"Hello, Sarevok," said Anomen. A splash of wine slopped from his glass and onto the dusty floorboards. In the wavering candlelight, the wet stain bore a close resemblance to blood.

"Hello, Anomen. Waiting for me?"

"Of course," he slurred. I could tell he'd been waiting for a while. "Sit down, have some wine." He fell back onto his barstool and shoved a filthy pitcher along the bar.

I may be a lot of things, but I'm not stupid. Drinking a guy's wine had already knocked me out once this week. I wasn't about to let it happen again. I sat and motioned to Snick. Since we were such pals, he didn't have to think twice to know what I wanted.

He leaned close as he handed me a glass of my usual. "Need a hand, Mister A?" he muttered.

To be honest, I wasn't sure what kind of a hand Snick could give. From the stench of his breath, I guessed he'd been sampling his wares for the better part of the evening. I glanced at Anomen, already nose-deep in his wineglass. I could hold my own, even if the knight wasn't as drunk as he looked.

"Mister A?"

"Don't worry about me, Snick. But stick around, just in case."

"You got it." Snick slouched off, just far enough to look like he was out of earshot. I heard the telltale scrape of a crossbow underneath the bar.

A girl in tattered finery took her place in the corner. She began to sing, her long fingers plucking at a lap harp. Her sad croon wove in and out of the clink of glasses like one of those satin ribbons Sis liked to wear.

"All right, I'm here," I said. "What do you want?"

"Have you ever been in love, Sarevok?"

For a moment, the world stood still and I saw Tamoko's stricken eyes, just before she turned her back and walked out of my life forever. I drowned the memory in a hard slug of booze. "A doll in Baldur's Gate once got a fur coat out of me. I guess you could call that love."

"Aye, love... the poets sing of its bliss, its pure, cleansing fire, its sanctity." A violent flush stained his cheeks and he shoved his glass away. "Lies, all lies! She took everything, my soul, my honor, my life... Helm help me, I would give it all again even now, knowing her for what she is."

I didn't have to ask who he was talking about. The sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach told me that I already had a pretty good idea.

"By Helm, when I heard what had happened... I was sorry, of course, that Kelsey had to die, but a dark portion of my soul rejoiced at the news that Miri was finally free to love as she would." He slammed his fist down on the bar and made our glasses and the wine jug hop. "I should have known better! I never should have come back after what she did to Saerk and his daughter!"

"You mean Sis—"

"Aye. No one else knows... no one even thought of it. But I knew. I saw Surayah's scarf in her pack. I saw the blood on her dagger. I almost went to the Magistrate... what would the Order have said if they knew what kind of company I kept... but I could not. I would have done anything for her... anything..."

His dark eyes pleaded with me for something, understanding, validation, hell, I didn't know. I said the only thing I could think of. "She's a persuasive dame, I'll give you that."

Anomen buried his face in his hands. "And now Yusef is dead. Helm forgive me, I cannot say that I am sorry. He was a dishonest man, a shabby trader, a blackmailer... but he did not deserve to die. And neither you nor Lady Imoen deserved what happened."

He picked up his glass again and drained it in a single gulp. I refilled it, but he didn't seem to notice or care.

"You would not think a woman like her could do it," he murmured. "My heroine, my Miri..."

I almost felt sorry for the guy. His only real fault lay in letting a beautiful dame use him as her patsy, which could happen to anyone dumb enough to let his pants do the thinking. Being the kind of guy I was, I sure couldn't point any fingers.

"Anomen. Did you kill Farrahd?"

"Leave me be. I have lost everything this day, now that my Order has cast me out like the dog I am. I cannot bear anything else."

"'Cause if you didn't," I continued, talking over him, "it would be wise to say who did. Otherwise, the guards might get the wrong idea when I bring you in."

His broad shoulders sagged. "Aye, I had expected you would call the guards on me. It is almost a relief that this is finally over."

Anomen brought his glass to his lips, his throat working as he swallowed. He set it down again and wiped his mouth.

"Better?" I asked.

His bearded jaw dropped, and his skin went fishbelly white. "Lord?" he gasped, staring at something over my shoulder.

There was a thud as he fell forward onto his face, and then, silence.