The burglar of sliceharb.., p.9
The Burglar of Sliceharbor, page 9
part #4 of Edgewhen Series
Bendoko was afraid to die. He wanted to ask Big Zeemo to save him, but really, how much had Bendoko done for Big Zeemo?
Just then, they heard a noise coming from Mendu’s office.
Bendoko was too distracted by his own thoughts to pay much attention to the noise, but later he would retroactively recognize it as the sound of a blue woman in a cane skirt forcing her hips through a high window with help from an orange man standing in the street. Next came the thump of the woman hitting the stone floor, accompanied by a feminine grunt. And then she was standing in the office door shouting at the surprised brothers:
“Urban Cohort! You’re all under arrest!”
Bendoko couldn’t believe it: She had come to save him!
… All by herself. One little urbie against two professional thugs.
Sunny looked at Tiny. Tiny looked at Sunny.
The urbie’s eyes widened and she ran for the door.
Bendoko’s feet were tied together, but he rolled himself upright and began hopping after her, shouting, “Take me with you!”
The woman ignored him. She reached the door and lifted the bar. The door opened, revealing two orange urbies and another blue one.
Behind Bendoko, Tiny said, “Grab Mendu.”
Afraid that he would also be grabbed, Bendoko hopped desperately toward the entering urbies.
“Save me!” he cried.
He lost his balance and fell on his face.
Giant feet ran past Bendoko’s head.
Bendoko rolled over. The blue woman helped him sit up. One of the copper fins on her helmet was crumpled. She had saved his life.
The other three urbies were running toward the shadowy crates in the back of the warehouse.
“Do you have urbies waiting at the secret exit?” Bendoko asked the woman. She had beautiful lips and she had saved his life.
“We didn’t know about the secret exit,” she said.
“Oh,” said Bendoko. “Well, you’d better hope your friends don’t find it, then.”
“Why?”
“Because if they start running through the back alleys, they’ll learn that three against two can get evened out in a hurry.”
The woman glanced toward the back of the warehouse. Her worried frown was very pretty, and she had saved his life.
* * *
Tisha considered running after her colleagues. But Gus was smart. He wouldn’t let himself get hurt by the Too-Tall brothers. Besides, she had the man Gusty wanted to see right here.
“Are you Bendoko the Crane?” she asked.
The man shrugged and said, “Yeah.”
He didn’t look much like a notorious thief. Bound hand and foot, with abrasions on his face, he looked like a helpless boy. His body was barely full-grown. But man or boy, he was untrustworthy. And if his bonds came off, he might prove to be dangerous as well.
Tisha did not offer to untie him.
A short while later, Gusty came back into the warehouse. He was followed by Stormy and Woto.
Tisha smiled with relief.
“Glad you came back,” she said.
“We had to let them go,” Gusty explained. “I didn’t like the looks of that alley.”
“Good thinking,” said Tisha. She nodded at the tied-up man and said, “This is Bendoko the Crane.”
Gusty grunted an acknowledgment.
He knelt down to look in the Crane’s eyes.
“Sunny was carrying something,” he said. “I didn’t get a good look. Did you see what it was?”
The Crane shook his head. “No. I don’t know what he was carrying.”
Gusty nodded.
Tisha had seen a man with a horrifically twisted neck lying on the floor next to the Crane. The body wasn’t there now, so that had to be what Gusty had seen. She didn’t say anything, though, because she had a feeling that Gusty already knew what he had seen. He just wanted to learn if the Crane would cooperate.
“What were you doing in the warehouse this evening?” Gusty asked.
The Crane held up his bound hands. “Knitting.”
Gusty frowned.
“I’m looking for something you took last night,” Gusty said. “Is it here?”
“I didn’t take anything,” the Crane answered.
“I thought Bendoko the Crane was a thief,” Gusty said. “If you don’t take anything, how do you make your living?”
The Crane didn’t answer.
Stormy spoke up. “It smells like somebody died in here. Can’t you smell it, Gusty?”
“Yes,” Gusty said.
He had a good sense of smell. Tisha’s was better under water.
“So ask him who died,” Stormy said.
“I was hoping he’d just tell us,” Gusty said. “But he’s not being very cooperative.”
The Crane made no reply.
Tisha decided that perhaps a gesture of kindness was called for. She said, “Let me cut your feet loose.”
From her belt she drew her combat knife. The short stout blade was designed for fighting under water. Ashore, it wasn’t much good against a club or a rapier, but it could still come in handy when she needed a knife. She sliced the knot. As she unwrapped the rope from the Crane’s feet, she noticed fresh blood on his toes.
“What happened to your foot?” she asked.
She reached out and he flinched.
“All right,” she said. “I won’t touch it.”
She looked up at Gusty. “We should take him to a healer before we lock him up.”
“Lock me up?” said the Crane. “Sunny and Tiny are the ones you should be locking up. They –”
He was about to tell them. He was just about to tell them.
Tisha put her hand on his shoulder. “They did what, Crane? What did they do?”
“They … tied me up,” he mumbled.
“They killed Mendu, didn’t they?” Tisha asked.
“Look, I’m really sorry,” the Crane said. He looked into her eyes, and for a moment, the suspicion was gone from his face. “Don’t think I’m not grateful. I am. I’m grateful. You saved my life. But if they find out I told you anything … I just don’t think I should tell you anything.”
Tisha patted him gently. “You’re scared,” she said. “We understand. But if they’ve committed a murder, someone will have to investigate. Cooperating with the investigation is the best way to make sure they can’t hurt you.”
“What if they find me before you find them?” the Crane asked.
“If you aren’t cooperating,” Woto said, “then we might not be able to convince a judge to investigate. And if no one’s investigating, then they’re sure to find you before we find them, because we won’t be looking.”
“I need some time to think this over,” the Crane said.
Gusty shrugged. “Fair enough. We can’t see a judge until morning anyway. Can you walk?”
“What? I –” The Crane moved his foot and grimaced with pain. “I think … maybe I can,” he said.
“Don’t worry about it,” Gusty said, kneeling to scoop the Crane up. The young man looked even skinnier in Gusty’s great arms.
“A healer?” Gusty asked.
Tisha nodded. “A healer.”
* * *
They left Woto and Stormy to watch the warehouse in case someone tried to take advantage of Mendu’s sudden disappearance. And they found another pair of urbies to help Woto and Stormy in case the Too-Tall brothers came back. Tisha didn’t know much about the Too-Tall brothers, but she didn’t think Woto and Stormy should stand guard alone.
The Too-Tall brothers had crushed the Crane’s foot. Tisha didn’t know why. The healer on Nailmaker Street said nothing was broken, though, so that was good news. He was able to reverse the swelling. The notorious thief would be fine in a day or two.
The Crane limped along between them as they walked through Lowtown. They had removed the rope from his wrists and bound his hands behind his back with regulation leather manacles. The Crane looked unhappy about this, which Tisha saw as a good sign. Hopeless people didn’t try to run away.
Gusty took an unusual route across the Main Canal. He chose to cross on the Mikogi Footbridge, which was so narrow that they had to walk single file. It wasn’t the sort of place anyone went at night.
Tisha was in front. Gusty was behind the Crane. She heard the men’s footsteps stop at the midpoint of the crossing. She turned to see Gusty kneeling behind the Crane, holding his manacled hands.
Gusty asked, “Do you want to jump, Crane?”
“What?” Tisha asked.
Gusty said, “We’ll tell the captain that he jumped. You went after him, but you couldn’t catch him. Somehow he got out of his manacles.”
“Gusty, what are you talking about?”
“We’re gonna let him go, Tisha. All he has to do is tell us who has the scroll, and we’ll let him go.”
“But what about the murder, Gus?”
Gusty asked, “You didn’t kill anybody, did you, Crane?”
“No,” said the Crane.
“And when you got there, Mendu was already dead.”
“Well … yeah.”
“That’s the truth,” Gusty told Tisha. “Think about it: The Crane was seen going to Mendu’s warehouse last night. After the theft, right, Crane?”
The Crane didn’t answer. The half of his face illuminated by the silver moonlight appeared conflicted.
“So the Crane gives the scroll to Mendu,” Gusty said. “Mendu puts it somewhere. Then the mongzhi-wearing Too-Tall brothers find out the Sun Scroll has been stolen. They get mad. They kill Mendu. Then they realize they killed the man who knows where the scroll is. When the Crane shows up – Why did you show up, Crane? To get your money?”
The Crane’s eyes shifted nervously. He was afraid of the man holding his manacled hands. The Crane didn’t know that Gusty would never harm a helpless man.
At least, Tisha didn’t think Gusty would harm a helpless man. But she had thought he would never ask her to let a prisoner escape and then lie about it.
“So he goes back tonight to get his money,” Gusty said. “And the Too-Tall brothers let him in, tie him up, and try to torture the information out of him. Right, Crane?”
The Crane said nothing.
Gusty was right, though. It all made sense once he put it together.
The mongzhi-wearing Too-Tall brothers. She’d noticed Tiny’s mongzhi. How could she miss it? His exposed navel was at her eye level. But she’d just assumed he was following orange fashion.
Apparently not. Apparently the Too-Tall brothers felt some sort of cultural connection to the Queenies, and they had disliked the idea of their boss stealing a scroll containing the revelations of their Mother Goddess.
Pious criminals? Was it even possible?
It was possible. In Tisha’s experience, criminals came up with all sorts of ways to pretend that what they did was right.
“So we know the whole story already,” Gusty finished. “The only thing you have to tell us is who Mendu gave the scroll to. Then we’ll let you go.”
The Crane looked to Tisha. “Is he telling the truth? Will he really let me go?”
Again, he seemed to trust her. This shifty-eyed, suspicious criminal trusted Tisha, the veteran urbie.
She said, “Well …”
“I knew it.”
“Wait,” she said. “Gusty and I need to sort something out.”
Gusty looked at her. Suspiciously? Gus, what’s happening to you?
“I can’t lie to the captain,” she told him. “You know I can’t.”
The corners of Gusty’s huge mouth drooped in dismay. “Then tell the truth. I don’t care. Tell him it was my idea to let the Crane go.”
“But Gusty, if he confesses to the theft …”
“There’s no law that says we have to keep him. He can go free until he’s sought for judgment.”
That was true. They didn’t have to keep him. But they should. The Crane didn’t seem like the kind of criminal who would stick around to face judgment.
“I’m not confessing to any theft,” the Crane said.
“Tell us who has the scroll!” Gusty said, and he lifted the burglar’s hands, which were still manacled behind his back.
The skinny blue man cried out in pain.
Tisha was so shocked, it took her a moment to find her voice: “Gus! Gus, he’s helpless! Let him go!”
Gusty, too, was stunned by his own actions. He let go of the Crane and staggered back. “I’m sorry, I – Tisha, we’re so close! He knows! He knows who has it. I’m sure he knows!”
“I don’t know!” the Crane said. He looked to Gusty, then to Tisha. “Tell him I don’t know!”
“You don’t know,” Tisha repeated. “I believe you. You don’t know who has it. Just tell us what you do know. Did Mendu give you any hints? Did he let anything slip?”
“Undo the manacles, and I’ll tell you,” the Crane said, backing toward her.
Tisha hesitated.
“He’s going to kill me. Please undo the manacles.”
Tisha realized he meant Gusty. “He’s not going to kill you. Just calm down. I’ll undo the manacles, but … promise you won’t bolt.”
“All right. I promise.”
You’re a liar, Tisha thought, but she undid the manacles. She didn’t trust the Crane, but if he trusted her, she might be able to salvage this wreck.
“See?” she said. “Gusty’s staying right there. He’s not going to hurt you. And now, you’ll tell us what you know.”
The Crane said, “There was an inside man … Mendu said. I didn’t steal anything, right? This is just stuff Mendu let slip.”
“Right,” said Tisha. “We understand. Tell us what Mendu said about this inside man.”
“He was in the library last night,” the Crane said. “He wasn’t one of us – not from Sliceharbor, I mean. He was blue, but not one of our blues. He knew where the scroll was kept. It wasn’t where Mendu thought, but this guy knew where it had been moved to.
“He didn’t want the scroll last night. Mendu got it. But I think Mendu got it for the inside man. He put it someplace safe for him. That’s what I think, and it’s more than what I told Tiny.”
In a voice full of doubt and dread, the Crane finished with, “Can I go?”
Tisha looked to Gusty. “Is that good?”
“Yeah,” Gusty said, in a quiet voice. “That’s pretty good.”
She reached out and put a hand on the Crane’s shoulder. He had stayed close beside her. Tisha would bust the helmet of any rookie who let an unrestrained prisoner stand that close, but she was no rookie, and she thought she had a good read on this guy.
“There is one more thing,” she said. “We told our colleagues that we were bringing you in because of the murder investigation. If you can cooperate with us on that, we can let you go.”
“The Too-Tall brothers would kill me,” the Crane said. “I’d rather be locked up.”
“Listen,” Tisha said. “Gusty already figured out everything. Mendu was dead when you got there. And the only other people there were the Too-Tall brothers. Is that true?”
The Crane said nothing.
“Just say, ‘Yeah,’” Tisha said.
“All right,” said the Crane. “Yeah, that’s the way it was.”
“And now you have cooperated with the murder investigation,” Tisha said. “So we don’t have to bring you in.”
He looked at her.
“That’s it,” she said. “Come on, Gusty.”
Timidly, Gusty squeezed past the Crane. “Sorry I hurt you,” he mumbled. “I shouldn’t have.”
* * *
Gusty Longbread glanced back at the narrow bridge. The Crane still stood there in the middle, alone in the moonlight.
Gusty hated to let him go – he’d stolen the Mother Goddess’s sacred revelations! – but the information was worth the price. Now he knew that Senator Aura Wisebrow’s suspicions had been correct: One of her colleagues had stolen it.
Walking beside him, Gusty’s partner asked, “What did you think you were doing?”
Gusty shrugged. “I needed him to talk.”
“That doesn’t justify anything.”
She was right. The Crane had been helpless. Gusty could have dislocated the little man’s shoulders.
“I said I was sorry.”
“To him. What about to me?”
“What?”
“You wanted me to abet his escape! And then lie about it!”
That’s what she was so upset about? “If you wanted him in custody, why did you let him go?”
“I let him go because you promised we would, but I’m not going to lie about it.”
“So what will you say?”
Tisha looked away. “I’ll tell Woto and Stormy that we let him go once he agreed to cooperate with the murder investigation.”
“What about Captain Kosho?” Gusty asked. Captain Kosho had assigned Gusty to investigate the theft from the library. If he found out they had been talking to the Crane, it wouldn’t take him long to figure out why.
“I don’t know, Gus. If the captain asks, we have to tell him the truth, don’t we? We’ll have to tell him we had the thief in our hands and we let him go.”
“He won’t like that,” Gusty said.
“I don’t like that!” Tisha said. “Why did you make that promise? We had cause to hold him. You know we’ll never be able to find him again.”
“I know,” Gusty said. “But when we were at the healer’s, I got to thinking: If anyone figures out why we arrested him tonight, we’ll have a mob at Cohort Headquarters by morning. People will want him dead, Tisha. And they won’t care how many urbies they have to go through to get to him.”
“I don’t think it would be that bad.”
“Listen to me, Tisha: It would be that bad.”
She frowned up at him. “What about you, Gus? Do you want him dead?”
Gusty clenched his fists. “I want the guy who hired him.”
4 Yellowmonth
Senator Fanjei, representative of the ancient port of Thom-Hizo, stood on the steps of the Senatorial Palace with the other eight senators. Early morning sunlight glinted off the blue scalps of the citizens who had assembled to hear the Senate’s announcement. Off to one side, a crowd of hairy, unruly Children of the Sun grumbled as Senator Washirko gave the unanimously approved speech.
