"Not me," Hanse said. "I've got a life to live and I'm not political. It's truethat I and Prince Kadakithis get along all right as two men, but I'm Ilsig andhe's Ranke and the only thing I'd help him do is sneak out of town-provided hewas headed away from Ranke."

Kama tapped a finger on the table. "That won't be necessary. Look, Hanse...Ranke is in trouble, too. It isn't just the Beysins in Sanctuary. An empire is alot of land, a lot of people, a lot of Sanctuarys. A united and triumphantSanctuarite populace who'd got rid of the Beysins would be too proud to let theprince back into the Governor's Palace, and I have to tell you that he wouldn'tbe strong enough to enforce it." She glanced away. "He couldn't count on anyhelp from Ranke, either. Ranke is busy. Ranke is in trouble."

"Is it true that Vashanka's dead?" Hanse asked.

Both Kama and Zip stared at him and Hanse wondered at their expressions.

"Anyhow," he said, "I'd say that you'll make a lot of noise and get in a lot oftrouble and kill some Stare-Eyes and get a lot of our people killed; and thenthey'll smash you. If you're lucky you'll die in that one, and not have to betortured to death. Zip. I'll be going about my business, but not with you oryour people. I'm just not political. Zip."

Zip's anger had him all ready to blurt "Coward!" but he got control of himselfand opted against saying anything so silly, since he wasn't ready to die rightnow. Instead he said, "Hanse, Hanse... you said you killed one just tonight!"

Hanse gave him a look. "Said I did?"

Zip gestured and sighed. "Words, words. I wasn't questioning you. The point is-"

"The point is that I did. I had three choices: run, die, or kill. It was thatkind of thing. I had to. It wasn't political." Now he, too, sighed and waggedhis head. "I didn't say that I liked those creepy stare-eyed creatures-I saidthat I am not political and am not joining any political groups."

Zip slapped the table a bit harder than he should have done, which Notableremarked with a smallish noise in his throat. "We don't want you to join if youdon't want to, Hanse, and we don't want any money from you. You have theopportunity to do more for Sanctuary, for your fellow Ilsigi and against them,than anybody... because only you can break into the palace and steal the Beysa'sscepter."

Hanse looked at Zip as if the PFLSer had just asked him to strip and dancethrough the streets. He jerked at Kama's touch on his wrist-only a touch, henoted, and knew that she was both bright and dangerous; not one to go grasping atouchy man's wrist as just any woman might have done. He looked at her withoutexpression; she had already taken her hand back.

"Hanse... only one person in all Sanctuary and probably in the world could doit. We-Sanctuary-needs you, Hanse."

"And once it's done, we'll swear that we had assistance from inside," Zip saidexcitedly, "so that they'll suspect their own, see, and we'll never, never tellanyone that Hanse did it."

"That's true," Hanse told him, "because Hanse isn't going to do it. One moretime: I am not political. I do love living. You told me that you had this bigidea that would do more than anything and no one would have to die. What youwant, though, absolutely requires the death of one person."

Zip glanced at Kama; looked at the best thief on the continent. "Done," he said,thumping the table. "Who has to die?"

"Me, you damned fool, if I were damned fool enough to try to break into the verypalace and snatch Her Fishi-ness's scepter and get out again!" And Hanse rose,pushing back his chair, and turned to the door. And looked down into the eyes ofthe cat that had suddenly got itself to a point two feet from his buskins andwas staring up at him with big round black marbles set in green almonds. Showingalmost no ears. Notable made a nasty remark.

One dramatic exit blown all to hell by a cat. Hanse sighed and, slowly, easedback down into the chair to await the advent of Ahdio's gimp-legged aide.

"You rotten dam' cat," he muttered, picking up his glazed mug. "I think I likeyou. Here, have a beer."

Notable hissed.

"I CANNOT BE SLAIN BY WEAPONS OF YOUR PLANE, IDIOT, LITTLE THIEF, POOR DEMIMORTAL," the god Vashanka had said to Hanse, and then Hanse put the knife intothe god, and Vashanka was sore struck and must die, even as He slew Hanse. YetVashanka was right: He could not be slain, and so was hurled forever from thisplane on which existed Thieves' World, Sanctuary, and Ranke, Vashanka's chosencity and people, and could never return, for here He had been killed.

Since Vashanka had killed Hanse but did not exist on this plane and so could nothave killed Hanse, a paradox existed and paradoxes, the god Ils of theIlsigi said, could not exist. And therefore Hanse called Shadowspawn calledGodson was alive and unmarked. And Ils gazed down at him.

"You, beloved son of Shadow, have defeated a God and restored Me to My Ownpeople in Sanctuary. Further, as Vashanka had become the most powerful of thegods of Ranke, that people's power shall wane. Empires die slowly, but it hasbegun, as of this moment."

And, "For ten circuits of the sun, you shall have what you wish. All that youdesire.... Then you will face Me again, beloved Hanse, and tell Me what is yourdesire."

As the weary Hanse, spawn of the shadows and son of the shadow-god Shalpa (andslayer of a God), trudged home that night, he wished that this weariness ofbattle would go from him; and it was so, and then grinning, he made anotherwish, and when he entered his room there she was. His wish, awaiting him in hisbed all low-lashed and smoky-eyed.

The night was wonderful after that, that night of Hanse's great triumph andVashanka's death-banishment forever, and in the morning the ships were there.The Beysib had come.

Hanse went down to the dock that day and looked at the ships as they camecloser, and closer, and he pondered and considered. Then he went back up toEaglenest where he had consorted with gods and fought with a god. They were notthere. Only the ruins were there. And the well. Hanse sighed. That well had heldtwo horsebags full of silver coin-and a few gold-for many, many months, and themoney was his. Without it, strangely, he had been neither better nor worse off.Merely Hanse, thief, thinking about his next theft and his next girl andphantasizing about those he could not ha-

But he could, couldn't he? Ils had sent to his bed Esaria, the beautifulyoung daughter of Venerable Shafralain. It had been a wonderful night, and noill had come of it. A shudder took him as he thought that the love goddessEshi, too, had shared his bed-he thought. And too. She was somehow involvedwith Mignureal, daughter of Moonflower... who had expressly asked Hanse tostay away from her daughter, He had been willing, but since then-oh, sincethen, all that had happened!

He walked back down to Sanctuary, pondering. Phantasizing. Along the way a sortof test had arisen: a big accoster had a go at him. Hanse readied himself buttook opportunity to wish the fellow would just go to sleep and leave him alone.He watched the man yawn, then crumple up like a falling curtain. Marveling,Hanse checked that crumpled form. Alive, definitely alive. Just asleep. Justlike that.

"Why-I have ten days (or months? Surely not years!) of this! Whatever I wish!"

In his excitement he spoke aloud in a rising voice, and danced a few jiggysteps, and joyously entered Sanctuary with a thousand visions and possibilities,a thousand phantasies chasing each other through his mind. He found his belovedMoonflower the seer, and astonished her by hugging her while he wished that shehad twice the coinage she thought within the vast cleavage of what she calledher treasure chest, and that it was in gold and silver besides. He heard theclinks and saw her look of surprise and some discomfort as that temporarystorage vault between the great pillows of her bosom became crowded and heavy,on the instant.