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.Before Pinch could rise or say "Enter," the door swung open and Throdus sauntered into the salon as if the whole world were his privilege.The dark prince radiated a jaunty cheer.Without so much as a comment, he plopped into the chair opposite Pinch.The rogue glanced up and then buried himself in slurping spoonfuls of porridge as if Throdus weren't there.Throdus watched this until a wry smile curled his lips."Good cousin, I regret my brothers' behavior last night.It was a crude display." The prince stopped to examine some speck on the back of his hand."No doubt you would have done better," Pinch suggested between swallows, never once looking up."Of course.Marac did that just for our benefit.""I know."Throdus looked up from his digitary studies."One might question his motive.""Not me.He's just become more like his brother.""Vargo? Those two were always close.""Afraid they're plotting against you?""They're always plotting against me.And I plot against them.Remember, Janol, it's a game we've played since childhood.""I haven't forgotten."The prince went back to looking at his hands."I do find it interesting that you've chosen to come back now."Ah, so that's where my lord is casting his net.Let's play the game and string him along, Pinch decided."My other choices were less pleasant.""Ah, the wastrel's life-your exploits are known here."Pinch was surprised and not surprised.His adopted cousins certainly had the resources to learn about his past, but it surprised him that they bothered.He would have thought their own intrigues kept them busy enough."Father always had a curiosity about your fate." The prince brushed back his black hair and watched his adversary's reaction."Since he was curious, we had to be curious.""Always afraid that someone else was working the cheat.""Information is power." The words were sharp."So you know my life.What will you do, give me up to the constables?""I just want to know why you're here."Now it was Pinch's turn to be amused."Just that? Why I've come to pay my respects, my dear guardian dead and all.After that I'll make myself master of the trugging houses in the city.Maybe I'll even do a little brokering, not that you'd have anyone else's goods to sell.""Cheap lies only irritate me.You hated Manferic more than all the rest of us.""I had my cause.Try growing up like the household dog.""He was hard on us all, but we didn't run away.""You? You were all too afraid-afraid of him, afraid you'd lose your chance when he died."Suddenly the shadows fell across the prince's sunny facade."I, at least, have the right to be king.You, however, have no such claims.You're just an orphaned waif raised above his level by my father for the gods know what purpose, and then you come back here thinking you can be like one of the blood.The only reason for you to come back here is to beg for scraps.Is that it?" The prince ended the question with a sneer.Pinch didn't answer, glowering at Throdus while he continued his breakfast."I didn't think so," the prince said, dismissing the possibility with a wave of his hand."The real question is, who are you working for? Marac? That would make sense for his little show.Publicly disavow you, privately deal."Pinch stopped in midladle and blew on his porridge."I told him it was too obvious.""Now you're too obvious.So it wasn't Marac.Someone brought you here for a job and I want to know."This was getting tedious, and Throdus's temper was getting up."As you well knew before coming here, it wasn't Marac who took me abroad."Throdus laughed."You're suggesting Cleedis? He's a trained monkey.He just wears the hat of regent and dances when somebody else plays the music.You've seen it; he can't even keep Vargo from unseating Bors at the head of the table."Pinch remembered the arrangement, unremarkable at the time, but now of greater importance: Bors drooling at the end of the family row while Vargo sat in the first son's seat at the regent's left hand.It had never been that way at Manferic's table.The old man had kept his gods-cursed firstborn in the place of honor even after his deficiencies were clear to all."Why should I tell you anything? I'm no intelligencer for the constabulary."Abruptly the prince was no longer humorous, the indulgent mask peeling from his flesh to reveal the corded muscles of a snarl as he sprang to his feet."Because you're nothing but a rakehelled orphan who lives by our indulgence! Because I want to know who you're working for and you'll tell me.""A pox on that!" Pinch swore, shoving the bowl away."I'll not be your intelligencer, not when you come here threatening like some piss-prophet.""Then I'll have your heart and roast it for the dogs!"Throdus's hand went to the jeweled dagger at his side.It wasn't hanging there just for show.The blade was brilliantly polished and glittered in the morning light.The rogue grinned as he kicked the chair back and sprang to his feet.He drew his slim-bladed skene, with its leather-wrapped handle and well-oiled blade, and let the point trace imaginary circles in the air before the prince's chest."And I say you're a pizzle-headed ass for thinking you can best me with your little cutter.What do you know about knife fights? Have you every jumped a man in a dark lane and pulled your blade across his weasand-pipe? Fought with a blade in one hand and a bottle in the other?" Pinch started a slow pace around the table, one that forced Throdus back from the center of the room."One time a captain of the guard wanted to dock me.He was a fine gentleman and thought I was too.Thought I'd fight fair.I burned his hair off before I left him hamstrung
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