Chapter 3 Chapter One
Artemis Entreri stood on a hill overlooking the vast, squalid city, trying to organize his disorganized thoughts.He raised his hand to wipe the dust off his lips and his short new beard when he realized he hadn't shaved in days and his beard had grown considerably .Entreri didn't care.
The wind blew the long hair from the back of his head and brushed his cheeks, stinging his black eyes.Entreri didn't care.
There he was, looking at Calimport, and trying to look into himself.He spent two-thirds of his life in this southern coast city, where he became a renowned fighter and killer.This is the only place he can call "home".Now here he is, looking down at it.The relentless desert sun shone on the white marble of the mansions as well as on the crumbling huts and damaged tents of the roadside slums.Those roads are so muddy because there is no working sewer there.Looking down on Calimport, the returning killer didn't know how to describe his feelings.He already knew his place in the world.He has reached the pinnacle of his menacing career, and anyone who mentions his name stands in awe.If someone hired Artemis Entreri to kill a man, that man would die quickly.No one can escape.And, despite the many enemies he had made, the Killer was able to walk the streets of Calimport openly instead of lurking in the shadows, for he was sure none would dare to stand against him.
No one dared to shoot an arrow at Artemis Entreri, because they knew that the arrow must kill him, must kill this seemingly superhuman life, or he would come to them.And he will find them, and he will kill them.
The slight movement of a shadow near him caught Entreri's attention.Entreri shook his head and sighed when a cloaked figure jumped out from behind the rock and stood some twenty feet in front of Entreri, hands folded on his sturdy chest, blocking his way. Not surprised.
"Going to Calimport?" asked the man, his voice thick with a southern accent.
Entreri didn't answer or move, but his eyes were warily on the rocks on either side of the road.
"You have to pay for the road," the burly man continued. "And I'm your guide." He bowed, showing a wicked smile.
Entreri had heard a great deal about this threat to rob him, but he had never met anyone who would dare to rob him before.Yes, he realized, he had been away for far too long.Still he didn't answer, the burly man came up and threw his cloak off on the ground, revealing the sword dangling from his belt.
"How much will you pay?" the man asked.
Entreri wanted him to go, but then changed his mind and just sighed again.
"Are you deaf?" said the man, drawing his sword and taking another step forward. "You'd better give me the money, or my friends and I will take it from your dead body."
Entreri didn't answer, didn't move, and didn't draw out his only weapon, the jeweled dagger.There he stood, and his behavior seemed to irritate the burly man.
The man gave a furtive wink to one side—Entreri's left—but the killer saw his expression clearly.Glancing that way, he saw an accomplice of the bandit in the shadow between two huge rocks, bow in hand.
"Now," said the burly man. "Give you one last chance."
Entreri quietly put his toes under a rock, but otherwise made no movement.He stood waiting for his moment, staring at the burly man, the archer out of the corner of his eye.The killer could see the man's movements so clearly, his slightest muscle contraction, every blink of an eye; then, he moved first.Entreri jumped forward left and kicked out his right foot.He kicked the stone in the archer's direction, not to hit him - though Artemis Entreri had such powers - but just to divert his attention.As he began to roll, the Killer caused his cloak to fly uncontrollably, hoping it would trap the arrow, or at least slow it down.
In fact, he didn't need to worry at all, because the archer made a serious mistake.Even if Entreri hadn't moved at all, he wouldn't have been shot.
Before he hit the ground, Entreri lifted his feet and oriented himself, charging at the swordsman, noticing two other figures emerging from behind the rocks on either side of the path.
He still didn't draw his weapon.Entreri rushed forward unexpectedly, ducking the swordsman's blow by an inch, and then emerged from behind the swinging sword, grasping his attacker's chin with one hand and wrapping around with the other. He reached the back of the man's head and grabbed his hair, twisting lightly to lift the swordsman up.Then Entreri released his hand to control the man's weapon hand, preventing him from attempting another attack.The man fell heavily on his back to the ground.At the same time Entreri's foot was on his throat.The man let go of the weapon gradually, as if he were handing it to Entreri.
As the other two rushed towards Entreri, one from the front and the other from the rear, the killer jumped away to keep his feet from getting caught in the fallen man.Entreri's sword was shining brightly, and he struck the enemy directly in front of him with the sword in his left hand, and then picked out another sword flower.The enemy directly ahead easily dodged Entreri's onslaught, but the attack was nothing more than a feint.Entreri folded his sword in his right hand, held the sword in both hands, and stepped back suddenly, turning his hand and weapon behind him at the same time.He thrust his sword back.The killer felt the point of his sword piercing the chest of the foe behind him, heard the sound of air as the man's lungs were sliced open.
The killer's instinct made him turn to the right, and leave the impaled man on the blade.He used the man's body as a shield from the archers, and the archers fired another arrow as he had expected.But he misstepped once again, and this time the arrow landed on the ground a few feet in front of Entreri.
"Idiot," the killer murmured as he yanked his previous kill to the ground and gracefully retracted the sword.He killed so smoothly and gracefully that the remaining swordsman finally realized that he was no match for him, and he turned and fled as fast as he could.
Entreri turned quickly again, throwing his sword in the general direction of the archer for cover.
Time passed by him slowly.
"Where is he?" the archer called, fear and frustration palpable in his voice. "Mock, did you see him?"
Another period of time passed.
"Where is he?" the archer called again, more frantically this time. "Mock, where is he?"
"Just behind you," the killer whispered.A jeweled dagger flashed, severed the bowstring, and, before the stunned archer could react, the dagger was at his throat.
"Please don't..." stammered the archer, his body shaking so much that the dagger made a small gash in his throat even though Entreri didn't move. "I have children... yes, many, many children... seventeen..."
He stopped suddenly with a gurgling sound in his throat.Entreri had already sliced his head in half, stomped on his back, and kicked him face down to the ground.
"Then you should choose a safer profession," Entreri replied, but by then the man was out of hearing.
The killer soon spotted the fourth member of the bandit gang, who was trying to sneak in the shadow of the rock.The guy was obviously running for Calimport, but he didn't dare run like hell in broad daylight.Entreri knew he could catch the guy, or fix the bowstring, and shoot him down from that spot.But he didn't.He didn't care about that at all.He didn't even bother to collect the loot from the corpse, but just carefully wiped and sheathed his magic dagger, and continued on the road.Yes, he's been away for far too long.
Artemis Entreri knew his place in the world and in Calimport long before he left the city.Now, years after he had been away, he stared at the city and thought about his former life here.He knew the areas he had lived in that were controlled by dark organizations, and realized that in those dark and dirty alleys, many things might have changed.Former companions are probably dead or gone, and his reputation doesn't put him in the ruler's inner circle—current guild masters and faction leaders are mostly self-proclaimed leaders and short-sighted villains.
"What have you done to me, Drizzt Do'Urden?" he asked with a chuckle, for Pashapuk had given him a mission to recover a ruby pendant from a fleeing halfling.When he embarked on this mission, Artemis Entreri's life took a turn for the worse.Entreri had thought it an easy job.The killer knew the halfling Regis he was looking for, and he was by no means his match.
Unbeknownst to Entreri at the time, Regis had miraculously found himself many powerful allies to protect him, and the greatest threat to Entreri was the dark elves.Entreri mused. How many years had passed since he had met Drizzt Do'Urden?Since Entreri first met his opponent, who could have made Entreri realize that his existence was but a dream like Drizzt?
He knew that in the last ten years he had seemed older and slower; but at the same time, the drow who had lived six centuries was hardly affected by age at all.
Yes, Drizzt made Entreri reflect on his own dangers.When Entreri tracked down Drizzt again with members of the dark elf family, the danger only amplified again.Drizzt had defeated Entreri on a rock jutting out of the cliff outside Mithril Hall, and the killer would have been dead had it not been for Jarlaxle, a dark elf speculator, who saved his life.Later, Jarlaxle took him to Menzoberranzan, the great city of the dark elves, which was also the stronghold of Lolth after the chaos.Human killers have a distinctly different place in a city full of intrigue and cruelty.Everyone was a killer there, and Entreri, despite his extraordinary talent in murder techniques, was confined to the bottom of society simply because he was a human being.
But during the time the Killer lived in Menzoberranzan, it was not just the simple question of status that struck him deeply.And he is more aware that his own existence is meaningless.Before, he had felt he stood out from the rabble around him because of his honed combat skills; yet in a city full of killers like Entreri, he had come to realize the flaws in his previous thinking. It's ridiculous, and the confidence that comes from this idea is so stupid.Now, he has understood many things.He overlooked Calimport, the only place in the world he could call home, his final refuge.
In the dark and mysterious city of Menzoberranzan, Artemis Entreri learned humility.
When he began his journey back to faraway Calimport, Entreri often wondered if he really needed to come back.He knew the beginning of his journey would be dangerous, but he didn't hesitate because he was afraid of dying.He is afraid to go on with his life.
On the surface at least, Calimport wasn't much changed—"City of a Million Beggars," as Entreri liked to call it.This is a true portrayal.He was walking along the roadside with poor fellows in rags or no clothes at all.Most of them were probably thrown somewhere by the guards in the morning, lest they get in the way of the noble merchants, and they stayed there.They held out trembling, skinny hands to Entreri.It only takes a few seconds for the ruthless killer to trot past them, yet their arms are so thin that they can't even hold them up for a few seconds.
Where to go, Entreri thought silently.His old employer, Pashapuk, was long dead, and Drizzt's friend, the Enchanted Panther, killed him when Entreri returned to him after completing his mission to recover the Pendant.Nor did Entreri stay in the city for very long after this unfortunate event, as he brought Regis here and directly caused his employer's death, which was nothing short of Entreri's glory as a killer. A great stain, and one that his fellow killers would never let go of him.He could have handled it better, perhaps fairly easily, by continuing to serve another powerful guild master, but he chose to leave Calimport.Entreri had made up his mind to single-mindedly deal with Drizzt, not because Puck had been killed—the killer didn't care about that—but because he and Drizzt had fought so fiercely in the city's sewers, But it was not decided, and Entreri believed he should win.
Now, as he walked the grimy streets of Calimport, he had to consider what kind of reputation he left behind when he was gone.
No doubt many other killers would have said a lot of bad things about him in his absence, exaggerating Entreri's failure in the Regis incident to their own advantage.
Entreri's face broke into a smile as he considered reality - and he knew it must be so -.Bad things about him are only spread in private.Even if he is not here, other killers will also fear his revenge.Perhaps he no longer understood his own place in the world.Perhaps the men of Menzoberranzan had put the dark... no, not the dark, but just put a mirror in front of him, but here, he could not deny, he was still respected.
Respect.He might have to earn the respect of others again, he reminded himself sharply.
As he walked along the familiar streets, more and more memories came to his mind.He knew where most of the guild buildings had once been located, and guessed that unless some legitimate city leader did a major purge, those buildings might still be there, undamaged, probably already taken by fellow killers he knew used.Puck's gang had been shaken when he was killed, and the lazy halfling Regis became Puck's successor, and his gang continued to disintegrate.Entreri had solved Regis' "little problem" by driving the halflings north; and, while this had thrown the gang into chaos, it hadn't completely disbanded.Maybe it still exists now, but the killer can only try to guess who rules it now.
Entreri might have gone there, it was a more logical place where he could re-establish his power; but he just shrugged and didn't choose to go there.He just wants to wander around aimlessly, he thought.But soon, he came to another area he was familiar with, and realized that he had subconsciously chosen this place as his target.
This was where Artemis Entreri first made his mark in Calimport as a young man.Here, as a teenager, he defeated all delusional challengers; here, Hibbes Loyoset, the vice-master of the Basadoni Guild, had appointed a man to destroy Entreri.Entreri had killed the killer, and later the hideous Hibbs, a clever murder that had won him favor with Basadoni.He became the deputy chief of one of the most powerful guilds in Calimport and even in Calimshan, and he was only fourteen years old at this time.
But now, recalling those stories doesn't bring a smile to his face.He thought of the things before this, the pain he suffered after coming here, the trials that were too cruel for a child, the deception and betrayal by all the people he knew and trusted, among them What hurt him the most was his father.But now, he doesn't care about those at all, and he doesn't even feel the pain.Those things make no sense at all.
In the shadow of a hut he saw a woman hanging her laundry to dry.When she saw him, she carefully hid herself in a darker place.He understood why she was, for here he was a stranger, wearing a traveling cloak too expensive for this slum.In such places, strangers are usually a danger.
"From there to there," cried a young man, his voice full of pride but tinged with fear.Entreri turned slowly to look at the young man.Tall and thin, he held a mace in his hand and waved it nervously.
Entreri stared intently at the boy, and he saw his younger self in the boy's face.No, he realized, it wasn't him, because the guy was obviously very nervous.This person will not live long.
"From there to there!" the boy said even louder, pointing to both ends of the street, where Entreri had come and the farther end, where the killer was going.
"I beg your pardon, sir," said Entreri, bowing slightly, his hand running as usual at the enchanted dagger hidden beneath his cloak.With one quick movement of his wrist, he could have thrown the dagger fifteen feet, through the kid's clumsy defense, and deep in his throat.
"Sir," repeated the young man, in a tone that suggested he didn't quite believe it. "That's right, sir." His tone changed to determination, and it was obvious that he liked the title very much. "I, Mr. Tadio, govern this street, all these streets, and do not allow anyone to pass without my permission." After finishing speaking, he kept poking his chest with his thumb.
Entreri stood upright, killing intent flashed in his black eyes for a split second, and the words "Mr. Dead" were repeated in his thoughts.The little fellow had just challenged him, Artemis Entreri, and he had been the one to accept and beat all challenges years ago; he could have easily killed the young man on the spot without even moving.
But now, with the glint of pride slipping from Entreri's eyes, he didn't even think it worried him or insulted him.He sighed resignedly, feeling like he didn't want to be involved in another stupid fight any day.Is there any need?So he thought, looking at the poor, flustered little boy: he "ruled" this empty street, and no sane person would claim to "rule" such a street. "I beg your pardon, sir," he said calmly. "I don't know what you're talking about, because this place is completely foreign to me, and I don't know your rules."
"Then you should learn!" replied the young man angrily, and taking courage from Entreri's obedient answer, he took two strides forward.
Entreri shook his head, his hand reaching for the dagger again, but he changed his mind and reached for his wallet.He took out a gold coin and threw it at the feet of the proud young man.
The boy usually drank the water from the sewer and ate the food he found in the path behind the store. When he saw such a treasure, he couldn't hide his surprise and awe.But he quickly regained his composure, and once again looked at Entreri with superiority. "It's not enough," he said.
Entreri tossed another gold piece and a silver one. "That's all I have, sir," he said, spreading his hands.
"If I search you and find out that's not the case..." the young man threatened.
Entreri sighed again, deciding that if the young man came near him, he would move so quickly that the young man would die without pain.
The boy bent down and picked up the three coins. "I'm telling you, next time you should bring more money to me," he said loudly. "Get out now! Get off this street from where you came in!"
Entreri looked back the way he had come.In fact, one direction was the same for him as any other at this point, so he bowed slightly and turned away from Taddio, who didn't even know how lucky he was this day .
Rising three stories high, the building is adorned with intricate carvings and polished marble: it is without a doubt the most impressive resident of the Thieves' Guild.Typically, such nefarious organizations try to keep a low profile, and their premises may look unremarkable from the outside, but are actually quite luxuriously furnished inside.Not so Pasha Basadoni's house.The man in his late nineties loves living in luxury and showing everyone the power of his guild.
A large room in the center of the second floor is the meeting room for the main person in charge of the Basadoni Guild. There are two men and a woman here, who are really responsible for the daily activities of the huge guild.Now, they're taking on a young street bully.He was barely a child, and his appearance failed to impress in any way; he was clearly relying on Pasha Basadoni's strength to intimidate others rather than his own wiles.
"At least he's loyal," Hand commented.He was a quiet, sensitive rogue, he said when Tardio left. "Two gold pieces and a silver piece--a great fortune in that slum section."
"The premise is that this is all he got from that visitor." Charlotta Vespa replied with a contemptuous smile.Charlotta was the tallest of the three in charge, at six feet one; she was so slender and graceful that Pasha Basadoni nicknamed her his "Weeping Willow."It is no longer a secret that Basadoni considers Charlotta a lover, although his old body sometimes cannot do "that" thing, he still regards her as a lover.Everyone knows that Charlotta has benefited herself through this relationship. It can be said that she climbed from Basadoni's bed to her current position.She'd even admitted it herself, though she usually killed the person who said it afterwards.She shook her head slightly, throwing her waist-length black hair to one shoulder; Hand could clearly see the contempt she was trying to express.
"If Tadio gets more, he will give us more." Hand assured her, his tone was a little frustrated besides irrepressible anger; Kaza Jordyn, three Another member of the human group often feels this way when dealing with the always arrogant Charlotta.Hand was in charge of the assassins, pickpockets and market prostitutes of the Basadoni guild; while Kaza Jordian was in charge of the guild's armies.But Charlotta, the "Weeping Willow", "manages" Basadoni's ears.She served as Pasha's entourage, and now that the old man seldom appeared, she acted as his spokesperson.
When Basadoni finally died, there was no doubt that the trio would engage in a struggle for dominion of the Guild.Those who only know the guild's surroundings might support the short-tempered and loud-voiced Kaza Jordyn, while someone like Hand who has a deep understanding of the inner workings of reality knows that Charlotta Vespa is in the organization Her position is already fairly solid, and she's still continuing to strengthen and solidify her position, with or without that ghostly old Basadoni.
"How much time are we wasting on this kid's business?" Kaza Jordyn grumbled. "Three new merchants have built a gazebo in the market place very close to our house, and without our permission at all. That is a more important thing, which requires our attention."
"We've already discussed it," Charlotta replied. "You want us to allow you to send your warriors, or even a battle mage, to teach those merchants a lesson. But you won't get our permission this time."
"If we have to wait for Pasha Basadoni to personally deal with this matter, other merchants will think that they also don't need to pay us protection fees." Kaza turned to Hand, the two of them were talking to Charlotta Always take sides in arguments.But the thief wasn't listening at all, he just stared blankly at the few coins that the boy Tardio gave him.He noticed that the other two were looking at him, so he looked up at them.
"What's wrong?" Kaza asked.
"I've never seen anything like it," Hand explained, tossing the coin to Kaza.
Kaza grabbed it, took a quick look, and handed it to Charlotta in surprise. "I've never seen a sign like that either," he admitted. "I don't believe it's money in this city, or anywhere in Calimshan."
Charlotta studied the coin carefully, and then a familiar light flashed in her terrifying light green eyes. "New moon," she said, and turned it over. "A unicorn. It's a coin from Silvermoon."
The other two looked at each other in surprise, and Charlotte, who discovered this fact, was also very surprised. "Silvermoon City?" Kaza repeated suspiciously.
"That is far to the north, a city east of Waterdeep City." Charlotte replied.
"I know where Silvermoon City is." Kaza said coldly. "Ms. Alustri's possession. That's not why I'm surprised."
"Why would a businessman from Silvermoon City go to the slums on Tadio's side?" Hand asked, this question also expressed Kaza's doubts.
"Indeed, it's curious that someone would hold more than two gold coins in that area," Kaza agreed, his mouth pursed, his long black mustache cocked to one side, his bronzed face He showed a very serious expression on his face. "Now, it seems to be getting more and more interesting."
"A man who comes to Calimport by boat and disembarks to wander about will undoubtedly get lost in countless streets," said Hand. "Most parts of the city look the same. There's nothing weird about an out-of-towner wandering around."
"I don't believe it's a coincidence," said Charlotta.She tossed the coin from hand to hand. "Send it to one of our fortunetellers—Jiwinta the fortuneteller. Perhaps he can find traces of the coin's previous owner."
"Is it necessary for us to go to such lengths to investigate a guy who can't even refuse to pay for the road?" Hand asked.
"I repeat, I don't believe it's a coincidence," repeated Charlotta. "I don't believe anyone can be threatened by that poor Tardio unless he knows Tardio works for Pasha Basadoni. Also, I don't like a man who knows our work so well to be free on our turf Wandering. Maybe he's looking for something? Is it looking for our weakness?"
"You're making too many assumptions," Kaza said.
"I must be aware of possible dangers," retorted Charlotta. "I see everyone as an enemy unless he can prove he is different; and I have found that if I know my enemy, I can prevent their possible attacks in advance."
This sentence was suspected of being ironic to Kaza Jordyn, but even he had to nod in favor of Charlotta's insight and precautions.
It's not every day that a coin from far away Silvermoon finds its way into the slums of Calimport.
In the city, he knew this building best.It looks inconspicuous from the outside, just like an ordinary warehouse, but inside are hung tapestries sewn with gold thread and ornate weapons.The side door of this building is now occupied by an old beggar as a shelter from the wind and rain; but inside this locked door is a luxurious ballroom.Here, beautiful women dance, tantalizingly scented, perfumed baths and delicacies from across the Forgotten Realms are offered.
The house once belonged to Pashapuk.After his death, it was given to the halfling Regis by Entreri's arch enemy; the halflings ruled here until Entreri decided that the little fool had enjoyed his blessings for too long.When Entreri took Regis out of Calimport, the last time he had seen the dingy city, the house was in the midst of some factions vying for power.He guessed that Quentin Bordeaux, a veteran thief with more than twenty years in the guild, would win the fight in the end.What he didn't know was that after such chaos and brutality, the victory of this struggle was of no value.Perhaps other guilds have taken over here.Perhaps the inside of the brown warehouse is now as unremarkable as its exterior.
Entreri chuckled at the possibility; but the thoughts couldn't last long in his mind.Maybe he really sneaked in here, just to satisfy his curiosity.Maybe not.
He lingered near the side door for a while, and walked up to the beggar who seemed to have only one leg, and found that the fellow had cunningly tied the other leg under his thigh and hid it.Obviously, he's a Sentinel.Entreri noticed that the tattered sack in front of him contained only a few copper coins, which he had deliberately placed to better conceal his disguise.
No problem, the killer thought.Pretending to be a stranger who knew nothing about Calimport, he walked up to the man, touched his wallet, and dropped a silver coin into his ragged bag.The killer noticed that the eyes of the very old man flickered as he lifted his cloak for his wallet, revealing the jeweled hilt of his enchanted dagger known to the people of Calimport. Click and open a little wider.
Should he show this weapon of his own?Entreri had been thinking about that as he walked away.He didn't come to this place with the intention of exposing himself, but equally, he didn't deliberately conceal his intentions.Just like when he was thinking about the fate of the Puke Guild, these questions and troubles couldn't stay in his mind at all.Maybe he did make a mistake.Maybe he's just desperately showing the dagger for some thrill.And it didn't matter at all whether the man noticed it because he recognized it as Entreri's mark, or because it was indeed a beautiful weapon.
It doesn't matter at all.
Ravel was trying very hard to keep his breath steady as his colleagues whispered nervously around him; he tried not to pay attention to them as he was looking into his crystal ball.The sentinel pretending to be a beggar reported the incident outside, and a man approached with the quiet and confident step of a warrior, and he also carried a dagger: a weapon fit for the captain of the king's guard; he gave this Sentinel A fancy coin as a gift.
Most of the guild members heard the description of the dagger, including the wizard Ravel, and they all fell into an inexplicable panic.Ravel, who had worked with the dangerous Artemis Entreri for a long time, had seen the dagger up close many times, and now he is using his great knowledge and his crystal ball to search for it. stranger.His magical eyes scoured the streets of Calimport, moving in the shadows.Then he saw—or rather felt—that the dagger, Entreri's dagger, had indeed returned to the city.Now that the image of that dagger is starting to take shape, the wizard and nervous Quentin Podew and the two younger killers have seen it, and they will know if it is still the deadliest of the killers. the one who carried it.
A small bedroom comes into focus of the crystal ball.
"That's a nod to Tom's Hotel," Doug Perry said.He calls himself Doug Perry the Hearter, because he once practiced taking out a human heart quickly enough that the dying man could see its last beat, but none other than Doug Perry himself , In fact, no one has seen such a scene.
拉威尔举起一只手，示意其它人静下来；此时图像变得较为鲜明了，它聚焦于搭在床头的皮带上，皮带上正挂着那把泄露了秘密的匕首。
“那是恩崔立的。”昆汀·波迪尤呻吟道。
一个男人走过皮带旁边；他光着上身，显示出他那年复一年努力锻炼过的身体，每一次运动都使得他的肌肉一跳一跳的。
昆汀的表情变得十分古怪，他研究着那个男人，他那长长的头发，颌下的胡须和不整齐的络腮胡。
他知道恩崔立对每个细节都一丝不苟，是一个极端的完美主义者。他看着拉威尔，试图从他那里找出答案。
“那是他。”巫师阴森地回答道，而他很可能是本城最了解阿提密斯·恩崔立的人。
“那么他想做什么？”昆汀问道。“他是以朋友还是敌人的身份回来的？”
“他更可能根本不关心这类事情。”拉威尔回答。“阿提密斯·恩崔立是一个自由的人，他从不对任何一个公会显示出特别的忠诚。他进入过所有公会的储藏室，谁对他的服务出价最高，他就为谁服务。”
当他这样说的时候，男巫看了看两个年轻的杀手，两个人都是除了知道恩崔立的名声之外并不了解他更多。两人中年纪较小的查尔西·安奎因紧张地——并且是聪明地，拉威尔想道——轻轻笑着；而道格·佩里想着水晶球中的男人时，他的眼睛危险地眯了起来。他在嫉妒，拉威尔知道，因为道格·佩里最想要的东西恰恰是恩崔立的名誉，作为最致命杀手的最高名誉。
“也许我们很快就会需要他的服务。”昆汀·波迪尤说道，他很明显地在控制着自己的紧张情绪，因为在卡林港盗贼公会这种险恶的地方，神经紧张就相当于弱点。“那样我们也会更好地了解他回到卡林港的意图和目的。”
“也许我们只要杀了他就行了。”道格·佩里提出，而拉威尔则只是轻笑了一下：这个如此平庸的观点完全在他的意料之中；道格·佩里根本就不了解阿提密斯·恩崔立。拉威尔从来就不喜欢这种性急的年轻杀手，有那么一刻，他甚至希望昆汀会满足道格·佩里的愿望，把他送到恩崔立面前。
但是虽然昆汀从没有和恩崔立本人打过交道，他可还记得很多关于那个杀手事迹的故事；也因此，公会会长看着道格·佩里时的表情是丝毫不加掩饰的怀疑。
“如果你需要他的服务，就去雇用他。”拉威尔说。“如果你不需要，那也不用把他当成威胁。”
“他只不过是一个人，而我们公会则有成百上千的人。”道格·佩里反对道，但是已经没有人听他说了。
昆汀刚想回答拉威尔的话，但又停了下来，虽然如此，他脸上的表情已经告诉了拉威尔他正在想什么。他很明显是害怕恩崔立会占据公会的头把交椅，而且他的想法并不是毫无道理的。毫无疑问，这名危险的杀手在城市里仍然有很多有力的同盟，而这对于强大的恩崔立来说已经足以推翻象昆汀·波迪尤这样的人的统治。但是拉威尔不认为昆汀的恐惧会成为现实；他对恩崔立有着充分的了解，恩崔立从没有渴望得到一个象这样需要负责任的职位。恩崔立是一个独行侠式的人物，而不是一个公会会长式的人物。在他罢免半身人瑞吉斯的公会会长职务后，这个公会就完全属于恩崔立所有了；但他却毫不迟疑地离开了卡林港，把公会留给其他人来争夺。
不，拉威尔不相信恩崔立回来是要统治这个公会或任何其他的公会，并且他很好地向神经紧张的昆汀暗示了这一点。“无论我们最终的选择是什么，我都认为我们应该首先观察一下我们这位危险的朋友。”巫师说道，这也同样是为那两个比较年轻的杀手着想。“看看他究竟是朋友还是敌人，或者两者都不是。除非必要，否则要对抗象恩崔立这么强大的人是不理智的；而且我不认为有这种必要。”
昆汀点点头，很高兴能听到这个结论。拉威尔鞠了一躬并向房间外面走去，其他人都跟着他。
“如果恩崔立威胁到我们，我们就应该除掉他。”道格·佩里在巫师房间门口的走廊赶上他并对他说。“波迪尤大人将会看到，事实和你的说法是不一样的。”
拉威尔狠狠地盯着他；这小子对于比他年纪大一倍的巫师的关照丝毫不感激，而且他对于应付这样的事情毫无经验，相反，拉威尔在道格·佩里出生之前就已经开始与象阿提密斯·恩崔立这样危险的男人打交道了。“我不是不同意你的意见。”他对那男人说。
“那么你对波迪尤的建议又是怎么回事？”
“如果恩崔立是应其他公会的请求而回到卡林港的话，波迪尤大人的任何动作都可能给我们的公会带来可怕的后果。”巫师边走边顺口胡诌着。“你肯定知道阿提密斯·恩崔立是在帕夏巴沙多尼那里学到了一身的本领。”
“当然。”道格·佩里撒了个谎。
拉威尔假装在沉思，并做了个“噤声”的手势。“可能这对我们来说并不是个难题。”他说道。“一个年纪更大、速度变慢了的恩崔立，一个也许在城市里几乎没有盟友的恩崔立回到了卡林港——想想看，这个消息传开之后，那危险的家伙就会成为众矢之的了。”
“他有很多的敌人。”道格·佩里热心地补充道，似乎他已经被拉威尔说的话和语气给鼓动起来了。
拉威尔摇摇头。“阿提密斯·恩崔立绝大多数的敌人在他离开卡林港之后的这些年里都已经死了。”
巫师解释道。“但威胁他安全的人不仅仅有他的敌人，还有他的对手。想想看，有多少年轻狡猾的杀手在渴望着自己可以一刀杀死恩崔立？”
道格·佩里眯起眼睛，他才刚刚开始明白拉威尔的意思。
“从本质上来说，杀死恩崔立的人就相当于杀死了所有被恩崔立杀死的人。”拉威尔继续说。“只需要一刀，就可以得到如此的名誉。杀死恩崔立的人将会马上变成城市中最昂贵的杀手。”他耸耸肩，然后推开他房间的门，把明显已经开始感兴趣的道格·佩里留在走廊里，而后者的脑海里仍然在思考着他的话。
事实上，拉威尔根本不关心那年轻的麻烦制造者有没有把这些话往心里去，但是他的确非常关心杀手回到卡林港这件事。恩崔立使得巫师烦躁不安，在拉威尔许多年以来一起工作过的危险人物中，恩崔立对他的影响最大。拉威尔凭借着做出对任何人都没有威胁的低姿态，不管是谁在公会中最有势力，都毫不犹豫地为他服务的态度才活过了这么长的时间。他曾经极好地为帕夏普克服务，而当普克死了的时候，他马上就完全转变为忠诚于瑞吉斯，甚至说服了瑞吉斯的保护者黑暗精灵和矮人相信他不会造成威胁。同样地，当恩崔立要把瑞吉斯赶走的时候，拉威尔就向后退开，静观二者的争斗（当然，拉威尔从没有对二者中谁会得胜产生过怀疑），然后马上表示对胜利者的忠诚。时间就这样过去，恩崔立离开之后，获得公会会长的就是昆汀·波迪尤，拉威尔仍然保持了自己的地位。
虽然如此，拉威尔对于恩崔立的态度和对于其他人的态度还是有着微妙的区别。几十年以来，拉威尔在自己身边建立了一个相当有效的防卫系统。他努力工作，这使得他在这样一个每个人都象是在玩命的世界中竟然没有树敌；但他也同样了解，即使是旁观者也可能在一次普通的战斗中被抓住杀掉。因此，他在自己身边建起了强大的魔力护盾，一旦有人——例如说道格·佩里——不论因为什么原因而想要杀掉拉威尔，他会发现巫师早就做好了保护自己的准备。但拉威尔知道，对于恩崔立来说这一切都是白费力气，这也是只要看到恩崔立就足以使他烦躁不安的原因。许多年以来他一直观察着这个杀手，拉威尔现在知道，恩崔立关心哪里，哪里就一定没有充分的防守。
这一夜直到很晚，他一直坐在自己的床上，试图记起他曾经与杀手打过的交道，细细地分析每一件事和每一个细节，并且试着理解恩崔立回到卡林港是否有什么特殊的原因。