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stalked off.
    Asa sidled up. “Where’d you get the money.
Shed?”
    “Where do you get yours, Asa?” Asa did not
answer.
    “It isn’t polite to ask. Mind your own business or
stay away from me.”
    “Shed, I thought we were friends.”
    “I tried to be friends, Asa. I even let you have a place
to sleep. And as soon as you hooked up with
Krage . . . ”
    A shadow crossed Asa’s face. “I’m sorry, Shed.
You know me. I don’t think so fast. I do dumb
things.”
    Shed snorted. So Asa had come to the inevitable conclusion:
Krage would dump him once he settled with Raven.
    Shed was tempted to betray Raven. The man had to have a fortune
hidden. But he was afraid of a thousand things, and his guest stood
at the top of the list.
    Asa said, “I found a way to get deadwood from the
Enclosure.” His face brightened in pathetic appeal.
“Mostly pine, but it’s wood.”
    “The Enclosure?”
    “It’s not illegal, Shed. It keeps the Enclosure
cleaned up.”
    Shed scowled righteously.
    “Shed, it’s less wrong than going through
somebody’s . . . ”
    Shed controlled his anger. He needed allies inside the enemy
camp. “Firewood could be like money, Asa. No
provenance.”
    Asa smiled fawningly. “Thanks, Shed.”
    Count called, “Shed.”
    Shed shook as he crossed the room. Krage’s men
smirked.
    This wouldn’t work. Krage wouldn’t listen. He was
going to throw his money away.
    “Count says you’ve got something to give me on
account,” Krage said.
    “Uhm.” Krage’s den could have been ripped
whole from a mansion high up the wall of the valley. Shed was
stunned.
    “Stop gawking and get on with it. You’d better not
give me a handful of copper and beg for an extension, either.
Picked a warm doorway yet? Your payments are a joke,
Shed.”
    “No joke. Mr. Krage. Honest. I can pay over half of
it.”
    Krage’s eyebrows rose. “Interesting.” Shed
laid nine silver leva before him. “Very interesting.”
He fixed Shed with a penetrating stare.
    Shed stammered, “That’s over half, counting
interest. I hoped maybe seeing as how that would put me
ahead . . . ”
    “Quiet.” Shed shut up. “You think I should
forget what happened?”
    “That wasn’t my fault, Mr. Krage. I didn’t
tell him to . . . You don’t know what
Raven is like.”
    “Shut up.” Krage stared at the coins. “Maybe
something can be arranged. I know you didn’t put him up to
it. You don’t have the guts.”
    Shed stared at the floor, unable to deny his cowardice.
“Okay, Shed. You’re a regular client. Back to the
regular schedule.” He eyed the money. “You’re
ahead three weeks, looks like.”
    “Thank you, Mr. Krage. Really. You don’t know how
much this means . . . ”
    “Shut up. I know exactly what it means. Get out. Start
getting another payment together. This is your last
reprieve.”
    “Yes. sir.” Shed retreated. Count opened the
door.
    “Shed! I may want something sometime. A favor for a favor.
Understand?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “All right. Go.”
    Shed left, a sinking feeling replacing relief. Krage would make
him help get Raven. He almost wept as he tramped homeward. It never
got any better. He was always in a trap.
     
     
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Chapter Ten:
TALLY TURNAROUND
    Tome was typical of towns we had garrisoned recently. Small,
dirty, boring. One wondered why the Lady bothered. What use were
these remote provinces? Did she insist they bend the knee merely to
puff her ego? There was nothing here worth having, unless it was
power over the natives.
    Even they viewed their country with a certain contempt.
    The presence of the Black Company strained the resources of the
area. Within a week the Captain started talking about shifting a
company to Heart and billeting smaller units in the villages. Our
patrols seldom encountered the Rebel, even when our wizards helped
hunt. The engagement at Madle’s had all but eliminated the
infestation.
    The Lady’s spies told us the few committed Rebels