runnin'?
Think agin! We gets twice fer th' wipes 'cause they's clean an' mended, boy— thas a fair piece fer damn liddle work wi' no risk!"
Well, put that way—
Skif kept stirring.
Lyle began taking down kerchiefs that were dry; Bazie continued to mend, and Deek picked through one of the baskets, looking for more things that needed fixing. The third boy finished peeling the hard-boiled eggs, and stood up.
" 'M off, Bazie," he said. He was clearly the oldest, and Bazie looked up from his mending to level a measuring gaze at him.
"Ye mind, now," the man said, carefully. "Ye mind whut I said, Raf. Ye slip one, an' move on. No workin' a crowd on yer lone."
The boy Raf nodded impatiently with one hand on the doorknob. As soon as Bazie finished speaking, he was already out the door. Bazie shook his head.
"He don' lissen," the man said with gloom.
"Ah, he lissens," Deek assured their mentor. " 'E's jest inna hurry. They's a street fair a-goin' by Weavers, an' 'e wants t' get to't afore they pockets is empty."
Bazie didn't seem convinced, but said nothing to Deek. "Lemme see yer hands," he said to Skif instead, but shook his head sadly over the stubby paws that Skif presented for his inspection. "Ye'll not suit th' liftin' much,"
29
Take a Thief
he decreed. " 'Least, ye'll nivver be a master. Ye got t'hev long finners fer the liftin'. Kin ye climb?"
Deek answered for him. "Like a squirrel, I seen 'im," the boy chimed in cheerfully. "An' look at 'is nose an' feet— 'e ain't gonna get big for a good bit yet, maybe not fer years."
Bazie examined him carefully from top to toes. "I thin' yer right," he said after a moment. "Aye. Reckon ye got a matey, Deek."
"That'll do," Deek replied, with a grin, and turned to Skif. "We'll be learnin' ye th' roof walkin', then, wi' me. In an' out— winders, mostly."
"An' ye live t' see summer, ye'll be doin' the night walks," Bazie said with a little more cheer. "Won't be wipes yer bringin' 'ome then, nossir."
Deek snorted, and Skif felt his heart pounding with excitement. "Not likely!" Deek said with scorn. "Wipes? More like glimmers!"
"Ye bring 'ome the glimmers, and we'll be findin' new digs, me lads,"
Bazie promised, his eyes gleaming with avid greed. "Aye that, 'tis us'll be eatin' beef an' beer when we like, an' from cookshop!"
Lyle, however, looked worried, though he said nothing. Skif wondered why. It was clear from the wealth of kerchiefs— "wipes" —and other things here that Bazie was a good teacher. Skif saw no reason why that expertise shouldn't extend to second-story work and the theft of jewelry.
He'd never actually seen any jewelry that wasn't fake, all foiled glass and tin, but he could imagine it. He could imagine being able to eat all he liked of the kinds of food he served to Lord Orthallen's guests, too, and possessing fine clothing that wasn't all patches and tears—
" 'Nuff moon-calfin'," Bazie said sharply, recalling them all to the present.
"Boy— Skif— be any more i' the pot?"
"Jes' this," Skif said, fishing out the last of the garments on the end of the stick. Bazie examined it, and grunted.
30
Take a Thief
"That'll do," he decreed, and Lyle took it to hang it up. "Deek, next lot."
Deek brought over the next batch of wash, which was of mingled saffrons, tawnys and bright yellows, and dumped it in the cauldron. Lyle got up and took the stick from Skif without being prompted and began energetically thrusting the floating fabric under the water.
"Ye kin hev two eggs, Boy, an' then Deek'll get ye 'thin sight uv Hollybush," Bazie declared. "Eat 'em on th' way."
"Yessir!" Skif said, overjoyed, mouth watering at the idea of having two whole boiled eggs for himself. He picked a pair out of the bowl, tucking them in a pocket, and followed Deek out the door and up the rickety staircase.
Once down on the street he and Deek strolled along together like a pair of old friends, Deek putting in a laconic comment now and again, while Skif nibbled
Think agin! We gets twice fer th' wipes 'cause they's clean an' mended, boy— thas a fair piece fer damn liddle work wi' no risk!"
Well, put that way—
Skif kept stirring.
Lyle began taking down kerchiefs that were dry; Bazie continued to mend, and Deek picked through one of the baskets, looking for more things that needed fixing. The third boy finished peeling the hard-boiled eggs, and stood up.
" 'M off, Bazie," he said. He was clearly the oldest, and Bazie looked up from his mending to level a measuring gaze at him.
"Ye mind, now," the man said, carefully. "Ye mind whut I said, Raf. Ye slip one, an' move on. No workin' a crowd on yer lone."
The boy Raf nodded impatiently with one hand on the doorknob. As soon as Bazie finished speaking, he was already out the door. Bazie shook his head.
"He don' lissen," the man said with gloom.
"Ah, he lissens," Deek assured their mentor. " 'E's jest inna hurry. They's a street fair a-goin' by Weavers, an' 'e wants t' get to't afore they pockets is empty."
Bazie didn't seem convinced, but said nothing to Deek. "Lemme see yer hands," he said to Skif instead, but shook his head sadly over the stubby paws that Skif presented for his inspection. "Ye'll not suit th' liftin' much,"
29
Take a Thief
he decreed. " 'Least, ye'll nivver be a master. Ye got t'hev long finners fer the liftin'. Kin ye climb?"
Deek answered for him. "Like a squirrel, I seen 'im," the boy chimed in cheerfully. "An' look at 'is nose an' feet— 'e ain't gonna get big for a good bit yet, maybe not fer years."
Bazie examined him carefully from top to toes. "I thin' yer right," he said after a moment. "Aye. Reckon ye got a matey, Deek."
"That'll do," Deek replied, with a grin, and turned to Skif. "We'll be learnin' ye th' roof walkin', then, wi' me. In an' out— winders, mostly."
"An' ye live t' see summer, ye'll be doin' the night walks," Bazie said with a little more cheer. "Won't be wipes yer bringin' 'ome then, nossir."
Deek snorted, and Skif felt his heart pounding with excitement. "Not likely!" Deek said with scorn. "Wipes? More like glimmers!"
"Ye bring 'ome the glimmers, and we'll be findin' new digs, me lads,"
Bazie promised, his eyes gleaming with avid greed. "Aye that, 'tis us'll be eatin' beef an' beer when we like, an' from cookshop!"
Lyle, however, looked worried, though he said nothing. Skif wondered why. It was clear from the wealth of kerchiefs— "wipes" —and other things here that Bazie was a good teacher. Skif saw no reason why that expertise shouldn't extend to second-story work and the theft of jewelry.
He'd never actually seen any jewelry that wasn't fake, all foiled glass and tin, but he could imagine it. He could imagine being able to eat all he liked of the kinds of food he served to Lord Orthallen's guests, too, and possessing fine clothing that wasn't all patches and tears—
" 'Nuff moon-calfin'," Bazie said sharply, recalling them all to the present.
"Boy— Skif— be any more i' the pot?"
"Jes' this," Skif said, fishing out the last of the garments on the end of the stick. Bazie examined it, and grunted.
30
Take a Thief
"That'll do," he decreed, and Lyle took it to hang it up. "Deek, next lot."
Deek brought over the next batch of wash, which was of mingled saffrons, tawnys and bright yellows, and dumped it in the cauldron. Lyle got up and took the stick from Skif without being prompted and began energetically thrusting the floating fabric under the water.
"Ye kin hev two eggs, Boy, an' then Deek'll get ye 'thin sight uv Hollybush," Bazie declared. "Eat 'em on th' way."
"Yessir!" Skif said, overjoyed, mouth watering at the idea of having two whole boiled eggs for himself. He picked a pair out of the bowl, tucking them in a pocket, and followed Deek out the door and up the rickety staircase.
Once down on the street he and Deek strolled along together like a pair of old friends, Deek putting in a laconic comment now and again, while Skif nibbled
Similar Books
Gossip Can Be Murder
Connie Shelton
Los cañones del atardecer
Rick Atkinson
New Species 09 Shadow
Laurann Dohner
Teleporter (a Hyllis family story #2)
Laurence Dahners
Camellia
Lesley Pearse
Bank Job
James Heneghan
The Traveller
John Katzenbach
Horse Sense
Bonnie Bryant
Drive-By
Lynne Ewing