Guffy and the two boys were the only passengers left on the coach, when it arrived in San Francisco as dusk fell. As they came to a stop, Heyes nudged the Kid hard to wake him. The younger boy woke with a start, and peered sleepily at his older friend, before his eyes widened. "We're here!"

With that, he leaned round his friend to look out of the window. When all he could see was shadowy darkness, he sighed in disappointment at the dark, and muttered "Can't see the ocean."

Heyes elbowed him as he said with a grin. "Sure can smell it though, Kid, unless that's you of course!"

Kid glared and said. "You're one to talk, Heyes."

Jim shook his head and waved them down to the street. "Now boys, enough, its time we were out of here."

ASJ

As their carriage pulled to a stop outside Silky's mansion, which was brightly lit against the gloom of the oncoming night, Jim glanced over at the two boys. Watching them peer out of the window, he was a little surprised to see them exchange a slightly nervous glance after staring at the house for a few moments in silence. They hadn't shown any hint of anxiety throughout the whole trip. He hid a small smile, amused at their sudden skittishness. Though his smile faded at the reminder of their youth, as a slight worry nudged at him. Had Heyes spotting him cheating, surprised him enough, that he'd been lulled into making a rare error of judgement by bringing them here? But as he leant up to pay the carriage driver, he easily shrugged off his concern. He was Diamond Jim Guffy, and so was rarely, if ever mistaken, and he knew he had enough powers of persuasion to convince even O'Sullivan of their value. There'd be some profit in it for him, he was sure, that would more than cover the expense of bringing them here.

Heyes as if aware of his thoughts, met his gaze firmly, looking calm, as he said. "I think this is gonna work out for us." Had Jim not been such a good judge of people, he'd not have seen any hint of nervousness in his gaze. Jim was once again reminded of his potential, and was certain that Silky didn't have a chance against them both.

His cousin still stared wide eyed at the house, shuffling in his seat more than a little uncomfortably, as he said quietly, but not so quiet that Jim didn't catch the words. "Bet his bedroom is bigger than our whole houses were, Heyes."

Heyes looked over at the house, then back at his friend, and chuckled softly as he replied equally quietly. "Nah, Kid, I'm figuring probably take two bedrooms. And besides he still goes to the toilet same way we do, just think of that when we meet him." The younger boy snorted, but relaxed as a dimpled grin spread across his friend's face.

All three of them clambered out onto the street, as the driver gave them a quick wave, a small smile and a quiet. "Good Luck."

Heyes and the Kid looked at each other again, but said nothing. Jim simply smiled at them and knocked on the brightly painted door as he said. "Don't worry, boys..."

After only a few moments, a smartly dressed man answered, and gazed at them, not quite scowling. Though his expression eased a little in recognition when he saw who it was, as Guffy said cheerfully. "Ahh, William, tell Mr O'Sullivan, Diamond Jim and two guests are here to see him."

William looked between the three of them, his face creasing again in a little puzzlement, as he took in the boys. " I do hope he is in the mood to receive guests, if he is not, I will ask if you can return tomorrow. But do come in, and wait in the hall while I go see what he says."

Guffy grinned at the man. "Ahh William, you know he'll see me whether he's in the mood for guests or not."

William looked down at them. "That is so. Mr Guffy, but you are not alone, so that may change things."

He stood aside to let them into the house, before closing the door firmly behind them, and disappearing into the house to speak to his employer.

ASJ

Jim leant casually against the wall as they waited, unconcerned, while Kid and Heyes looked around the hall with ill concealed awe as Heyes said softly. "Wow, Kid, look at all those lights, more than there was in the whole of Lawrence. He paused, then stared at the brightly coloured wallpaper and added. "And that looks like gold thread in amongst the red."

Kid nodded as he shuffled experimentally with a sigh. "And this carpet feels like I'm stepping in a snow drift its that soft and deep."

Nothing they'd seen, not even in Kansas City, delivering documents, had quite prepared them for something this fancy, and they swallowed hard more than a little impressed and awestruck by the grandeur around them. Heyes watched his friend in some amusement, as he carefully wiped what he figured was sweaty palms, against his pants legs.

Jim was impressed that despite their obvious nervousness, they didn't even start when the door to their right opened, and the man they were here to see stepped into the hallway staring at the two boys disparagingly as he snarled, "I'm not running a schoolhouse, Jim, ya know that!" Mr O'Sullivan, known by most as Silky, for reasons no one was quite sure of, continued to scowl at the youngsters as he added. "What am I supposed to do with 'em?" He turned hi scowl onto Jim as he growled. "Take 'em back where ya found 'em. Just because we work together sometimes doesn't mean..."

The younger looking boy straightened up, and shook off his friend's restraining hand, scowling right back at him, as he folded his arms across his chest. Nodding towards Jim, and obviously irritated by their lack of welcome, he said firmly, though Jim could hear the slightest undercurrent of nerves under his tone, though nothing else in is manner indicated he was anything but confident. "My cousin spotted your friend there, cheating at poker...he claims he's good, so either he's lyin' or Heyes has..." He trailed off and looked back at his dark haired companion, who mouthed something. Silky found the blonde boy's scrappy attitude quite entertaining, but hid a smile as he finished with the word. "po-ten-tial." Drawing it out as if it was the first time he'd used it.

Silky turned to look at the older boy, and asked. "Heyes?" At his nod, Silky returned his gaze to the curly headed kid and continued. "So, say I agree with you and Guffy, that Heyes has potential, what is it that you can offer me?" He looked down with genuine distaste at the weapon cinched to the boy's waist and added. "Don't have no call for gun play, not with the way I play the game anyways, and Jim knows it. So I ask again what you got that I might be interested in?"

It was then that Heyes came to stand in front of his friend, a confident grin on his face. "Mr Guffy told us that you're in the business of conning , so that likely involves convincing folk to part with their money, and to not figure out they've been had, till its too late." He paused until Silky nodded, then continued with a smile over at his friend, who now he wasn't scowling, and had instead schooled his face carefully clear of any emotion, suddenly looked very young and harmless to Silky. With his baby face hiding an obvious spirit, all that was needed really was for him to get rid of the hardware, then Silky was sure he'd perfect for a couple of the less complex cons that were bread and butter for him and his partners.

Heyes watching him closely, saw when the realisation hit him, and added gleefully. "Exactly, Mr O' Sullivan who's gonna suspect Kid here of being in on anything dishonest? And we're both a real quick study, so we'd be a real asset to you."

Sullivan still wasn't quite sure, but was more willing to be convinced, so said. "I'll have to speak to my partners mind, but if you're as good as you think you are, and your friend is willing to leave that weapon at home, I think maybe I can use both of you." Then he wrinkled his nose as he added. "But first you both need a bath, and some decent clothes. You look like a pair of urchins!"

The blond boy stiffened, but the one called Heyes patted him gently on the arm, and smiled, as he said. "Well, Sir, that's what we kind of are. Hoping you can change things up for us. Ain't that right Kid?"

ASJ

William, the man who'd answered the door to them, in answer to a bell, reappeared silently and nodded when Silky said. "Show them to the guest room, then get them some baths drawn. They're making me itch!" He turned back to Guffy. "While they're getting clean, we can discuss a coupla things."

With that Jim and he walked away, leaving Heyes and Kid alone with William. He gave them a small smile. "Mr O'Sullivan's bark is at times, considerably more expansive than his bite. As he has not had me forcibly remove you, I think it is safe to say he is interested."

With that he led them down to the end of the hallway. He opened a door and waved them into a large bedroom with two beds. They hesitated for a moment, still a little unsure, then with another glance at each other, shrugged and followed the man in. He eyed them with some amusement as he said. " Your baths will be ready soon. Make yourselves comfortable." With that he bowed, and left, shutting the door quietly behind him.

"Pretty impressive, Kid.." Heyes as usual was the first to break the silence as he looked round them

Kid, still a bit wide-eyed, nodded in agreement as he replied. "Sure is, Heyes, never seen a room that ya just sleep in this grand. I don't figure there's much point neither, 'cos those beds ain't big enough to do anything but sleep."

Heyes laughed but nodded his agreement, as he replied. "Just 'cos he can I guess, Kid. Mr O'Sullivan likes to impress folk, kinda useful in his game I figure."

Kid walked over to the window, and stared down at the still bustling street as he asked. "Think he'll show us the ocean?"

Heyes came to join him at the window and replied a little ruefully, thinking of the man's less than warm greeting. "I'm just hoping he won't boot us out in the dark, once he decides we ain't what he's looking for."

Kid pulled his eyes away from the street, and said with some confidence."You and Jim will persuade him we're worth takin' a chance on, and if he don't wanna listen, guess we can just leave and look elsewhere." He paused then added fiercely. "Besides I ain't putting my gun anywhere else but my waist, whatever he says, not till I'm sure he and Guffy don't have something bad in mind for us." He stopped then added fiercely. "Don't try and argue me outta it, Heyes, or I might have to flatten ya!"

Heyes snorted, and said intimidated, sure he could dodge any blow his cousin aimed."When ya can shave, that threat might scare me!" Kid opened his mouth to complain, but Heyes quickly added. "But I ain't gonna argue with you, because I agree we gotta be careful, 'til we know exactly where we stand, and what we're gonna be offered."

Kid stared at him in silence, before asking quietly. "Think we made the right decision, Heyes, coming here I mean? Maybe we should a stayed in Denver longer, and tried harder to make it work for us..." He trailed off, licking his lips a bit nervously, and shivered a little. "Soon, I'll be good enough that I won't need to kill to make my point, but I ain't there yet." His face tightened, and his right hand fell to his colt, before coming to rest at his hip as he added. "I don't wanna have to hurt no one, Heyes, but I ain't gonna let anyone harm us again, so I'll do what I have to."

Heyes seeing the firm resolve in his expression, regretted once again, just how much his cousin had been forced to grow up, when he wasn't even old enough to shave, and felt the need to reassure them both. He reached over to give his friend's curls a soft ruffle as he said gently. "Its not gonna come to that, Kid." He paused, then added more firmly, "I'll make sure of it."

As he spoke, the memory of the fire, and his panic over it, especially with what it had so nearly led to, briefly made his throat tighten, and he had to clear it before saying carefully. "We needed to leave Denver, because we'd not have been comfortable walking past the livery every day. And you know as well as me, that we were already in the cheapest part of town, and still struggling, so doing better wouldn't have been easy."

The Kid nodded, his eyes glittering, while his face creased in pain, as he obviously remembered his employer, but he said nothing in reply, merely looked down.

Heyes sensitive to his sudden unhappiness, squeezed his shoulder, offering some comfort. He was glad to feel his cousin's tight muscles relax under his hand as he added. "Besides I'm figuring that if Jim and Mr O'Sullivan had something awful planned for us, the old man would have been less...rude when he met us."

"He sure is proddy ain't he?" Kid snorted, shaking his head, looking both reassured and relieved. "All right, Heyes, you've convinced me."

Heyes heard no sarcasm in his cousin's tone, and his expression held only trust. Heyes was as ever touched by his friend's faith in him, and smiled broadly, before releasing his shoulder. Eager to change the mood he added quickly. "I sure hope they ain't gonna be too long with those baths, the old man was right, we sure do smell bad."Kid snorted but didn't disagree, only shrugged a little with a slight smile crossing his face.

The comfortable silence that fell between them, as they looked down at the streets of their new home, was broken by a knock on the door. The Kid turned from the window, his hand dropping to his weapon in an increasingly familiar habit, that he was obviously unaware of, as Heyes called out. "Who is it?"

"William, young Sirs'. Your baths are ready, and I've put some clothes out for you in the room. They should be good and warm by the time you're finished." Heyes opened the door with a smile, as Kid joined him, and they followed the man down another plushly decorated corridor, to a ornate looking door, where William stopped, and said. "I will leave you here, for some privacy. Enjoy your baths. Mr O'Sullivan is one of the first men to have a bathing room attached to his house. When you are ready, come to the drawing room." At their puzzled expression he said. "Down the end of this corridor, and turn right. Mr Guffy and Mr O'Sullivan will be expecting you."

With that he gave them a bow, and walked away. The boys looked at each other a little hesitantly, listened at the door for a moment, then shrugged and flung open the door. They were greeted by a surprisingly warm tiled room, smelling pleasantly of sandalwood, with humming pipes round the edge, and two impressive looking baths in the middle, full of inviting looking water. Kid gave a low whistle, and started quickly towards them, caution forgotten.

Twenty minutes later, Heyes was clean and dry, clothed in perfectly fitting clothes, sat on one of the chairs placed by the pipes. Kid however was still splashing happily, and Heyes watched in some amusement as his friend ducked under the water for a third time with a laugh, then said gleefully as he came up, his hair dripping with soap streaming off it. "I could get used to this, Heyes!"

Heyes laughed at his sheer happiness. "Well, don't wash yourself away, Kid. I don't wanna have to explain that to our host."

Kid sighed, then reluctantly clambered out of the bath, and dried himself quickly, and was soon dressed and together they exited the room.

ASJ

As they entered the drawing room, as William had called it, the men nodded at them approvingly, and Silky said in some surprise. "You boys do scrub up well. Now, tomorrow we're gonna visit a good friend of mine, Mr Saunders, and if he agrees, you can start working for us by the end of the week. We'll start small, see how that goes, and if we're all happy, we'll take it from there."

Heyes looked over at Kid who was smiling in some relief, and the knot eased in his stomach, and he walked over to the men, offering his hand as he said. "Mr O'Sullivan you won't regret it, I promise!"

Silky looked at them as he muttered. "Maybe I'm just getting soft..." But then he raised his voice and said. "There's some food for you in the kitchen, eat your fill, then you'd best get to bed, as its an early start tomorrow. Breakfast is served at six, you ain't up, you don't get fed!"

William appeared, took the boys gently by the shoulders and steered them out, and as they exited, Silky shook his head as he heard. "Supper and breakfast, Heyes!"