Once the boy she’d sought to protect and the all-important book she had foolishly thrust into his hands disappeared from the scene, Iskondra Devalion had no reason to continue to stand her ground against Tauri Quick-Claw. However, despite many repeated and lengthy claims about her ability to end the fight quickly and decisively in her favor, she continued to fight defensively while urging the assassin to disengage.
“Listen to me, you befurred buffoon,” she said after beating back his attack. “While you waste my time here, a source of wealth far greater than you can image is scampering farther and farther away from our grasp.”
“Must chase down, after finished,” Tauri replied. “Could use great wealth. Enjoy job, but on long chases, expenses mount.”
Iskondra waved her sword, and there was a painful explosion of sparks in the air between them. Shockwaves of force ruffled the pages of numerous books on the shelves around them, and Tauri found himself buffeted back.
“Peace, creature! Stay your hands but a moment, I beg you, for your own sake,” she said. “You won’t regret listening to what I have to say, I can assure you.”
“Speak,” Tauri said. “Be brief.”
“I assure you, I will be direct and to the point in each and every single particular,” Iskondra said. “Starting with this most important piece of information: you won’t stand a chance of deciphering that text by yourself. With my help, it will lead you to a fortune, but on your own, it will net you nothing but the value of old parchment.”
“Easy come, easy go.”
“I have spent years applying myself to the study of ancient history, geography, geology, geometry, gematria…”
“Gee, really?”
“…and other disciplines far too numerous to mention, and though I did not know it at the time, all of my myriad efforts to better myself through education were bending towards a single end.”
“Most efforts share single end,” Tauri said.
“Your attempts to wax philosophic do not flatter you, nor do they distract me,” Iskondra said. “I am perhaps the only living person drawing breath within the compass of the world who is capable of solving the greatest riddle in all of history.”
“Heard riddle once,” Tauri said. “Answer ‘fish’. Prefer knock-knock jokes.”
“What if I told you that the answer to this riddle is the location of the most massive treasure fleet ever assembled?”
“Not really riddle with answer first,” Tauri said. “Need set-up.”
“I’m telling you, if I can get that book back, I can find the treasure fleet of Targus,” Iskondra said. “But I need your help.”
“Of course,” Tauri said. “Swordswoman who can’t kill not much good on own.”
“What?” Iskondra said. “How long have you known?”
“Got suspicious first when didn’t kill Tauri,” he said. “Suspicion grew when didn’t kill Tauri. Theory formed when didn’t kill Tauri again. Evidence accumulated, when didn’t…”
“Cease, vermin… I have grasped the essential idea behind what you are saying!” she cried out. “There is simply no reason to belabor the point when a single well-considered and concisely laid out statement can convey all of the very same information as a needlessly drawn-out and altogether tedious recitation of useless verbiage.”
“Noted,” Tauri said.
“In any event, now that you know or have deduced or guessed at the nature of
the secret prohibition which afflicts me, I have to wonder how you’ll be able to bring yourself to kill me,” Iskondra said.
“Expect will be somewhat easier, if anything,” Tauri said, and he launched himself forward once again.
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