Cursor's Fury (Codex Alera #3)(67)

"Told you you'd get over her," Max said. "I should have bought you a girl for the evening weeks ago. Glad you did it on your own."

Tavi felt his face heat up. "But I didn't."

Max's eyebrows lifted straight up. "Ah," he said. He squinted at his recruits and said, "You didn't buy a boy, did you. '

Tavi snorted. "No," he said. "Max, I'm not there to enjoy myself. I go there for the job."

"The job," Max said.

"The job."

"You go to the Pavilion because it's a duty."

"Yes," Tavi said, half-exasperated.

"Even though there's all those dancers and such?"

"Yes."

"Crows, Calderon. Why?" Max shook his head. "Life is too short to pass some things by."

"Because it's my job," Tavi said.

"Easy to argue that you have to maintain your cover," Max pointed out. "A little wine. A girl or two. Or three, if you can afford it. What's the harm?"

Tavi frowned and thought about it. Max was quite correct when he said that the girls at the Pavilion could be quite enticing, and Tavi had avoided watching them dance. It was a given that any dancer with earthcrafting would use it to hone the appetites of the men watching. Often, several danced at once, and such an environment was geared to fleece the pockets of the legionares who succumbed to their urges. Since the legionares by and large went there with exactly that purpose in mind, it tended to work out.

Tavi had been propositioned by several of the doxies there, but had declined to purchase anyone's charms for a night or to sample the wine and other intoxicants available. He had no intention of clouding his judgment-his wits were what had kept him alive.

"You should enjoy yourself," Max said. "No one would begrudge you that."

"I would," Tavi said. "I need to keep my wits about me."

Max grunted. "True, I suppose. As long as you aren't constantly mooning over Kitai, I guess it's all right if you don't tumble a doxy now and then."

Tavi snorted. "Glad you approve."

Three cohorts of recruits, nearly a thousand legionares, pounded by on the practice road, now moving in a solid block and in full armor. Their footsteps thundered in uniform rhythm, even through the muting effect of Max's screen. After they passed, and the racket faded away, Max asked, "Turn up anything?"

Tavi nodded. "Found two more legionares reporting to that contact from the Trade Consortium."

"Do we know who he's reporting to yet?"

"He thinks he's reporting to a Parcian merchant's factor."

"Heh," Max said. "Who is the factor working for?"

Tavi shrugged a shoulder. "I crossed a few palms. I might get something tonight." He gave Max an oblique look. "I heard about an unlicensed slaver operating nearby. Apparently grabbed a couple of camp followers. But someone beat him unconscious, tied him to a tree, sneaked past his guards, and released his slaves."

Max lowered his windcrafted screen long enough to stand up and shout, "Crows take it, Karder, get that shield up or I'll give you a few lumps on top of your fool head to remind you! If Valiar Marcus's spear humiliates my best, you'll all be running circles for a week!"

Recruits gave Max sidelong, dark looks until Schultz bellowed them back into formation.

"Yeah?" Max said to Tavi, sitting down again. "I heard the same thing. Good for whoever did that. Never liked slavers."