do it.”
I looked at the two of them. “I take it, then, that you find your parts acceptable.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“Good. The first thing that has to happen is the Skin needs to make contact with the Anvil. Kragar? Find anything?”
“He is exceptionally fond of small sculpted objects, especially jade and silver.”
“Silver sculpted objects?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, I have something that should work. It’s in my flat; I’ll send for it. Omlo, in the Dragon Wing there will be an office for Lord Feorae. He is responsible for civic and county investigations. Find somewhere to wait near his office. There’s probably a waiting room just outside of it.”
“My lord, what do I say if someone asks me what I’m doing there?”
“Give him an evasive answer.”
“My lord?”
“You’re an aristocrat. Make yourself look like, I don’t know, a Hawk.” I found a scrap of paper and wrote an address on it, handed it to him. “When we’re done, go there and tell them you’re from me, and you need to pass for a Hawklord—ears, complexion, and everything.”
“I can do that.”
“And can you act the part?”
“I believe so, m’lord.”
“Look vague and distracted most of the time. If you’re asked a question, sniff and look disdainful.”
“And if doing so should incite a challenge, my lord?”
“Don’t sniff that loudly.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“If you sniff just loud enough, and hit the disdainful perfectly, you won’t have to wait too long to see him. Then, well, lay it out. You have the item and a sudden need for money.”
“And if he asks me why?”
“Gambling debts.”
He nodded.
“Put the proposition simply. Yes, no, or he’ll think about it. Kragar will give you a psiprint and a description of the object. It’s a silver tiassa, very small and delicate, with sapphires for eyes. I think Feorae will want to buy it, but we’ll see.”
“Yes, m’lord.”
“If he says yes, you can get it to him as soon as tomorrow.”
He nodded. Maybe he’d run out of m’lords.
“Are you clear on what you need to do?”
“Yes, m’lord.” Guess he had another.
“As soon as you have the material, head straight over to the Dragon Wing and get started. In the meantime, we’ll just wait here. Shouldn’t take long.”
He nodded, looking a little nervous, like it had just become real to him.
Foxy nodded to Omlo. “Do you like it?”
“My lord?”
“The job. Do you like it?”
“It seems all right so far, m’lord.”
“No, not this job, being a pr—, a tag.”
“Oh. It’s all right.”
“What House are you? I can’t tell from looking at you.”
“Chreotha, m’lord.”
“How did you end up in your line of work?”
“My lord? I’m not sure how to answer that. I guess I just fell into it.”
“That’s it? You fell into it?”
Omlo seemed puzzled. “Yes, my lord.” He looked at me.
“My lord the Fox wants to hear a hard luck story,” I told him.
Omlo frowned. “There wasn’t anything else I wanted to do, or was any good at. And the money is all right.”
“Do you have a pimp?”
“No, m’lord. What I earn is all mine after I split with the house.”
“Earn,” he said.
Omlo looked puzzled.
“I just don’t know much about it,” said Blue. “I’m curious. That’s a whole world I’ve never come in contact with, and it makes me curious. What it’s like working in a house, sex with someone you’ve never even met—”
“Or,” I told Omlo, “he might be considering switching careers.”
Ibronka reached out a hand and touched his arm. “Maybe you should drop it,” she said. I couldn’t tell who she was addressing, but if it was me I was willing.
Sometime during the conversation Kragar had returned; I know because it was about then he said, “It’s ready.”
I nodded to Omlo, who rose, bowed, and set off to begin the operation, Kragar leading the way.
“What now?” asked Fox.
“Nothing until we get a solid draw on
I looked at the two of them. “I take it, then, that you find your parts acceptable.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“Good. The first thing that has to happen is the Skin needs to make contact with the Anvil. Kragar? Find anything?”
“He is exceptionally fond of small sculpted objects, especially jade and silver.”
“Silver sculpted objects?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, I have something that should work. It’s in my flat; I’ll send for it. Omlo, in the Dragon Wing there will be an office for Lord Feorae. He is responsible for civic and county investigations. Find somewhere to wait near his office. There’s probably a waiting room just outside of it.”
“My lord, what do I say if someone asks me what I’m doing there?”
“Give him an evasive answer.”
“My lord?”
“You’re an aristocrat. Make yourself look like, I don’t know, a Hawk.” I found a scrap of paper and wrote an address on it, handed it to him. “When we’re done, go there and tell them you’re from me, and you need to pass for a Hawklord—ears, complexion, and everything.”
“I can do that.”
“And can you act the part?”
“I believe so, m’lord.”
“Look vague and distracted most of the time. If you’re asked a question, sniff and look disdainful.”
“And if doing so should incite a challenge, my lord?”
“Don’t sniff that loudly.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“If you sniff just loud enough, and hit the disdainful perfectly, you won’t have to wait too long to see him. Then, well, lay it out. You have the item and a sudden need for money.”
“And if he asks me why?”
“Gambling debts.”
He nodded.
“Put the proposition simply. Yes, no, or he’ll think about it. Kragar will give you a psiprint and a description of the object. It’s a silver tiassa, very small and delicate, with sapphires for eyes. I think Feorae will want to buy it, but we’ll see.”
“Yes, m’lord.”
“If he says yes, you can get it to him as soon as tomorrow.”
He nodded. Maybe he’d run out of m’lords.
“Are you clear on what you need to do?”
“Yes, m’lord.” Guess he had another.
“As soon as you have the material, head straight over to the Dragon Wing and get started. In the meantime, we’ll just wait here. Shouldn’t take long.”
He nodded, looking a little nervous, like it had just become real to him.
Foxy nodded to Omlo. “Do you like it?”
“My lord?”
“The job. Do you like it?”
“It seems all right so far, m’lord.”
“No, not this job, being a pr—, a tag.”
“Oh. It’s all right.”
“What House are you? I can’t tell from looking at you.”
“Chreotha, m’lord.”
“How did you end up in your line of work?”
“My lord? I’m not sure how to answer that. I guess I just fell into it.”
“That’s it? You fell into it?”
Omlo seemed puzzled. “Yes, my lord.” He looked at me.
“My lord the Fox wants to hear a hard luck story,” I told him.
Omlo frowned. “There wasn’t anything else I wanted to do, or was any good at. And the money is all right.”
“Do you have a pimp?”
“No, m’lord. What I earn is all mine after I split with the house.”
“Earn,” he said.
Omlo looked puzzled.
“I just don’t know much about it,” said Blue. “I’m curious. That’s a whole world I’ve never come in contact with, and it makes me curious. What it’s like working in a house, sex with someone you’ve never even met—”
“Or,” I told Omlo, “he might be considering switching careers.”
Ibronka reached out a hand and touched his arm. “Maybe you should drop it,” she said. I couldn’t tell who she was addressing, but if it was me I was willing.
Sometime during the conversation Kragar had returned; I know because it was about then he said, “It’s ready.”
I nodded to Omlo, who rose, bowed, and set off to begin the operation, Kragar leading the way.
“What now?” asked Fox.
“Nothing until we get a solid draw on
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