“What was in it?” Phaelan asked.

“I’m not saying. But it’s got nothing to do with what happened back there.”

I knew that probably wasn’t true, but I wasn’t going to force the issue, at least not now. “Did Stocken tell you who the client was?”

“A man by the name of Dinten Ronk,” Quentin said. “Claimed to be a silversmith from Laerin. Simon had heard of a silversmith by that name. Parts of him were found last month stuffed in a barrel on the Laerin docks. The man who showed up at Simon’s may have been a fake, but his gold was real enough, so Simon didn’t ask too many questions.” He grinned. “Didn’t want to scare away a paying customer.”

“Was the impostor Dinten Ronk also human?” I asked.

Quentin shrugged. “As far as I know. Simon didn’t say otherwise, and he would have at least mentioned it. Not that he has anything against nonhumans. Simon does business with everyone.”

“Including goblins?” Phaelan asked.

Quentin threw a nervous glance back in the direction we came from. “Not those goblins.”

“Any idea why the Khrynsani want the amulet?” I asked.

“I didn’t even know there was an amulet. My job was to get the box. Simon didn’t tell me what was inside. I asked. He said the client either didn’t know himself, or just wouldn’t tell him.”

“So why didn’t you bring the box?” Phaelan asked.

“I dropped it, all right?” Quentin’s voice went up about two octaves. “Seeing goblins appear out of nowhere can make you drop things. I had the amulet in my hand, and I figured that’s what they wanted anyway. If I’m dead, the client doesn’t get his goods, and I don’t get the rest of my money, so I jumped out the window. Seeing goblins can make you do that, too.”

I didn’t doubt that, but I did doubt the part about goblins appearing out of nowhere. They had to have come from somewhere, and since they were Khrynsani, they didn’t need a door to make an entrance. I knew that. Quentin didn’t need to. No use scaring him any more than he already was.