Rent time!”

Before Thanquol could countermand him, Boneripper threw open the door and dragged the old woman inside.

“Herr Jaeger, there’s no need to be so rough!” They were Frau Zorin’s last words before Boneripper tore her throat out.

Well, at least he wouldn’t have to feed the rat-ogre for another three hours, thought the grey seer. He waited for Boneripper to finish his meal.

“Come-come, we have business elsewhere,” he told him. They headed for the sewers and their meeting with von Halstadt.


* * *


“Success, manling!” Gotrek exclaimed, and tapped again to make sure. He nodded his head smugly. “I’ve found the passage or my mother was a troll!”

I wouldn’t bet against that, thought Felix, but kept the thought to himself. He watched as the Slayer set down his hatchet and began to run his fingers around the brickwork.

“Nice bit of work this. Well concealed. Probably dwarf, I’d say. No wonder I missed it the other day. The git must have paid a dwarf crew to dig his bolt-tunnel and then sworn them to secrecy. Now if I’m right there should be—”

His stubby powerful fingers pushed against a single brick. It sank into the wall. There came a quiet grinding sound, as of perfectly balanced counterweights shifting. A section of the wall slid back. Felix saw a small vestibule and a metal ladder leading up. Gotrek turned and smiled, revealing his missing teeth. He looked genuinely pleased. “Very nice work indeed. Bugger must have outdistanced me, turned that corner and ducked in. No wonder I couldn’t find him. My eyes were still stinging from the gas, too.”

“There’s no need to make excuses, Gotrek,” Felix said.

“No excuse, manling. I just want—”

“Are we going to stand here all night, young Felix, or are you going to go up and take a look around?” Rudi interrupted.

“Me?”

“Well, all this was your idea.” Felix saw the unease written on Rudi’s face. The big man was scared by the prospect of burgling so important a citizen’s home. Not surprisingly, thought Felix. He’s a watchman. He’s spent the last ten years catching criminals, not being one.

“Are you going to do it, manling, or should I?” The thought of the Trollslayer clumping around upstairs galvanised Felix into action. He remembered Otto’s words about there being Templars of the White Wolf on guard above. He didn’t relish the prospect of being discovered by them.

“I’ll take a look first,” he said, “and I’ll let you know if it’s safe.”


Felix held his breath and glanced around. The ladder emerged in another small chamber with a single door. This led out into a large wine cellar.

Looking back, Felix saw that the door was attached to a wine rack, so that when it was closed it was virtually invisible.