Hajin sank into the bath inch by careful inch, holding the fresh wraps well clear of the steaming waterline.
"Oh, gods, yes, that's the stuff..."
Warmth crawled into the knots beneath his shoulders, and he leaned back like a fat lord without a single care. The treated ribs answered that lordly lean with a vicious jab, and he jerked upright before the ache could sharpen.
"Fuck, fine, elbow on the rim, ribs stay quiet, everybody's happy," he hissed, propping himself against the side.
'A short soak, then food and sleep, even I can obey orders that pleasant.'
He closed his eyes as the water settled, but the audience hall kept replaying behind his eyelids.
'Twelve feet away, and the old man looked at me like a problem somebody forgot to bury.'
'A badge makes it harder, sure, but it doesn't make a family forget how to hire strangers.'
'Then again, nobody vanishes from a palace room unnoticed, and that beats most of my old contracts.'
