me, “Are you about to reveal all, Vladimir?”
“Yeah, I was thinking about going over the plan with our new friends.”
She nodded. “Not a bad idea. But then they might see it coming when we betray them to the Empire for the reward.”
“That isn’t all that funny,” said Foxy.
I studied him; the expression on his face was, in spite of his words, amused. I said, “First of all, yes it is. Second, is there a reward for you?”
“Not in this county,” he said.
“That would make transportation a problem,” I said.
“A big problem,” said Ibronka, smiling sweetly the way I smile sweetly.
I said, “How big is the reward? I might need to consider this.”
“It’s gone up and down a few times,” he said, “depending on how busy we’ve been. Right now, I think it’s about twelve hundred imperials.”
“I’m impressed,” I said. And I was, too: I was impressed that he named the same amount Kragar had found; usually they like to understate if they’re scared, or exaggerate if they aren’t.
He made a bowing gesture. “I like to think I’m successful in my field.”
I nodded. “No question, one takes pride in accomplishment.” Ibronka looked carefully blank; Cawti smirked. I said, “For now, we’ll skip the whole betrayal-transportation-reward plan, and go with my original idea. Besides, I’d hate to get a reputation for being untrustworthy.”
Bluey nodded. “Best not to let that happen.”
“I’m going to tell you how this will work. I want Kragar and Cawti here to poke holes in the plan.”
“I thought that was my job, Boss.”
“If you want to fight a duel with Kragar for the privilege, I won’t stop you.”
“All right,” I said. “It’s a simple plan made complicated by the need to not get killed. The idea is to convince the Empire that this method of catching highwaymen is a bad idea. Now—”
“Do you do this sort of thing a lot?”
“What?”
“Convince the Empire to change how it does things.”
“Not as often as you’d think.”
“All right. Go on.”
“We’re going to arrange for the Empire to catch us using tagged coins, then make them wish they hadn’t.”
“Right. I already guessed that part.”
“Then here’s the rest.”
I went over the whole thing, first in general, then more specifically, concentrating on the warning and the false chase. Then I went over it again. Then I said, “Questions?”
Cawti had one. “The first part, the race. What if they pull in help that heads him off before he gets to you?”
I frowned. “Good point. Kragar, get us ten reliable people stationed along the route to get in the way in case the law gets too close.”
“How much am I paying them for this?”
“Enough, but not too much.”
“Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome. Any other questions?”
Fox-fellow had one: “Is this going to work?”
I considered that. “Almost certainly, probably, there’s a good chance, perhaps, and I very much hope so, depending on which part of it we’re discussing. Your end, almost certainly.”
“That’s reassuring,” he said as if it wasn’t.
“And,” said Ibronka, “what about your end? By which I mean, the result.”
“If everything else works, I’m hopeful about that.”
“I’m glad to know your state of mind,” she said as if she weren’t.
Kragar nodded toward Omlo. “Uh, I don’t know you, so no offense, but you don’t look like you could pull off the part. Are you an actor?”
“In a way, m’lord.”
“He’s one of my tags,” I said.
“Ah. All right, then.”
The Blue one said, “What’s a tag?”
“A prostitute,” I said. “They have to be able to act, at least a little, and they’re usually pretty hungry for money.”
He frowned. “I’ve never heard that expression.”
“Years ago,” I said, “street prostitutes used to walk around with a tag on their shoulders, listing their price.”
“Oh.”
Ibronka said, “If we’re going to do this, let’s
“Yeah, I was thinking about going over the plan with our new friends.”
She nodded. “Not a bad idea. But then they might see it coming when we betray them to the Empire for the reward.”
“That isn’t all that funny,” said Foxy.
I studied him; the expression on his face was, in spite of his words, amused. I said, “First of all, yes it is. Second, is there a reward for you?”
“Not in this county,” he said.
“That would make transportation a problem,” I said.
“A big problem,” said Ibronka, smiling sweetly the way I smile sweetly.
I said, “How big is the reward? I might need to consider this.”
“It’s gone up and down a few times,” he said, “depending on how busy we’ve been. Right now, I think it’s about twelve hundred imperials.”
“I’m impressed,” I said. And I was, too: I was impressed that he named the same amount Kragar had found; usually they like to understate if they’re scared, or exaggerate if they aren’t.
He made a bowing gesture. “I like to think I’m successful in my field.”
I nodded. “No question, one takes pride in accomplishment.” Ibronka looked carefully blank; Cawti smirked. I said, “For now, we’ll skip the whole betrayal-transportation-reward plan, and go with my original idea. Besides, I’d hate to get a reputation for being untrustworthy.”
Bluey nodded. “Best not to let that happen.”
“I’m going to tell you how this will work. I want Kragar and Cawti here to poke holes in the plan.”
“I thought that was my job, Boss.”
“If you want to fight a duel with Kragar for the privilege, I won’t stop you.”
“All right,” I said. “It’s a simple plan made complicated by the need to not get killed. The idea is to convince the Empire that this method of catching highwaymen is a bad idea. Now—”
“Do you do this sort of thing a lot?”
“What?”
“Convince the Empire to change how it does things.”
“Not as often as you’d think.”
“All right. Go on.”
“We’re going to arrange for the Empire to catch us using tagged coins, then make them wish they hadn’t.”
“Right. I already guessed that part.”
“Then here’s the rest.”
I went over the whole thing, first in general, then more specifically, concentrating on the warning and the false chase. Then I went over it again. Then I said, “Questions?”
Cawti had one. “The first part, the race. What if they pull in help that heads him off before he gets to you?”
I frowned. “Good point. Kragar, get us ten reliable people stationed along the route to get in the way in case the law gets too close.”
“How much am I paying them for this?”
“Enough, but not too much.”
“Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome. Any other questions?”
Fox-fellow had one: “Is this going to work?”
I considered that. “Almost certainly, probably, there’s a good chance, perhaps, and I very much hope so, depending on which part of it we’re discussing. Your end, almost certainly.”
“That’s reassuring,” he said as if it wasn’t.
“And,” said Ibronka, “what about your end? By which I mean, the result.”
“If everything else works, I’m hopeful about that.”
“I’m glad to know your state of mind,” she said as if she weren’t.
Kragar nodded toward Omlo. “Uh, I don’t know you, so no offense, but you don’t look like you could pull off the part. Are you an actor?”
“In a way, m’lord.”
“He’s one of my tags,” I said.
“Ah. All right, then.”
The Blue one said, “What’s a tag?”
“A prostitute,” I said. “They have to be able to act, at least a little, and they’re usually pretty hungry for money.”
He frowned. “I’ve never heard that expression.”
“Years ago,” I said, “street prostitutes used to walk around with a tag on their shoulders, listing their price.”
“Oh.”
Ibronka said, “If we’re going to do this, let’s
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