"Well?" Goniff asked and he turned towards Casino rather than Actor.

"Schubert's Impromptu…."

'Number three", Actor inserted into the slight pause. "Would either of you care to know the key?"

Goniff just rolled his eyes at him and headed out of the library for the kitchens where he hoped to find something to sate his ever-present hunger.

Casino turned an arched brow on the con man when they were alone. "You rig that? You put that piece in there for him to find?" When the slight color started in the Italian's cheeks he gave a snort.

After a moment Actor gave a half smile. "It is rather embarrassing to be bested by you so routinely in this…"

"I told ya," Casino cut in. "It's just cause a the girls…"

"It is more than that." Actor cut across the safe cracker's protests and added, "Shakespeare?," to support his argument.

"Well that was just…"

"You accidentally showing that you are more intelligent than you allow others to realize." Actor considered his teammate for a moment. "Why would you want to do something like that?" He didn't really expect an answer and was surprised to see the other man mulling over his reply.

"What good is that kinda stuff gonna do a guy like me?"

Actor set his pipe aside and closed the book he'd been reading. "What possible harm could it do to you?"

"Are you kidding?!" Casino got up and started to pace and he threw his hand out to encompass the books lining the room. "Jeeze! Do you know what would happen to me in stir if the rest a the goons in there found out?"

"But you are no longer in 'stir'." The group's second pointed out.

"There's still Goniff…."

"Who certainly doesn't seem to hold it against you." Actor smiled as he recalled the little cat burglar's enthusiasm for his 'bed-time story' the other night.

"Yeah? Well what about…."

"Chief?" Actor shrugged. "I wouldn't assume he gives it much thought one way or the other."

Casino stood starring at the con man a moment before he threw himself back on the sofa and slouched down so his head rested on the back of the seat. "I really used to love hearing the girls play you know, even when they were first startin' out. And they got good…and that's not just their big brother talkin'. Everybody thought so. And some a the other people at those recitals….Man." He sat with his memories for a minute or two before continuing. "There's just somethin' about music that just makes you feel good," he straighten up and challenged the Italian with a glare. "Y' know?"

Actor smiled. "Yes, I know."

"I used to sneak into concert halls some times once I was on the road…told the other guys I was casing the place."

Actor shared a laugh with the other man. "What about the books?"

"Ma read to us. None a that light-weight kid stuff either." Casino shrugged. "I tried to sneak a couple a books outta the library at Leavenworth once."

The attitude was too nonchalant. "I assume you were caught?"

Casino gave a snort, "Almost got my teeth kicked in."

Actor watched the other man for a few moments. "I know you achieved your high school equivalency before you were shipped over here."

Casino nodded his head. There'd been some fights in the yard over that too but he'd worked hard for that. He had to convince the teacher that came in to do the classes to move his test up just so he could take it before he shipped out too. And he sent the papers off to his Ma when he got 'em.

"I think you should continue your education."

The group's explosives expert gave another snort. "Right. Again, what good would that do a guy like me?" He pushed himself off the sofa and walked to the wall of books. "It's not like they'd ever let me use it for anything."

The Italian con man knew he was right. They'd get their paroles, if they survived, but they'd still have their prison records. That record would always limit their options. But still…. " 'They' do not have the power to limit what you make of yourself Casino. And very often the benefit of an education is not what you 'do' with it but merely the joy of obtaining it in the first place."

Casino walked along the wall of books, letting his fingers trail lightly across the spines. His folks talked like that. The Warden talked like that too. He stopped and looked back along the shelf. "Yeah, maybe." But he turned and bristled at Actor when he heard him laugh. "What?!"

"I am simply wondering what other secrets you are hiding from us."

The safe cracker gave a lopsided grin. "Well you know if I tell ya, Actor, I gotta kill ya." And he pushed away from the wall and headed out the door shouting, "Indian! Where are ya, ya lousy crumb?!"

If Chief heard that shout, and with his acute hearing the con man had no doubt he had, there would be a fight for the Warden to break up very soon. Actor shook his head and picked up his pipe and relit it and went back to his book.