City of Jade

34

BURGLARS

EARLY SPRING, 6E7,

TO EARLY SUMMER, 6E9

With the help of Weasel and Tope and Cricket and a few of their urchin friends, throughout the next two years they managed to follow a goodly number of “protection” collectors. And so, a wave of burglaries struck Rivers End, and even the corrupt city watch became involved in trying to discover just who the thieves were. And some of the places burglarized had the latest of locks and the best of strongboxes, but still they were opened and all monies taken. And other of the places had befanged walls and guards for protection, yet they were burglarized as well. The merchants simply shrugged and said they knew nought, for the only thing they understood was that they paid their protection monies, and what happened after that was a complete mystery to them. But on the sly, the storekeepers began donating five coppers to each of the urchins who brought back their silver coin.

And in one of the crowded marketplaces, as Tark and Queeker made their way among the stalls, a group of eight urchins or so, playing some game, went running and squealing past the pair, jostling and bumping as they ran. It wasn’t until later that Tark noted all that was left of his money pouch were the ends of the thong that held it to his belt. He and Queeker rousted every known marketplace pickpocket and cutpurse in the city, but all claimed innocence, even after fingers were broken.

Meanwhile, Binkton, chortling and laughing, shared out the coin among the urchins and sent them to return the silvers to the merchants from whom they had been taken.

With their copper rewards, the urchins ate well that night.

Some of the merchants feared that the protection collectors would simply demand more, yet it seemed that whoever was behind the scheme realized that he could not get blood from stone, and so he left them alone. In desperation, though, the protection collectors began hitting up the very smallest of stores, ones they had never bothered before, and that was how Lady Jane had come to lose five silvers to the brutes.

The buccen were incensed, and over the next few days they set their small gang out to follow the trail of that particular collector, and it led to a manor occupied by one of the leading lights of Rivers End: Largo Rackburn, a man of means, though no one seemed to know how he had come about his wealth.

Pipper and Binkton and their urchins set watch on the Rackburn house, and they noted as collector after collector brought their loot to the place, Tark and Queeker among them.

It came to the attention of one of the lads that Lily Francine, an actress at the Rivers End Theater, was a favorite of Largo’s, and he went without fail to every opening performance when Lily had the leading role.

“I thin’ it be his child, Pip,” said Tope, wiping his nose against his sleeve. “That’r she be his sweetie.”

“And when will she be opening?” asked Binkton.

“In a sennight,” said Tope.

“Then we’ve a sevenday to make our plans,” said Pipper.

“Well, you’re the acrobat,” said Binkton, “so it’s up to you to spot a way in.”

“Right,” said Pipper. Then he turned to Cricket, who had grown somewhat during the half year the buccen had known him. “Cricket, you and Weasel make certain of the date of the performance. Not that I don’t trust you, Tope, but we’ve got to be sure, and since you’ve been there before, I wouldn’t want anyone to think you’ve been snooping about.”

Tope nodded and again wiped his nose against his sleeve and said, “ ’At’s all ri’, Cap’n. I ain’t ’ffended.”

And so it was that Pipper began in earnest watching and recording the comings and goings at the Rackburn house, and of the back wall and the balcony at the rear of the manor, and of the guards within. And by spying from a wall where he could see through the back windows, he noted what looked to be Rackburn’s office. It was the most likely place for a strongbox, and it could be reached from the balcony. The spikes atop the back wall would pose little or no hindrance to the buccen. And the window to the room would prove to be no bar to Binkton’s skills.

Pipper’s plan was simplicity itself. Over the wall, across the yard, a padded grapnel to the balcony, up the rope, through the window, and to the strongbox. But if they couldn’t get in through the window, there was always the balcony door.

On opening night at the Rivers End Theater, Pipper and Binkton watched as Largo Rackburn stepped into the carriage to go.

“Now’s ours to do,” said Binkton. “Let’s get back Lady Jane’s money.”

“Right,” said Pipper, and he and his cousin slipped to the back wall. As Pipper padded the grapnel, Binkton stealthily climbed to the top of the wall, only to discover several large dogs patrolling the yard.