The Lost Hunters

Once, not that long before, Tolsay Mnemon had controlled an impressive criminal network. He had given it up, to an extent, but he had kept the lines of communication open. The old man, who had been young when Tolsay had first met him long before, was one of those lines. Pallot was short and ugly, with bad teeth. He laughed too quickly, a braying noise, and it was apparent that his mind was going.

Tolsay did not mind, in the half-remembered ramblings of past and present mixed together Pallot usually got his point across.

Cloud Hands did not like him, which was an unexpected bonus.

In the time since he had joined up with the Abbess, the woman's holier than thou attitude had grated on him. She was, of course, holier than he, or at least more orthodox, but it was the manner in which she made that point that bothered Tolsay.

The tight quarters of the Heart Spear did not help much, so he was glad to be out of the ship.

Pallot shuffled across the dirty floor of the room, stepped up on a rickety ladder, and opened up a window. "Pigeons come soon, maybe," he said.

"Pigeons?" Cloud Hands asked. She was standing near the door and had not come any farther into the room.

Tolsay knelt down and picked up a half-empty bottle of wine then took a drink from it. He pursed his lips at the bitter, sour alcohol, then took another drink. "Pigeons," he said, putting the bottle down. "Messages tied to their legs."

That got Cloud Hands attention, and she took a step into the room, kicking a few empty bottles, sending them skittering across the floor with a chime of glass. "Where are the messages? Surely they will be of more use than this man's ramblings."

Tolsay walked over to a small, pot-bellied, iron stove and opened the door. He reached in, bringing out a handful of burnt, blackened paper. "Got ta destroy the messages right? Information is valuable, ya?"

Cloud Hand eyes opened wide, had she still had hair it was likely her eyebrows would have disappeared under her bangs. "So, it is all in that man's head."

"Don't much like the way ya say 'that man'. Pallot's a good friend."

"I'm not surprised."

Tolsay shook his head and walked over to Pallot, putting a hand on the man's shoulder. "Lookin' for a man, ya. Say he's pretty as any woman."

"Remember that stripper in Great Forks, the one with a dick and a slit?" Pallot asked, and then giggled. "Could both give and take with that one."

"I remember. Seem you liked it with her a lot, ya. But this one's not like that. Pretty gambler man."

"Her name was Fion, his name was Fion." Pallot's giggling grew louder.

"Ya Fion, liked you Fion did."

"The Mask of Winters bothering the Horse Lords. Got troops massing. Bad for business. No business in Thorns," Pallot said, growing serious. "Got to find out what's happening in Thorns."

Tolsay nodded. "Ya, that be good, might be opportunities there. Bit o smugglin' ya."

"Smuggling?" Cloud Hands asked, incredulous.

"Man's got to make some money, ya?"

"This is a waste of time."

"Just got to be patient." He looked at Pallot again. "Remember that card game you got in trouble with?"

Pallot nodded rapidly, a smile spreading wide across his face. "Bastard gambler, cheater!" he yelled happily and slammed his hand against the window sill. "Cheater!"

"Ya, almost got you as a slave."

"Cheater!"

"Ya. Pulled your sorry ass out of there."

"Fion has a sweet ass," Pallot said.

"Figurin' not anymore. Probably long dead of the pox."

"This is pointless," Cloud Hands snapped. "This man is useless."

"More useful than your once pretty boy Cathak with his missing arm and that mopey Memnon pet ya got sniffin' after ya."

"Do not speak of them such!" Cloud Hand Snapped and at the same time Pallot said, "I knew a pretty Cathak girl who let me watch her fuck once."

Cloud hands stared angrily at Pallot and then told Tolsay, "They are victims of the Anathema, and you will honour that."

Tolsay laughed, which set Pallot giggling and muttering. "Lots of victims of Anathema. They either die, or they get over it. Think those two should be pickin' one and doin' it, ya."

"You are heartless," Cloud Hands said.

"And if ya want to wipe noses and asses then spread your legs and let someone put babies in ya and let those two alone," Tolsay told her, finding he was quite enjoying himself.

"How dare you."

"Someone had to say it. Your two pets gettin' us any information on the girl or the gambler? Figure Anzar probably more use than those two, that's sayin' a lot."

Cloud Hands stepped forward, in her anger her anima was sparking around her. "And this shell of a man is helping!?"

Tolsay figured in the next few seconds he and Cloud Hands were either going to be beating the hell out of each other or tearing each other's clothes off and fornicating on the dirty floor with Pallot watching and no doubt giggling. At that moment he did not care which.

Then Pallot said, "Had to hire a nanny for the little girl, to wipe noses and asses."

"What?" Cloud Hands asked her attention suddenly on the old man.

"Nanny ya," Tolsay said, "I remember you knew a fat old nanny in Marita."

"Slapped her ass and breasts to watch them shake," Pallot said giggling, then, "Nanny in Nexus and three ships, that's what the gambler got in Nexus."

"Where did they go?" Cloud Hands demanded, stomping forward, sending empty bottles flying across the floor.

Pallot sighed. "Such fat, warm skin. Pillowed my head on her breasts."

Tolsay put out his arm to bar Cloud Hands' way and shook his head. He shifted his attention back to Pallot. "Got a story 'bout the ships?"

Pallot sat down on his bed and searched through the bedding. "You had that flying ship, always thought that was pretty."

"Maybe I'll fly it to Nexus," Tolsay said, searching for a way to get Pallot back on the track that he and Cloud Hands were interested in.

"Lots of mercenaries in Nexus, being hired. Knew some pretty mercs in my day." Pallot found a bottle of wine in his bedding and drew it to his chest. "Pretty, pretty mercs." He pulled the cork from the bottle and poured the contents into his mouth.

Tolsay frowned as the old man drank deeply. "Do you know where the gambler went?" he asked, going for the straight question.

Pallot lowered the bottle, stared directly at Tolsay and said, "Only so many ways they could have gone." He then lifted the bottle and resumed drinking.

"Ya," Tolsay said, and nodded, "only so many ways ta go from Nexus. Take care Pallot." He turned from the old man.

"Wait, he hasn't told us everything he knows," Cloud Hands said.

"Probably has. Least we know to look in Nexus. Better than we did, ya?"

Cloud Hands looked back at Pallot who had finished the bottle of wine and was searching his bedding, likely for another. She shook her head and walked from the room.

Tolsay remained for a moment, then followed her out, closing the door and leaving the old man to his wine.

As they walked down the stairs of the large house, towards the ground floor, Cloud Hands said, "I'll go and let the others know we are heading to Nexus." Her tone was brisk.

"Ya, I'll see you at the ship."

She looked back at him as if she were about to say something, but she only nodded.

Tolsay watched Cloud Hands leave the house. Once she was gone, he continued towards the kitchen.

Within he found the lady of the house, a woman named Biipa Niss; tall, with dark hair and dark skin. Pretty enough, rounded limbs and a bit of a belly, probably from the kids she had had.

Tolsay had never met her before that day, but he had been sending her family money for almost thirty years.

There was a cook and a maid in the kitchen as well, working at preparing the evening meal.

"Mr Tolsay," Biipa said, "please, let me say again how glad I am to see you." She bowed. The maid and the cook bowed as well, much lower than their mistress.

"Ya, sure you are. You two, get out," he said to the maid and cook.

The two servants quickly left.

Biipa remained, looking nervous, but also expectant. Tolsay walked up to her, stopped only a step away from her. He looked down at her, then reached under his coat and removed a heavy bag that chimed with the sound of metal.

Biipa looked expectant.

He held out the bag.

She reached up to take it.

He smiled at her.

She smiled back as she took the bag firmly in her hands.

Tolsay backhanded her hard enough to knock her to the ground.

Biipa cried out in surprise and pain.

He dropped down into a crouch and grasped the fallen woman around the throat, the bag hitting the floor and the silver spilling out.

"Pallot's room is filthy, the wine you buy him is piss, he looks like he hasn't eaten a good meal in months."

"I, I do my best..." Biipa sputtered.

"Shut up and listen." Tolsay gave the woman's neck a squeeze to reinforce his words. "You thinking been a long time since I was last here, ya? Thinkin' may be time to get rid of the old man? Maybe thinkin' next time I inquire you tell me old man just died? Thinkin' just to keep the money?"

She shook her head.

"Liar," he said, and banged her head against the floor. "Your mother, she was a sharp one. Got this big house and good life, just for keeping Pallot comfortable so he could work." He grasped her by her shoulders and lifted her up onto her knees. "You're goin' to be smart from now on. Clean that room every day, good wine, fresh linen, and make sure he eats."

She nodded. "I will. I promise." She was shaking in his grasp, terrified.

"Good," Tolsay said, and reached into his pocket and removed a small piece of smooth jade. He held it up in front of her, watch her eyes light up. He smiled and said, "Open your mouth."

Biipa looked confused.

He grabbed her chin in his free hand, squeezed, and said, "Open your mouth bitch."

She did so.

He put the jade on her tongue and then pushed her mouth closed. "Now swallow it."

She shook her head as much as she was able with him holding her chin.

"You can swallow it with or without swallowing your teeth," he told her, his voice level. "Your choice."

Fear in her eyes, she worked her throat, trembling, as she swallowed the jade.

Tolsay pushed her away as he straightened up to stand above her. "Jade's not sharp, probably pass through easy, ya. When your combin' through your shit, lookin' for it, you remember that ya. You cross me you, your children, their children for three generations be looking through people's leavings to make their way. Understand, ya?"

Fearfully she nodded.

"Keep that old man happy, when he dies naturally you be sure to send him to Sijan." He turned and walked away. "Just do that," he said without looking back, "and you'll do alright."

He left the large, well-appointed house that he had, in effect, bought for Biipa's family. Turning to look at it, thinking of the small, dirty room that Pallot occupied, he suddenly felt like going in and laying a severe beating on Biipa, none of that gentle stuff he had engaged just in.

He took a deep breath and turned away. No time to do it all correctly, best leave it undone.

Leaving the grounds, he stepped through the gate onto one of four main streets of Fudai-just another city in the Scavenger Lands, about halfway between Great Forks and Melevhil. A good place for pigeons to come. A good place for an old man to retire.

An old mortal at least, Tolsay thought.

He set off down the street, whistling through his teeth as he navigated the late afternoon crowds.