edge of the Spine of the World, rushing fast along a better road, before the behemoth ever returned to this spot.
Indeed Junger was running fast in the direction of his relatively lavish mountain home, and it struck the giant as curious, for just a moment, that he had ever left the place. In his younger days, Junger had been a wanderer, living meal to meal on whatever prey he could find. He snickered now when he considered all that he had told the foolish little
halfling, for Junger had indeed once feasted on the meat of humans, and even on a halfling once. The truth was, he shunned such meals now as much because he didn't like the taste as because he thought it better not to make such powerful enemies as humans. Wizards in particular scared him. Of course, to find human or halfling meat, Junger had to leave his mountain home, and that he never liked to do.
He wouldn't have come out at all this time had not a call on the wind, something he still did not quite understand, compelled him.
Yes, Junger had all he wanted at his home: plenty of food, obedient servants, and comfortable furs. He had no desire to ever leave the place.
But he had, and he understood that he would again, and though that seemed an incongruous thought to the not-stupid giant, it was one that he simply couldn't pause to consider. Not now, not with the constant buzzing in his ear.
He would get the yetis, he knew, and then return, following the instructions of the call on the wind.
The call of Crenshinibon.
Chapter 5 STIRRING THE STREETS
LaValle walked to his private suite in the guild house late that morning after meeting with Quentin Bodeau and Chalsee Anguaine. Dog Perry was supposed to attend, and he was the one LaValle truly wanted to see, but Dog had sent word that he would not be coming, that he was out on the streets learning more about the dangerous Entreri.
In truth, the meeting proved nothing more than a gathering to calm the nerves of Quentin Bodeau. The guildmaster wanted reassurances that Entreri wouldn't merely show up and murder him. Chalsee Anguaine, in the manner of a cocky young man, promised to defend Quentin with his life. This LaValle knew to be an obvious lie. LaValle argued that Entreri wouldn't work that way, that he would not come in and kill Quentin without first learning all of Quentin's ties and associates and how powerfully the man held the guild.
'Entreri is never reckless,' LaValle had explained. 'And the scenario you fear would indeed be reckless.'
By the time LaValle had turned to leave, Bodeau felt better and expressed his sentiment that he would feel better still if Dog Perry, or someone else, merely killed the dangerous man. It would never be that easy, LaValle knew, but he had kept the thought silent.
As soon as he entered his rooms, a suite of four with a large greeting room, a private study to the right, bedroom directly behind, and an alchemy lab and library to the left, the wizard felt as if something was amiss. He suspected Dog Perry to be the source of the trouble-the man did not trust him and had even privately, though surely subtly, accused him of the intent to side with Entreri should it come to blows.
Had the man come in here when he knew LaValle to be at the meeting with Quentin? Was he still here, hiding, crouched with weapon in hand?
The wizard looked back at the door and saw no signs that
the lock-and the door was always locked-had been tripped, or that his traps had been defeated. There was one other way into the place, an outside window, but LaValle had placed so many glyphs and wards upon it, scattering them in several different places, that anyone crawling through would have been shocked with lightning, burned three different times, and frozen solid on the sill. Even if an intruder managed to survive the magical barrage, the explosions would have been heard throughout this entire level of the guild house, bringing soldiers by the score.
Reassured by simple logic and by a defensive spell he placed upon his body to make his skin resistant to any blows, LaValle started for his private study.
The door opened before he reached it, Artemis Entreri standing calmly within.
LaValle did well to stay on his feet, for his knees nearly buckled with weakness.
'You knew that I had returned,' Entreri said easily, stepping forward and leaning against the jamb. 'Did you not expect that I would pay a visit to an old friend?'
The wizard composed himself and shook his head, looking back at the door. 'Door or window?' he asked.
'Door, of course,' Entreri replied. 'I know how well you protect your windows.'
'The door, as well,' LaValle said dryly, for obviously he hadn't protected it well enough.
Entreri shrugged. 'You still use that lock and trap combination you had upon your previous quarters,' he explained, holding up a key. 'I suspected as much, since I heard that you were overjoyed when you discovered that the items had survived when the dwarf knocked the door in on your head.'
'How did you get a-' LaValle started to ask.
'I got you the lock, remember?' Entreri answered.
'But the guild house is well defended by no soldiers known by Artemis Entreri,' the wizard argued.
'The guild house has its secret leaks,' the assassin quietly replied.
'But my door,' LaValle went on. 'There are. . were other traps.'
Entreri put on a bored expression, and LaValle got the point.
'Very well,' the wizard said, moving past Entreri into the study and motioning for the assassin to follow. 'I can have a fine meal delivered, if you so desire.'
Entreri took a seat opposite LaValle and shook his head. 'I came not for food, merely for information,' he explained. 'They know I am in Calimport.'
'Many guilds know,' LaValle confirmed with a nod. 'And yes, I did know. I saw you through my crystal ball as, I am sure, have many of the wizards of the other pashas. You have not exactly been traveling from shadow to shadow.'
'Should I be?' Entreri asked. 'I came in with no enemies, as far as I know, and with no intent to make any.'
LaValle laughed at the absurd notion. 'No enemies?' he asked. 'Ever have you made enemies. The creation of enemies is the obvious side product of your dark profession.' His
chuckle died fast when he looked carefully at the not-amused assassin, the wizard suddenly realizing that he was mocking perhaps the most dangerous man in all the world.
'Why did you scry me?' Entreri asked.
LaValle shrugged and held up his hands as if he didn't understand the question. 'That is my job in the guild,' he answered.
'So you informed the guildmaster of my return?'
'Pasha Quentin Bodeau was with me when your image came into the crystal ball,' LaValle admitted.
Entreri merely nodded, and LaValle shifted uncomfortably.
'I did not know it would be you, of course,' the wizard explained. 'If I had known, I would have contacted you privately before informing Bodeau to learn your intent and your wishes.'
'You are a loyal one,' Entreri said dryly, and the irony was not lost on LaValle.
'I make no pretensions or promises,' the wizard replied. 'Those who know me understand that I do little to upset the balance of power about me and serve whoever has weighted his side of the scale the most.'
'A pragmatic survivor,' Entreri said. 'Yet did you not just tell me that you would have informed me had you known? You do make a promise, wizard, a promise to serve. And yet, would you not be breaking that promise to Quentin Bodeau by warning me? Perhaps I do not know you as well as I had thought. Perhaps your loyalty cannot be trusted.'
'I make a willing exception for you,' LaValle stammered, trying to find a way out of the logic trap. He knew
