Chapter 7 Chapter 5 All Things Are Difficult at the Beginning

"There have been people who have tried it, and some of them have gone further than we have." Wawel Tigovis said.As the founder and leader of the only halfling guild in the entire city, she often holds regular meetings at the Brass Gambler with some of her pickpockets and spies. "Someone even got that cursed item." "Cursed?" Entreri asked, leaning back comfortably in his chair.It was a position rarely employed by the alert Artemis Entreri. Taking this unconventional gesture brought back Entreri's memories of the place.This room was the only place in the whole city where he dared to drink a little wine--though, of course, he never drank too much.He's been coming here more and more lately--though in the other room next door, he killed his former collaborator, poor Dundon Tigovis.Wawel was Dunton's cousin, and she knew he had killed her cousin, but she also knew that, in a way, Entreri had done that good-for-nothing.Whatever Wavel's views on the matter actually are, in her pragmatic mind, none of this is a problem.

Entreri knew this, and he knew he was welcome here by Wawel and her colleagues.On the other hand, he also knew that the Brass Gambler was one of the safest places in the whole city.Of course, the defense here is not very strong-just a few mercenaries from the mercenaries that Jarlaxle brought to Calimport are enough to level the building-but at least it is safe to talk here, The bodyguards here are pretty good at guarding against guys trying to eavesdrop, they're even as good as the Wizards' Guild at that.In addition to the physical defense facilities, Wawel also used all her resources here to ensure the safety of information.And the Brass Gambler is also a place where inquisitors gather, so other guilds are willing to protect it.In many ways, Wawel and her comrades survived exactly the same way Sharji Ozur did, and that was to prove their usefulness to all would-be enemies.

Entreri didn't like the comparison.Saraj is a street profiteer who will have no loyalty to anyone but himself.He is simply a middleman who buys information with money, not talent, and sells it to the highest bidder.He doesn't do anything but resell information, but he's really good at it.He can't create any value, just a vampire.Entreri suspected that one day Saraj's body would be found in an alley, and no one would care. Entreri realized that Wavel Tigovis was likely to suffer the same fate, but if it happened, there would be many killers loyal to her who would come out to avenge her.

Perhaps Artemis Entreri would be one of them. "Cursed." Wavel declared after a moment's thought. "For those who have been retaliated against." "For all who are aware of its existence," Wawel insisted. Entreri leaned over, eyeing his startling little friend with his head tilted. "Colin Suarez got stuck with this thing," Wawel explained. "He built a fort to protect himself, because he knew the value of that sword." "He's got a lot of treasure," Entreri argued, but he knew Wawel was right about this, at least about Colin Suarez.

"But only the sword drew the wrath of the wizards," retorted Wawel, as he expected, "and the wrath of those protected by the wizards." Entreri nodded and made no further dissent, but that didn't mean he was convinced by Wawel.Maybe the Claw of Charon was a curse for Colin Suarez, but if it was, it was only because of what Suarez had done to make that weapon a permanent decoy, a permanent threat .And as soon as Artemis Entreri got hold of the sword, he would have fled Calimport far away.He did not dare to follow Suarez's example. "That sword is an ancient evil relic." Wawel's words once again captured Entreri's full attention. "Everyone who claims to have it will die with it in their hands."

No doubt she found her warning dramatic and convincing, but it didn't work on Entreri. "Everyone dies, Wawel," the killer replied without hesitation, his resolve evidently strengthened by the injustice he had suffered in Calimport. "The key is how he should live while he is alive." Wawel looked at him curiously.Entreri couldn't help but wonder if he had revealed too much, or had inadvertently lured Wawel into searching for himself and the power behind the Basadoni Guild.If the clever halfling discovers too many truths that Jarlaxle and his lieutenants know she has discovered, then all her magical guardians, all her colleagues - even Artemis Entre Standing—and all her proven usefulness—could not prevent her from being wiped out by Jarlaxle's ruthless mercenaries.The brass game would be leveled, and Entreri would have no place to relax.

Wawel was still staring at him, a look on her face that was both professionally curious and personal—what? --mercy? "What made Artemis Entreri so unhinged?" she asked, but just as the words were out of her mouth, the killer lunged forward, his jeweled dagger unsheathed.He moved so fast that Wawel's guards couldn't figure out his intentions, and even Wawel didn't know what was happening. There he was, grabbing her hair and pulling her head back, leaning down to stare into her eyes while his dagger was at her throat.But she could feel it—she felt the vicious, life-sucking dagger.Entreri had made a small gash in her neck, and Wawel could feel her life force draining from that small gash.

"If such a question gets out of this room," the killer promised, his hot breath blowing into her face. "You'll regret that I didn't kill you now." Then he backed away again, and Wavel quickly raised a hand to stop her crossbowmen.At the same time, her other hand reached out to her neck, pinching the small wound. "Are you sure Colin Suarez still has it?" Entreri asked, not so much for information as for changing the subject and bringing the situation back to a professional level. "He had it, and he's still alive," replied Wawel, visibly shaken. "That's probably enough proof."

Entreri nodded, returning to his comfortable position, which didn't seem to match the dangerous gleam in his eyes. "You still want to leave the city by reliable means?" Wawel asked. Entreri nodded slightly. "We have to use Domo and those rats—" the halfling guildmaster was interrupted by Entreri. "No." "He controls the fastest—" "No." Wawel tried to start the argument again.Entreri's demand was that she send him out of Calimport in secret, without allowing anyone to learn of his actions, and even with Domo's help, it would be no easy feat.Entreri was inextricably linked to the Basadoni Guild, and it was well known.She dismissed the idea suddenly, because Entreri didn't say another word, but just glanced at her, and the terribly dangerous expression from ten years ago returned to his face.That expression tells the other party that if they get entangled again, they will be prepared to die.

"Then we have to spend a little more time," Wawel said. "Not very long, I promise you. Maybe an hour." "No one but Wawel is allowed to know about this," Entreri ordered, lowering his voice so that the crossbowmen who were hiding in the shadows in the corner of the room could not hear what he was saying. "Not even your most trusted men." The halfling let out a long sigh of resignation. "Two hours, then," she said. Entreri watched her leave the room.He knew she couldn't have sent him out of Calimport without anyone knowing - too many eyes and ears in the streets - but if everyone started talking about it openly, then Entreri would go after the halfling Personal responsibility of the Guild President.

Thinking of this, the killer couldn't help chuckling, because he couldn't imagine himself killing Wawel.He liked her and respected her both for her courage and for her ability. He does, however, need assurances that he can leave in secret.If anyone else, especially Lecky or Kim Murray, found him out of town, they'd start investigating, and no doubt they'd figure out what he was up to very quickly.He didn't want those two dangerous drows to study Colin Suarez. Wavel was back in no time, within the two hours she had expected.She brought him a crudely made map of this part of the city, with a path drawn on it. "There will be someone waiting for you at the end of Crescent Street," she said. "Just in front of the bakery." "It's up to him to tell me the second safe path determined by your halflings," the killer reasoned. Wawel nodded. "I sent my relatives and some other colleagues to do it." "Of course, they'll also be watching my movements and collecting my maps," Entreri pointed out. Wawel shrugged. "Aren't you a master of disguise yourself?" Entreri didn't answer.He set off at once, turned out of the brass gamble into a dark alley, and when he came out at the other end of the alley he looked like fifty pounds heavier and crippled. He was outside Calimport within an hour, running down the road to the northwest.When dawn came, he climbed a sand dune and looked down at the Dalabad oasis.He mused over Colin Suarez, trying to recall all the There were things he knew about the old guy. "Old," he exclaimed with a sigh. In fact, Suarez had just turned fifty, and was less than fifteen years older than Artemis Entreri himself. The killer turned his thoughts to the palace-like fortress itself, trying to recall vivid details about the place.From this angle, Entreri could see only a few palm trees, a small pond, a single large rock, and several tents, one of which was relatively large.And behind these things is the brown square fortress that gradually disappears into the gravel.A few sentries in robes paced around the keep, looking rather agitated.The Dalabad fortress didn't seem all that impregnable—certainly, there were no impenetrable defenses for someone like Artemis Entreri—but the Killer knew better. During his work for Pasha Basadoni, he visited Surez and Dalabad several times on different occasions.After that, he also visited when he served Pashapuk.Behind that square parapet, he knew, was a circular building with all its corridors going round and round Colin Suarez's great treasure-house, and the oasis's own chambers. Entreri added to these recollections Wawel's recent description of the man and his dwelling, and chuckled when he realized the validity of her observations.Colin Suarez was indeed a prisoner. But the prison was still a two-way street, and Entreri couldn't easily sneak in and get what he wanted.It was a palace as well as a fortress, and this fortress was filled with soldiers specially trained to take down common local thieves effortlessly. Wawel was partly wrong, it occurred to the killer.The creator of this prison is not Charon's Claw, but Colin himself.He was too afraid of losing this beloved weapon to be controlled and destroyed by it.The fear of losing the sword paralyzed him, and he lost the chance to keep it.When was the last time Suarez left Dalabad?The killer doesn't know.When was the last time he went to the fair in Calimport and talked to his old colleagues? No.Men made prisons for themselves, Entreri knew.He knew it very well, because in fact, hadn't he done the same thing himself?That was the obsession about Drizzt Do'Urden.Hadn't he also foolishly insisted on fighting again and again with that insignificant dark elf with whom he had no connection? Artemis Entreri was sure he would not make the same mistake again.He looked down at Dalabad and smiled happily.Yes, Colin Suarez designed the fortress enough to defend against thieves who would steal his treasure, but what would happen to the Sentinels if a dark elf force suddenly attacked? "You were with him when he got word of the retreat," Charlotta Vespa told Entreri the next night, not long after the killer had sneaked back into Calimport. "How did Jarlaxle react?" "Cool as usual," Entreri said matter-of-factly. "Jarrlaxle has led the Dayet Mercenaries for centuries. He is not the type to hide his feelings." "However, he is facing Artemis Entreri, a man who can tell what he ate last night from the eyes of the other party." Charlotte said with a wicked smile. But that smile didn't last long in the face of Entreri's extremely calm expression. "You know nothing of the new allies who have joined us," he said gravely. "You mean, that so-called new ally is here to conquer us." Charlotte replied.For the first time since the last occupation, Entreri heard a hint of distaste for the drow in her voice.He wasn't surprised—everyone would start hating those damned drow pretty quickly.On the other hand, Entreri knew early on that Charlotte was a sloppy figure, and no matter what kind of ally he was, she would accept him without hesitation as long as it brought her the power she craved. "If they choose to," Entreri replied emphatically, his tone still extremely serious. "If you dare to underestimate the abilities of the dark elves - whether it is their ability to fight, or their ability to hide their hearts - you will die a terrible death, Charlotta." Charlotta seemed to be about to talk back, but said nothing, because a helpless expression had already appeared on her face, and she had to try to suppress this expression that was out of her character.He knew that he had felt what she felt now, when he had traveled through Menzoberranzan, and now, especially when Lykki and Kim Murray were around here.Just being around these handsome and impassive creatures makes everyone feel small.Drow always know something they shouldn't, and never reveal everything they know.There is always an undeniable strength behind their veiled threats, which makes them all the more mysterious.Under the current situation, the Dayet mercenary group can easily clean up the remnants of the Basadoni guild, including Artemis Entreri.Letting them live is now an attitude of grace, but it is getting worse and worse.It was a painful yet constant reminder of who was the master and who was the slave. He knew that his feelings were exactly the same as Charlotte's, and this feeling was growing every moment, so he even felt that he should seek Charlotte's help to complete his secret plan to capture Dalabad and gain huge benefits . He almost did—then Entreri reconsidered his plan, and was shocked to find that his feelings for Lykie and Kim Murray had almost made him a huge mistake.All his life, with few exceptions, Artemis Entreri had been a loner, using his wits to entrap unwitting and unwitting allies.It was inevitable that his associates would know too much, and Entreri was absolutely at odds with someone who knew too much.There had been another recent exception for the simple reason that he needed Wawel Tigovis and he was sure she would never betray him, not even when she was up against a dark elf.That is the virtue of Wavel and her halfling companions. Charlotta, though, was of a different type, Entreri reminded himself sharply.If he tried to get Charlotta to help with his plan to hunt Colin Suarez, he would have to keep an eye on her after that.She'd probably wring information out of him and go off to inform Jarlaxle right away, she might even tip off to Lykie and Kim Murray, using Entreri's soon-to-be-dead body as a ladder to climb up . Besides, there was no need for Entreri to tell Sharlotta the truth about Dallabad, since he had already arranged everything.Wawel could lure Charlotta to Darabad with a few ingenious lies, and Entreri could control how Charlotta would react, because he knew that she was acting for himself. seek profit.She would pass this information to Jarlaxle, but it would only provide better evidence for Entreri's own suggestion.At that point, Entreri would have told Jarlaxle that taking Dallabad would be a strategic and richly rewarding operation. "It never occurred to me before that I would miss Pasha Basadoni." Charlotta said something suddenly, but it was perhaps the most sincere sentence she had ever said in her life. "You hate Basadoni," Entreri reminded her. Charlotta didn't deny it, but she didn't change her mind either. "You don't fear him as much as you fear the drow, and you're perfectly right," Entreri pointed out. "Basadoni will not change his mind easily, so he can master it. Dark elves are the complete opposite. They are too dangerous." "Jim Murray told me that you lived for a time among the dark elves of Menzoberranzan," said Shalotta. "How did you survive?" "I survived because they were too busy to kill me," Entreri replied honestly. "To them, I was a dobluth, a non-drow exile who didn't bother me at all. On the other hand, I now think that Jarlaxle was using me to deepen his knowledge of the humans of Calimport. " Hearing this, a smile appeared on Charlotte's plump lips. "I don't think Artemis Entreri is a good example of a human being from Calimport," she said. "And if Jarlaxle thinks that everyone has abilities like yours, I doubt he would dare to come to this city at all, even if the entire dark elves of Menzoberranzan follow behind him." Entreri took the compliment politely with a slight bow, though he didn't think the compliment would be of any use to anyone.In Entreri's way of thinking, a person was either capable enough or not, and no amount of bullshit could change that. "And that's our goal now, for our two lives," Entreri continued. "We have to keep the drow busy. Given Jarlaxle's sudden desire to expand his surface empire, I don't think it's a difficult task. We'll be safer if the Basadoni Guild is at war Some." "But wars cannot be waged in cities." Charlotte replied. "The people in power have begun to notice our actions, and they won't be as unresponsive as before. If the drow are involved in the war, we will be safer, but if they use us as cannon fodder, it's another matter gone." Entreri nodded, pleased to see that Wawel's little advice had worked for Charlotta, the cunning woman quickly coming to the conclusion he wanted her to.Indeed, if the Basadoni guild expanded too far, or too quickly, the real powers would find out.Once all of Calimshan knows the truth, the opposition to Jarlaxle and his minions will be overwhelming.Not so long ago, Entreri had fantasized and entertained himself with such a scene, but now he had set out to prevent it from happening.He doubted that he, or any of the ibliths of the Basadoni guild, would stand a chance of surviving if the Dayet regiment retreated. So, the plan for ultimate chaos is slapped on the back-up. "But you're right." Charlotte continued. "We have to keep them busy — at least their military has to." A smile appeared on Entreri's face, easily resisting the idea of ​​enlisting her help against Colin Suarez.Wawel will deal with this soon, and Charlotta will never know what help she provided Artemis Entreri. Or maybe this cunning woman will discover the truth of the matter. Then maybe Entreri would have to kill her. For Artemis Entreri, who had been tormented by Charlotta Vespa's double-dealing behavior for many years, it couldn't be said to be an unpleasant thought.