band of his hat, and he carried a pad ofpaper under his arm. He strode directly toward Maldynado andBasilard.
“What do you want, Deret?” Maldynadogrowled.
Basilard wondered if he should know thisperson.
“I’m working on a story.” The man gaveBasilard a curious look before focusing his attention on Maldynado.“Interviewing athletes. Trying to figure out what’s going on aroundhere with the missing people.”
Ah, this had to be the journalist Amaranthehad gone to see the night before. Mancrest.
“You could apologize for trying to kill myboss when I promised her you’d take her out to dinner and show hera nice evening,” Maldynado said.
“You neglected to mention she was a notoriousoutlaw,” Mancrest said.
“Seems you figured it out on your own. I’mlucky you don’t turn me in.”
“For two hundred and fifty ranmyas? Whybother?”
Maldynado’s fingers curled into a fist.
Basilard waved to get his attention.
Maldynado sniffed. “I’m not going to irritatehim. I’m not going to talk to him at all.” He turned his back onMancrest and pointed at a couple of young men resting in the shadeof the Clank Race’s massive furnace and boiler. “Those two looklike your most promising competition, Bas.”
Basilard kept an eye on Mancrest. IfMaldynado’s dismissal bothered him, he did not show it.
“I have information for your…what is she toyou exactly?” Mancrest said. “A former lover? I can’t imagine youtrying to arrange a courtship for someone you were currentlyinvolved with, but it’s also impossible for me to imagine yougetting out of bed to exercise before dawn at the behest of a womanyou have no feelings for. It is equally impossible for me toimagine you living in close quarters with a woman and not sleepingwith her, or attempting to sleep with her.”
During this spiel, Maldynado had slowlyturned to face Mancrest again, and he eyed the other man withsuspicion. “Bas, was there an implied insult to the boss in there,or is he just insulting me?”
“All right.” Maldynado’s shoulders lowered,and he unclenched his fists. “That’s nothing unexpected then. Whatdo you want me to tell her, Mancrest?”
“What is she to you?” Mancrest asked.
“My employer.”
“You’ve never gotten up early for an employerbefore.” Mancrest eyed Maldynado up and down. “You look like you’rein the best shape of your life.”
Maldynado brightened swifter than the nightsky presented with a lightning flash. “I am! Look!” He dug hisshirt out of his trousers to display the lean ridges of hisabdomen.
Basilard rolled his eyes.
He caught a similar eye roll from Mancrest.Maybe the fellow wasn’t so bad after all.
“Maldynado…” Mancrest sighed.
“Look, she’s my boss and a friend, allright?” Maldynado lowered his shirt. “And…” He prodded the dustyclay earth with his boot. “She’s twenty-six.”
Huh? What did Amaranthe’s age have to do withanything?
At first, Mancrest appeared as perplexed, butthen his lips formed an, “Oh.”
“Tia’s age,” Maldynado said. “And realadventurous and quick to smile. She’s a good girl, and she doesn’tdeserve that bounty, and she probably only has it because Sicariusis in the group. She thinks he’s useful, and I guess he is, butnobody’s going to pardon us as long as he’s around.”
Basilard studied Maldynado’s face, wonderingif he might have another ally to turn against Sicarius. Surely ifthe whole group wanted him gone…
“Yes,” Mancrest said. “I wondered about that.If you’re not sleeping with her, is
“Listen, Deret. This isn’t one of thosesmutty Aleeta Dourcrest novels your mother has lying all over thehouse. We’re a professional team of mercenaries. Elite even.Nobody’s sleeping with anybody.” He hesitated and whispered toBasilard. “They’re not, right?”
A hint of relief lightened Mancrest’s face,and Basilard thought the man’s interest in Amaranthe curious,especially given that he had tried to turn her over to thearmy.
“Didn’t my mother catch you reading one ofthose novels when you were over to play in the pond with me and mybrother?” Mancrest asked.
“No.”
Mancrest folded his arms over his chest.
“Well, fine, maybe. I wanted to know whatwomen like, and some of that information has proved useful to meover the years.”
“Right,” Maldynado said. “Just tell us whatyou want. We have training to do.”
“You’re not entering an event, are you? Whilenobody is going out of the way to turn you in for that measlybounty, I’m sure if you were right here in front of everybody onrace day, even the enforcers could bestir themselves to walk theten meters to the finish line to lock you up.”
“I’m not racing.” Maldynado pointed atBasilard. “He is.”
“Oh?” Mancrest asked. “No bounty on yourhead?”
Basilard ran his fingers over the scarredflesh of his scalp. The sweat had dried, leaving his skin dusty andwarm beneath the sun.
“Surprising. You look…” Mancrest shrugged,perhaps thinking better of offering what could only have been aninsult.
“Thugly?” Maldynado suggested.
Basilard frowned at him.
Maldynado slung an arm over his shoulder.“Basilard’s a good fellow. Only fights when he hasn’t got a choice.And besides, who would waste money putting out a bounty for aforeigner?”
Basilard removed Maldynado’s arm.
“I understand Amaranthe is researching thekidnappings here, too. I want to exchange notes with her,” Mancrestsaid.
“Does that mean you believe what reallyhappened when the emperor was kidnapped?” Maldynado asked.
“It means…sometimes present deeds count formore than past actions.”
Basilard shook his head wistfully, wishingthat were true. Neither man caught his movement. He missed being amore viable part of conversations. He missed…mattering.
“Anyway,” Mancrest said, “I’m interested inwhat she knows about the missing people. Tell her I’d like to meether at-”
“You don’t get to pick any more meetingplaces,” Maldynado said.
“Fine, what do you propose?”
“I’ll tell her you’ll be at Pyramid Park twohours before midnight.”
“That sounds like a good place to get yourhead thumped in and have your purse stolen,” Mancrest said.
“Not with Sicarius around.”
Mancrest snorted. “He’s just as likely tothump my head in as a pack of gang kids.”
“Quit whining. You’re warrior caste, not somedefenseless kitten.” Maldynado pointed a finger at Mancrest’s nose.“And if there are enforcers lying in wait, we’ll know not to trustyou. And you better believe Sicarius will do more than thump onyou, too.”
“Any chance you can tell him he’s notinvited?” Mancrest asked.
“I’ll pass on your message, that’s it.”Maldynado shooed the other man away. “We’ve got training todo.”
As soon as Mancrest left, Maldynado asked,“Think we can trust him?”
