Shand was a half-blooded Tarthenal and one of three 'handsome', brawny, and intimidating women employed by Tehol Beddict of Letheras. Shand was described as sporting a shaved head, and having gleaming pale skin, wide-set light grey eyes, and possessing 'fine' legs (in Tehol's opinion). She was attired in almost white, skin-tight, tanned rawhide. Her comrades and associates were Rissarh and Hejun.[1]
As a child she had made a living picking olives and grapes.[2]
Shand's office
Shand, Rissarh, and Hejune purchased a building in Letheras to serve as the headquarters for their financial scheme. Its ground floor was a former carpenter's shop which faced the Quillas Canal from which the former owner had received supplies by boat. A drop-down staircase led to a modest collection of low-ceilinged residential rooms on the upper level. The downstairs workshop was largely open and the three women had made some alterations to grant easy access to the kitchen upstairs. Outside was a privy that emptied into the canal and a cold shed with a large ice-box. The women purchased the building for two thousand Thirds when the previous owner to decided to expand his business at another location.[3]
In Midnight Tides
Shand, Rissarh, and Hejun sought revenge against the Kingdom of Lether for subjugating and annihilating their tribal peoples.[4][5] They sought out Tehol Beddict as the instrument of their revenge after stumbling upon the truth of his infamous financial escapades. With little effort, Tehol had converted a small amount of money into a massive sum, then seemingly lost it all and temporarily crashed the Merchant Tolls. In reality, the three women discovered he had used the money to secretly purchase islands and resettle indigent tribespeople there.[6][7]
Shand and the others requested Tehol meet them at Huldo's where they demanded he partner with them on an even bolder scheme. Although initially put off by his odd appearance and mannerisms, the three offered Tehol a starting seed of thirty thousand Thirds with the goal of making ten Peaks, an amount ten times greater than Tehol's last attempt. This amount would allow them to purchase the rest of the islands as well as destroy the corrupt economy of Lether. Tehol agreed and the women provided an office around which he and his manservant, Bugg, could organise the scheme.[6]
Their partnership was not an easy one. Tehol kept his plans close to the vest, and the women often angrily demanded he make use of the three of them as fronts for a number of his many shadow ventures. Tehol kept them busy buying shares in local businesses and financial operations, supplying them with fake leads as often as real ones.[8] He also hired the half-Tarthenal Ublala Pung to serve as their bodyguard, although they were more impressed by his sexual prowess. The sensitive Ublala was made miserable by their lack of loyalty, commitment, or respect for his feelings.[6][9] The three women's suspicious and combative nature even led to a brawl with Rucket at The Trampled Peacock.[10]
Ultimately the Tiste Edur invasion of Lether led Tehol to break the terms of their agreement. Although they managed to spirit away many of Letheras' tribes people to the islands, Tehol refused to bring the kingdom low and allow the Edur to become conquerors, a situation that would do neither people any good. Shand argued that only the women's revenge mattered.[5] When the victorious Edur entered the capital, Tehol sent Shand, Rissarh, and Hejun to safety on the islands aboard Shurq Elalle's new ship.[11][12]
Notes and references
- ↑ Midnight Tides, Chapter 2, US TPB p.62-63
- ↑ Midnight Tides, Chapter 2, US SFBC p.89
- ↑ Midnight Tides, Chapter 10, US SFBC p.87-88
- ↑ Midnight Tides, Chapter 10, US SFBC p.90-91
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Midnight Tides, Chapter 14, US SFBC p.439-440
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Midnight Tides, Chapter 2, US SFBC p.87-92 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name ":1" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Midnight Tides, Chapter 2, US SFBC p.75-77
- ↑ Midnight Tides, Chapter 10, US TPB p.256-257
- ↑ Midnight Tides, Chapter 10, US SFBC p.298
- ↑ Midnight Tides, Chapter 17, US SFBC p.541-543
- ↑ Midnight Tides, Chapter 24, US SFBC p.697
- ↑ Midnight Tides, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.766