Jim took a slow, deep breath and looked away. He said, “I was going to have this talk with you tomorrow; I’ve already discussed it with Creegan and Pug. But now is as good a time as any.”

She caught a glimpse of his profile as he stared into the sky a moment and for reasons she couldn’t name she felt herself tense and her hand moved toward her mace. Suddenly his hand shot out and seized her wrist, his thumb digging into a nerve bundle and paralyzing her for a moment. She instinctively twisted her wrist before she pulled away, breaking his hold, but the damage was done. She could not get a decent grip on her mace with her right hand.

She switched to her left and her mace came up. “What did you do that for?” she demanded as she got into a defensive position.

“Your training,” he said, backing away a step. “I didn’t want to take the chance you’d leave my brains all over the sand before I had the opportunity to explain a few things to you.”

“Such as?” she asked.

“Let’s start with the first problem between us, though it is the least important. You’ve been trying to remember where we have met, correct?”

“Yes,” she said, still on guard. The numbness in her right hand was wearing off and she tossed her mace deftly from left to right.

“I’m the bastard who sold you to the Keshian.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re Quick Jimmy!”

“Jimmyhand, Jim Dasher, yes, to all of them.”

He could tell it was taking all her self-control not to lash out at him right then. Slowly she put her mace back on her belt. “I can kill you later, if I must,” she said softly, almost a hiss of warning. “Why? Don’t tell me this was some part of a great plan you and Creegan had for me. I was a whore then.”

“Creegan had nothing to do with it. He didn’t know you existed,” countered Jim, crossing his arms over his chest. “And it had nothing to do with the Conclave, at least not directly. I wanted you in bed with that merchant, and after a month or so, we were going to contact you and offer you your freedom after you worked for us for a while.”

“Freedom…” She paused to consider. “You wanted me to spy on him!”

“Yes. He was well connected to members of the Keshian Intelligence Corps, but he also had dealings with Kesh’s criminal empires. He was a smuggler as well as a trader.” Unfolding his arms, he put his right hand on his chest and said, “I am also a man of many interests, and when I tell you this, you will know that your life has forever changed, once more. I am the Upright Man of Krondor, and I needed my competition from Kesh neutralized.