her to become so upset that she'd drop him altogether. If nothing else, he needed her for the Game. He decided to engage her scholarly leanings and change the subject at the same time. 'I found something about Gerard today,' he offered.
He guessed right; she couldn't resist an opening like that. 'Really?' she asked, looking over at him.
'I visited the library of the Wizard's Guild and studied old membership rolls,' he said. 'You would have been proud of me, my dear, hours with my nose in a musty old book, trying to ferret out a clue!'
'Perhaps you might be salvageable after all,' she said. 'Go on.'
'I discovered that the Guild assigned one Durezil to catalog and close up Gerard's rooms when Gerard did not return from his last adventure.'
'Durezil? The fellow who was eaten by trolls?'
Jack nodded in appreciation. 'Why, yes, in fact, the very wizard. I'm surprised that you would remember such a thing.'
'Oh, the great majority of the adventurers I studied died in very mysterious circumstances. Durezil stands out because his companions not only returned to Raven's Bluff, but they actually recorded the circumstances of his end.'
'What of the Sarkonagael or any mysterious books in Durezil's possession?'
Illyth frowned, thinking. 'I seem to recall that Durezil's companions sold off most of his belongings and split the proceeds,' she said. 'I'd have to consult my notes to be certain, but I seem to recall that a wizard calling himself Iphegor the Black might have bought many of Durezil's old books.'
Jack grinned. 'I know where Iphegor the Black lives,' he said. 'My thanks, Illyth! I am in your debt.'
'I thought you wanted to know about Gerard for some kind of play production, Jack. Is it this book that you're really interested in?'
'Oh, from what I've heard of Gerard, it was important to him ' Jack said quickly, 'and I'm thinking of increasing the role of Gerard in my play. Or maybe I'll cast the book as the villain and say that it uses its owners to do terrible things. Now what do we know about the Game riddle? Let us pass the rest of the ride by assembling our clues and analyzing them.'
The coach rumbled on through the city streets.
The next day passed by Jack in a skull-splitting haze. He tried several times to climb out of his bed but failed on each attempt and finally resolved simply to spend the entire day in bed. He also found himself wishing Lord Panther significant and hopefully long-lasting dysfunctions from the one solid blow Jack had managed during their duel. By early evening he rallied enough to drag himself out for a hot skewer of grilled beef and onions at Nimber's Skewer Shop, little more than a windowed kitchen on a busy corner of the Skymbles. Eating something served to steady him greatly, and Jack thought about his next moves as he sat under a wooden overhang near the skewer- shop and watched people plod through the mud and the rain. Elana, Zandria, Illyth… he certainly did not lack things to do!
Jack spent the rest of the evening and most of the day after making inquiries in various quarters regarding Iphegor the Black. He also wandered past the mage's tower and studied it carefully, thinking about what he would have to do to break in. He considered briefly the notion of knocking on the door and simply asking Iphegor how much he wanted for the book-there might be a tidy profit to be made by acting as a broker in this instance. But three factors dissuaded him from that course of action: first, Elana seemed to be cautious with her purse and probably couldn't afford to buy the book outright; second, Iphegor's ill temper was legendary; and finally, Jack didn't want to put the wizard on his guard by asking openly about the book. If the wizard refused to sell it, of course he would take steps to make sure that the prospective buyer wouldn't resort to thievery.
By the end of the day, Jack had a good idea of what he would have to do to get his hands on the Sarkonagael.
He deliberately ignored his trepidation about the enterprise, assuming an attitude of supreme confidence. If he believed it possible, then it was surely possible, and nothing could prevent the success of any enterprise he cared to undertake. He headed toward the Cracked Tankard to celebrate his resolve and contemplate his coming reward.
Briesa was not there (he recalled that the fifth day of the week was her night off), so Jack simply stood at the bar and ordered a hunk of roast beef and a plate of boiled potatoes to go with his dark ale. He was just about to dig in when a cloaked and hooded figure moved up beside him and clamped a strong hand on his arm.
'Hello, Jack. Why don't we find a quiet table where we can talk?'
'Elana!' Jack exclaimed around a mouthful of potatoes. 'What a pleasant surprise!'
He seized his plate and his mug and hurried after the swordswoman, who was already threading her way toward a quiet alcove in the back of the room. It wasn't Jack's usual spot, but it was perhaps even harder to spy on if not quite as close to the room's exits.
As he sat down, Elana drew the privacy curtain shut and lowered the cowl of her hood. Her strong beauty was undiminished-the dark eyes and raven hair, the soft lips, the lean grace. Jack decided that he'd have that book even if he had to fight his way through a horde of guardian demons to get his hands on it. Elana simply watched him for a moment and then smiled sardonically, as if she could guess at what he was thinking and was simply amused by it.
'Well, Jack Ravenwild, have you found me my book yet?'
'Possibly,' he said. 'I have a very good lead, dear Elana, although I confess I am exceedingly curious to discover why you want it.'
'It's good to want things that you can't have,' she replied. 'It keeps your ambition sharp. I see no need to take you into my confidence, Jack, not any deeper than you already are.'
'Be that as it may, I still don't know exactly what the Sarkonagael is-'
'But you know where it is?' she asked, interrupting him.
'I'll know for certain tomorrow,' Jack said. 'If all goes well, I'll have the book in hand by tomorrow evening.'
'What do you mean, if all goes well?'
'The book is the property of a person who is likely to object to its removal from his collection.'
'Who? Who has it?' Elana leaned forward, her eyes burning with intense interest.
'Why, I can't tell you that,' Jack said with a laugh. 'I told you on the occasion of our first meeting-I work for half in advance, half upon completion of the work. As of this very moment, you have paid me one hundred gold crowns out of a promised five hundred, plus a very generous bonus arrangement should I recover the book for you. But if I let you know exactly where the book is, why, you might forget the balance of our contract-and the attendant bonus-in your enthusiasm to claim your property, and then where would I be?'
'I don't go back on my word once I give it,' Elana said in a hard voice.
'I never said that you would, dear Elana. I merely observe that some of my employers have had difficulty in recalling the exact terms of a bargain once I delivered what they wanted.'
Elana studied him for a long moment. 'You don't want me to beat you to the book. Very well, I can appreciate that, but I'm going to insist that you tell me something of its whereabouts, so that if something happens to you I won't have spent my money in vain.'
'Understandable,' Jack conceded. 'In that case, I would ask for an additional one hundred and fifty crowns up front to make up the balance of my advance.'
The swordswoman's eyes flashed in anger. 'Are you attempting to change the terms of our agreement?'
'I never agreed to disclose all information as I discovered it,' Jack replied. 'You are requesting me to do so now, so I am merely attempting to set a fair value on it. After all, the last thing you said to me on the subject was that you'd pay me the balance when I bring you the book or when I present evidence that convinces you that it cannot be found in Raven's Bluff. I can't show you any evidence of that sort, so I'd better produce the book.'
'You agreed, at least tacitly, to a reduced advance in exchange for the bonus on delivery,' Elana pointed out.
'True,' Jack agreed. He offered a fierce grin. 'A partial or complete payment of the bonus would certainly
