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foryouattheCrowClub.Playtillmorningoryourluckrunsout,whichevercomesfirst.”
    Jesperscowled,buthecouldn’tkeepthehungrygleamfromhiseye.“Anotherbribe?”
    “I’macreatureofhabit.”
    “Luckyforyou,Iam,too.”Hehesitatedlongenoughtosay,“Youdon’twantuswithyou?Geels’
    boysaregonnaberiledafterthat.”
    “Letthemcome,”Kazsaid,andturneddownNemstraatwithoutanotherword.Ifyoucouldn’twalk by yourself through Ketterdam after dark, then you might as well just hang a sign that read ‘soft’
    aroundyourneckandliedownforabeating.
    HecouldfeeltheDregs’eyesonhisbackasheheadedoverthebridge.Hedidn’tneedtoheartheir whispers to know what they would say. They wanted to drink with him, hear him explain how he’d knownBigBolligerhadgoneovertotheBlackTips,listentohimdescribethelookinGeels’eyes whenhe’ddroppedhispistol.Butthey’dnevergetitfromKaz,andiftheydidn’tlikeit,theycould findanothercrewtorunwith.
    Nomatterwhattheythoughtofhim,they’dwalkalittletallertonight.Itwaswhytheystayed,why theygavetheirbestapproximationofloyaltyforhim.Whenhe’dofficiallybecomeamemberofthe Dregs,he’dbeentwelveandtheganghadbeenalaughingstock,streetkidsandwashed-upcadgers runningshellgamesandpenny-poorconsoutofarun-downhouseintheworstpartoftheBarrel.But hehadn’tneededagreatgang,justonehecouldmakegreat–onethatneededhim.
    Nowtheyhadtheirownterritory,theirowngamblinghall,andthatrun-downhousehadbecome
    theSlat,adry,warmplacetogetahotmealorholeupwhenyouwerewounded.NowtheDregswere feared.Kazhadgiventhemthat.Hedidn’towethemsmalltalkontopofit.
    Besides, Jesper would smoothe it all over. A few drinks in and a few hands up and the sharpshooter ’sgoodnaturewouldreturn.Heheldagrudgeaboutaswellasheheldhisliquor,andhe hadagiftformakingKaz’svictoriessoundliketheybelongedtoeveryone.
    AsKazheadeddownoneofthelittlecanalsthatwouldtakehimpastFifthHarbour,herealisedhe felt–Saints,healmostfelthopeful.Maybeheshouldseeamedik.TheBlackTipshadbeennippingat his heels for weeks, and now he’d forced them to play their hand. His leg wasn’t too bad either, despitethewinterchill.Theachewasalwaysthere,buttonightitwasjustadullthrob.Still,apartof himwonderediftheparlaywassomesortoftestPerHaskellhadsetforhim.Haskellwasperfectly capableofconvincinghimselfthathewasthegeniusmakingtheDregsprosper,especiallyifoneof hiscronieswaswhisperinginhisear.Thatideadidn’tsiteasy,butKazcouldworryaboutPerHaskell tomorrow.Fornow,he’dmakesureeverythingwasrunningonscheduleattheharbourandthenhead hometotheSlatforsomemuch-neededsleep.
    HeknewInejwasshadowinghim.She’dbeenwithhimallthewayfromtheExchange.Hedidn’t
    call out to her. She would make herself visible when she was good and ready. Usually he liked the quiet;infact,hewouldhavehappilysewnmostpeople’slipsshut.Butwhenshewantedto,Inejhada wayofmakingyoufeelhersilence.Ittuggedatyouredges.
    KazmanagedtoendureitallthewaypasttheironrailingsofZentzbridge,thegratingcoveredin littlebitsofropetiedinelaborateknots,sailors’prayersforsafereturnfromsea.Superstitiousrot.
    Finallyhegaveinandsaid,“Spititoutalready,Wraith.”
    Hervoicecamefromthedark.“Youdidn’tsendanyonetoBurstraat.”
    “WhywouldI?”
    “IfGeelsdoesn’tgetthereintime—”
    “Noone’ssettingfiresatNineteenBurstraat.”
    “Iheardthesiren…”
    “Ahappyaccident.ItakeinspirationwhereIfindit.”
    “You were bluffing,then.Shewasneverindanger.”
    Kaz shrugged, unwilling to give her an answer. Inej was always trying to wring little bits of decency from him. “When everyone knows you’re a monster, you needn’t waste time doing every monstrousthing.”
    “Whydidyouevenagreetothemeetifyouknewitwasaset-up?”Shewassomewheretotheright ofhim,movingwithoutasound.He’dheardothermembersofthegangsayshemovedlikeacat,but