest.”
    â€œDon’t try to figure out Croy’s reasons,” Coruth said. “You’ll tie your own brains in knots.”
    â€œI usually just wait for him to explain himself later,” Cythera pointed out. “He’s never shy about telling me how things ought to be. Or how he thinks they should be, at any rate.”
    Malden pursed his lips. “I noticed that earlier. When he was talking about how he would lock you away in his castle so you could have his babies. He made it sound quite . . . safe.”
    â€œThere are worse things in this world than being secure.”
    Malden stopped himself from speaking. He wasn’t sure how much he could say in Coruth’s presence. Yet he longed to be alone with Cythera so he could discuss things with her. There had been a time when she seemed to care for him. More than that, perhaps. She had seemed to love him. After her father died, and she was free to renew her pledge to marry Croy, that all seemed to just melt away.
    For her, anyway. Malden’s feelings for Cythera were just as strong as ever.
    When Croy invited him here today, to witness the banns, he had accepted in a state of pure denial. He couldn’t believe Cythera would actually sign the document and go through with the marriage. She seemed so nervous—almost as nervous as Croy. Malden had been certain she would say no at the last moment. Reject Croy, refuse to marry the knight, because she still loved him.
    But then the barbarian had shown up and thrown everything into disarray. And now Malden had no idea what to think.
    â€œCythera,” he said. “You and I should have a talk at some point, about—”
    â€œMalden,” Cythera said, cutting him off before he could finish his thought, “the watch will be here at any moment. They’ll have a lot of questions, and they may try to take this stranger away. In the meantime, we have a moment’s peace. It’s even quiet for—”
    They all flinched then as the booming, demonic laughter came once more from below. Malden tensed and reached for the bodkin at his belt, but when there was no sound of ringing swords or screams of agony, he dropped into a chair and shook his head.
    â€œâ€”mostly quiet, for now,” Cythera amended. “We’ll all have to leave very shortly, so perhaps we should make use of this groaning board before we have to flee.”
    Malden could see the wisdom in that. He nodded, but said, “Later, then. But we will speak, won’t we?”
    â€œAs you wish!” Cythera said, seeming more than a little