Part 1: Defensive Maneuvers

I've always been good at adapting to unexpected situations. You didn't survive very long on the streets of The City if you weren't. The books I stole from Costa looked like they were written in bird scratch but I could interpret them by cross-referencing books in Madame Xiao-Xiao's personal collection. She did say that I had two free visits to the House of Blossoms, and I intended to use them well.

"Thief! What do you think you're doing here?" She was far more modest than I assumed she would be, clinging to her robe as if it hid anything I hadn't seen before. I stood in the doorway of the madame's boudoir with no real concern over the fact that she hadn't finished applying her costume of the day.

"Cashing in my favors," I said as I closed the door behind me. "I want to use your reading room and I believe you owe me two unrestricted trips into your territory." Not that I couldn't make those trips on my own, but it felt good holding favors over Xiao-Xiao's head.

She rolled her eyes and pointed a hairbrush at me. "Well next time, do me the kindness of knocking first? Damn, not even a second to finish brushing my hair." Knowing that I already knew where it was, she gestured towards the hidden passage in the back of her room, then went back to stroking the wig balanced on her other fist.

I moved past her with a smirk. "Honestly, I think you look better without it."

"Don't get fresh with me, you tease. You couldn't afford it, even if you stole all the treasure in The City."

The first book was a catalog of glyphs the Keepers used for different purposes. It looked like there was a glyph for everything, and the ones I was interested in were in there as well. I marked stones on the clock tower in the way that the book instructed and from then on, I didn't have any unwanted visitors. Not a single roach, fly or rat. It seemed to keep the people on the streets from getting curious enough to approach as well. Usually I could find at least one vagrant sleeping in the doorway, but once the glyphs were in place, no one ever called the stoop of the clock tower home again.

I had to use a separate glyph to give a select few the privilege of entering the clock tower: Namely, Rumor and Jenivere the Second. Scribe retired to the role of a fence, using her vast knowledge and pet macaw to keep opportunities fresh. She and Basso were the only fences in The City that had earned my regular attention, so I gave them my exclusive access, with one condition:

"If you ever contact me to do business on behalf of the Queen of Beggars, we're through."

They looked at each other before Basso nodded in agreement. "Got it, jeez, Garrett. What'd she do?"

"She lied to me and got me killed. If Red Jenny didn't have a few jobs for me, I'd still be sleeping in the Maw."

Scribe shook her head and paced the floor of his office. "That doesn't sound like the Queen of Beggars, Garrett. Are you sure—"

"I'm sure that I never want to hear from her again, and if you ever want to see me again, you will never carry one of her messages to my window."

She finally agreed and sent Rumor from her shoulder to my arm to receive her mark. As far as they could tell, I was just petting the bird's head in an odd pattern but the white light that transferred from my fingertips to Rumor's crown were plain as day to me. I repeated the action on Jenivere the Second, though not without some strategy. Just like her predecessor, she was pretty eager to take a finger that came a little too near.

"By the way." Scribe took a bundle from beneath her cloak and opened it partway so I could see what was inside: Every piece of my collection that Six-Fingers stole. She re-wrapped the bundle and held it out to me. "Here is everything back that Six took from your hideout, my friend."

I couldn't help but smile a little when I took back my trophies, though I stopped when she called me "friend." It sounded odd coming from someone who once cursed the rooftops I walked on. "Don't say that out loud. It kind of ruins it."

She tapped her chin but wasn't the least bit offended. "Hmm. You're right. Well anyway, you have what you were owed, and know that Six continues to be in the sloop pot until further notice. Which means, I have a job for you if you're interested."

"Hey," Basso called over his desk, "no doing business in my office! Go get your own! Besides, I also have a to-do list for Garrett. Now get outta here so we can talk shop."

Scribe rolled her eyes as she turned towards the door. "Fine, but do come see me when you have a free moment, Garrett. I need you to steal something from a museum."

I watched Scribe leave before speaking to Basso again. "Her job sounds pretty interesting. I hope yours can top it."

"Hey now. Did that hug we shared at your funeral mean nothing to you? Talk about a fair weather friend." He hesitated, which told me exactly what direction this conversation was going in. "Look, Garrett—"

"Don't, Basso."

He held up his hands. "Okay, okay. I know you're upset, and I'm not trying to defend what happened... But you and I both know that the Queen of Beggars would never do anything to intentionally hurt you. She cares about you as if you were her grandson. Or great-grandson. I can never tell how old she is."

"Do you have a job for me or not?" I gestured to the open door. "Because Scribe does, and all I want to do right now is have a normal night."

"Yeah, yeah, I understand." He took a hand-drawn map out of his coat pocket and held it out to me. "The Bertellis are a wealthy family from Illyria that just moved into Auldale. Some of their belongings are still en route but they brought a shipment of family heirlooms with them which will be on display around their manor. The list is on the back."

I flipped over the drawing and studied the list. There were several art pieces described, along with a set of jewelry.

"Seems not all the extended family back home are happy that they took the heirlooms with them. Get 'em back and we'll return them with a nice little bow on top."

"How's the security?"

"Bored but present, so be on your best behavior."

"I always am." I turned to leave but looked back at him over my shoulder. "... Do they have any children?"

Basso was rightfully thrown off by my question. "What? I don't think so, why?"

"Nevermind." I felt stupid for even asking. Gamall was back in the Maw where she belonged and even if she was still out there, stealing from a wealthy family wouldn't put anyone in danger. And why did I care, anyway? I wasn't going to let that ordeal influence me any longer.

Ever since I absorbed the primal energy in the witch's stone, I found myself able to see and hear things that other people spent their whole lives not noticing. The jingle of a coin purse was obvious to the point where I knew if a person had enough worth stealing. I could see footholds and places to grip on buildings that didn't strike me as an option before. Things like that were noticeable back when that small piece of the primal stone was in me, but now I didn't have to concentrate to see any of it. The little details were there all along and my eyes were finally open enough to see them.

I could also see residents of The City that I didn't know were there. Ghosts were everywhere, trying to get people to notice them. I quickly learned not to give them my attention. As soon as I did, that ghost wouldn't stop following me and repeating itself until I moved out of range of whatever it was haunting. If Red Jenny had been such an expert at her job, there shouldn't have been so many wandering around.

I caught a glimpse of her from time to time as well. I could see her out the corner of my eye, ushering the dead from different alleys and windows. Sometimes, I was sure I saw her in two places at once, but when I turned my head to look, she was gone. If I held still and watched without actually looking, I could see which wings she unfolded over the people she came to collect. There were a few times when I was amused and surprised by what I half-saw.

The Bertelli manor was impressively perched on a hillside in Auldale, and standing on its fence gave me a wonderful view of The City at night. All of the lanterns that dotted the streets shimmered like a second sky. I could certainly see why they chose the location and knew that it must have cost them a fair amount.

The interior of the manor had its own beauty to it but I wasn't there to admire the architecture. Every painting on the list was already on display in the hallways, and I quietly collected them in between the guards' patrol patterns. The paintings' displays were fitted with velvet curtains so the Bertellis could show off to their guests with a dramatic reveal. I almost wished I could be there when they revealed their very empty picture frames.

The set of jewelry was kept in the drawing room on the bottom level. There were statues and display cases waiting for their prizes but the set I was looking for had already been fitted to the statue of a woman.

I started collecting the pieces, taking a moment to admire them one-by-one. Then a suspicious feeling came over me. I slipped a jeweled bracelet into my pouch and gripped the handle of my blackjack in the same motion. When I spun around, I swung the weapon with enough force to brain whoever was behind me—it clapped against a long baton held up defensively by Costa.

Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised that he managed to get so close to me without my notice. "If you've come to take the Bertelli heirlooms, I'm afraid this job is taken," I whispered.

"I'm not a thief," he whispered as well, "and neither should you be. Did you learn nothing from your encounter with the hag?"

"Yeah, that I was right not to trust anyone." Regardless of why he was there, I turned back to the statue and finished taking its jewelry.

"I asked you to come find me, Garrett. The Queen of Beggars—"

"Is no longer my ally, which means any friend of hers is not a friend of mine." I turned to leave and Costa stepped into my path. My fingers squeezed around the handle of my blackjack. "Get out of my way."

"I know she told you that you're a Keeper, Garrett. Whatever her attachment is to you, I'm having a hard time seeing it, but the Queen of Beggars chose you for this task. I'm giving you the opportunity to accept the role gracefully."

We squared off but I wasn't about to risk Basso's commission over this foolishness. I noticed that every time my grip flexed on my weapon, his made a subtle readiness on his baton. He was ready for a fight if I planned to give him one but I was going to have to disappoint him.

"Usually when people need my services, they have gold or something else of value to offer me." I put my blackjack away and stepped around him. "You don't have anything I want, not even this Keeper title."

"Then you leave me no choice."

I rolled my eyes and pushed past the door to re-enter the hallway. Before I could fully close the door behind me, Costa shouted through the opening.

"Guards! There's a thief here!"

I looked back to glare at him but he was gone. Then the guards came barreling down the hallway. I had planned to take a few extra souvenirs for myself but that son of a bitch just ruined my night. I retreated into the drawing room and locked the door behind me. While the guards did their best to break it down, I pulled a banner off the wall above it and prepared to make my escape.

According to the Keepers' catalog, using a door glyph to turn any door into a portal was a lost art. I was happy to have it as an advantage over Costa, though I didn't like to use it; after all, there was no challenge in simply walking into a building and walking out with the treasure. But in this case I was going to have to make an exception.

After I drew the last part of the glyph, the banging on the other side of the door stopped. When I unlocked and opened it, I was staring at the ground level of the clock tower from its entrance. I left the drawing room and entered the tower as if I was stepping in from the plaza. Then I went back out and headed to Basso's to turn in the heirlooms.