The Republic of Thieves

She turned sharply, and Locke, supporting her act wholeheartedly, favored Moncraine with a sour smirk before he did the same.

“Wait,” Jasmer hissed.

“What’s the name of the noble you struck?” Sabetha didn’t give him any more time to think or plead or stew; she whirled on him just as quickly as she’d pretended to leave.

“Boulidazi,” said Moncraine. “Baron Boulidazi of Palazzo Corsala.”

“Why did you do it?”

“I was drinking,” said Moncraine. “He wanted … he came down to Gloriano’s. He wanted to buy out my debts, install himself as the company’s patron.”

“For this you punched him in the teeth?” said Locke. “What are you going to do if we get you out of here, try to cut our hearts out?”

“Boulidazi’s an ass! A stuck-up little ass! He’s barely older than you, and he thinks he can buy and sell me like gods-damned furniture. A theatrical company with his name on everything, wouldn’t that be sweet! It took me twenty years to build my own troupe. I won’t be anyone’s hired man again. I’ll take the Weeping Tower to that, any day, any year.”

“How was assaulting him preferable to letting him save your troupe?” said Sabetha. She sounded as incredulous as Locke felt. “He doesn’t care about the troupe,” said Moncraine. “He wants it mounted on his wall like a fucking hunting trophy! He wants some charity project he can dangle at whatever gilded cunt he’s chasing to show what a sensitive and artistic fellow he is. I refuse to sell my good name to help rich puppies dip their wicks!”

“What good name?” said Locke. “Even the members of your own company want to see you get eaten by a bear.”

“And I’d be glad to supply one,” said Sabetha. “Unfortunately for everyone, we’re still going to rescue you. So I want you to sit quietly in your cell and bite your tongue.”

“Tomorrow,” said Locke, “this Baron Boulidazi will forgive your insult and decline to make charges.”

“What?” said Moncraine. “Boy, listen to me. Even if Boulidazi had a thousand cocks in his breeches and you blew every last one like a flute from sunrise to sunset—”

“He’ll forgive your insult,” said Sabetha through gritted teeth, “because that is the only possible salvation we can arrange for you. Understand? We have no other cards to play. So this is how it’ll be. Once you’re out, we’ll discuss what you need to get your Republic of Thieves back into production.”

“The trouble with this fantasy, girl, is that it requires both of us to not be mad,” said Moncraine softly.

“All it requires is that you shut up and behave,” said Sabetha. “And my name isn’t ‘girl.’ Most times you can call me Verena Gallante. But when I’m onstage, you’ll call me ‘Amadine.’ ”

“Will I?” Moncraine laughed. “That’s a presumption a few steps ahead of my grasp. You show me your mythical thread of kindness in Boulidazi. Then we’ll chat on the matter of plays.”

“Go back to your cell,” said Sabetha. “I guarantee we’ll speak again tomorrow.”

5

“EVEN IF we get him out,” said Locke, “we’ll need to put that man on a leash.”

“He’s a menace to himself and the rest of us,” said Sabetha. “When we spring him, we should crowd him. Make it clear that he’s being watched and judged at all times.”

“By the way, who’s Amadine?”

“The best role in The Republic of Thieves,” said Sabetha, grinning. “I haven’t read any of it yet.”

“You should, before all the good parts get snapped up.”

“Someone kept it to herself all the way here!”

“Moncraine’s got to have more copies of it somewhere in his troupe’s mess. Jenora might know. But first, we’ve got our miracle to deliver on.”

“Miracle indeed,” said Locke. They were moving back down the Legion Steps, through the still ranks of the marble soldiers. The drizzle had let up, but there were soft rumbles of thunder from above. “We need to reach this Boulidazi, more or less as we are, and convince him to forgive one of the craziest assholes I’ve ever met for a completely unjustified drunken assault.”

“Any ideas?”

“Uh … maybe.”

“Spit them out. I managed to shut Jasmer up long enough to make our point; I’ve earned my day’s pay.”

“And you were a pleasure to watch, too,” said Locke. “But then, you’re always—”

“You do not have the time to be charming,” said Sabetha, giving him a mild punch to the shoulder. “And I certainly don’t have time to be charmed.”

“Right. Sure,” said Locke. “We need an angle of approach. Why should he open his door for us? Hey, what if we were Camorri nobles going incognito?”

“Hiding in Espara,” she said, clearly liking the notion. “Trouble at home?”

“Hmmm. No. No, if we’re not in favor at home we can’t offer him anything. We might actually be a risk to him.”

“You’re right. Okay. You and I … are cousins,” said Sabetha. “First cousins.”

“Cousins,” said Locke. “So many gods-damned imaginary cousins. You and I are cousins.… If we have to show Jean and the Sanzas, they’re family retainers. We are, uh, grandchildren of … an old count that doesn’t get out much.”

“Blackspear,” said Sabetha. “Enrico Botallio, Count Blackspear. I was a scullery maid in his house a few years ago, that summer you spent on the farm.”

“A Five Towers family,” said Locke. “Would we live in the tower ourselves?”

“Yeah, most of his family does. And he hasn’t been out of the city in twenty years; he’s as old as Duke Nicovante. I’ll be the daughter of his oldest son … and you’re the son of his youngest. He has no other children. Oh, your father’s dead, by the way. Fell off a horse two years ago.”

“Good to know. If we need any real details of the household, I’ll pass the game to you whenever I can.” Locke snapped his fingers. “We’re in Espara because you want to indulge your wish to be onstage—”

“—which could never be allowed under my real name in Camorr!”

Sabetha had never finished one of his thoughts before, in the way that Jean did all the time. Locke felt a flush of warmth.

“That’s great,” she went on, heedless. “So we’re incognito, but with our family’s permission.”

“Thus whoever helps us makes himself a powerful and wealthy friend in Camorr.” Locke couldn’t help smiling at the improbable thought that they might have found a way out after all. “Sabetha, this is great. It’s also the thinnest line of bullshit we’ve ever hung ourselves on.”

“And we haven’t even been here a full day yet.”

“We need given names.”

“There we can be lazy. I’m Verena Botallio, you’re Lucaza Botallio.”

“Hells, yes.” Locke glanced around, affirming that they were still within the limited corridor of Espara he’d managed to half familiarize himself with. “We should head back to Gloriano’s and see how they did with the horses. Then we can go visit this Boulidazi and beg him not to think too hard about where we’ve come from.”

6