They're obviously a gang taking a scouting trip. So if we pitch up there in these uniforms we'll scare them off and they'll just come back in a week or a month — whenever we move on. But if we were to loiter around in ordinary clothes they wouldn't know we were there, and we could catch them at it red-handed.

'I don't know. You know what Ronark is like about wearing the uniform on duty. As they were starting their third patrol, the captain had unexpectedly appeared and performed a snap inspection. Edeard had almost been demoted for the 'disgraceful lack of standards'. Since then, he'd made sure his squadmates were properly dressed before leaving the station.

'Exactly, Macsen said. 'If you're a constable in Jeavons you have to be in a uniform, everyone knows that. So they won't be expecting us out of uniform.

'Humm, maybe. Let me talk to Chae first, see what he thinks.

'He'll say no, Boyd told them. 'You know procedure. If a crime is suspected, then you use ge-eagles to observe the area while the squad waits out of farsight range.

'We don't know how long we'll have to wait, Macsen said. 'And Edeard only has one ge-eagle.

'You can sculpt more, can't you? Boyd said. 'You told us you used to be an Eggshaper apprentice.

'He can't sculpt without a Guild licence, not in Makkathran, Macsen said. 'It's the law; we'd wind up having to arrest him. You know how keen they are on maintaining their monopoly. In any case, this is going to happen soon. We don't have time to sculpt ge-eagles. That's why we have to go patrolling in disguise.

'Ordinary clothes aren't a disguise, Boyd protested.

'It doesn't matter what clothes we wear, as long as it's not the uniform, Macsen said, his temper rising. 'Dress how you want. Maybe in a dress — you're certainly acting like an old woman.

'Good one, smartarse. If this gang's as clever as you say, they'll know all our faces anyway.

'Enough, Edeard said, holding up his hands. 'I will speak to Chae as soon as we get in. Until then I'll keep my ge-eagle close to Boltan Street. I can't do anything more in the middle of a patrol, so drop it for now, please.

'Just a suggestion, Macsen grumbled as he started to walk away.

'Are you deliberately winding him up? Edeard asked Boyd.

The lanky boy gave a sly grin. 'I don't have to answer that, I'm not under oath.

Edeard laughed. The Boyd of six months ago would never have dared any mischief at another's expense, let alone a friend.

The squad set off along the canal again, following the gentle curve northwards. Edeard's plan was to stay on the side path until they reached its junction with the Outer Circle Canal, then turn back in to Jeavons. He sent his ge-eagle swooping low over the roof and towers of the district, guiding it towards Boltan Street. It was a damp grey morning, with the last of the night's rain clouds still clotting the sky as they slid slowly westwards. Every surface was slick with rain. However, the indomitable citizens of Makkathran were out in force as usual, thronging the streets and narrow alleyways.

Edeard's ge-eagle flashed silently above them, ignored by most. Then he caught a movement that was out of kilter. Halfway along Sonral Street, someone in a hooded jacket turned away from the eagle and adjusted their hood, pulling it fully over their head.

It could have been nothing, the ge-eagle was still over fifty yards away. And it was damp, the air chill. Perfectly legitimate for someone to pull their hood up in such circumstances. A lot of people in the same zigzagging street were sporting hats this morning. The man wasn't even alone in wearing a hooded jacket.

It's wrong though, I know it.

'Wait, he told the squad. He swept the street with his farsight, searching for the one suspicious figure. The man's mind was shielded, though the tinge of uncertainty seeped out. Again, perfectly legitimate, he could be worrying about anything, from a bad quarrel with his wife to debts.

Edeard observed the direction he was taking and ordered the ge-eagle round in a long curve. It settled on the eves of a three storey house at the end of Sonral Street out of sight from its target. As he waited, Edeard realized the man in the hooded jacket wasn't alone; he was walking with two others. Then the ge-eagle caught sight of him on the street as he came round one of the shallow turns. By now, the hood had slipped back slightly.

'Oh yes, Lady, thank you, Edeard said.

'What's happening? Dinlay demanded.

'He's back, Edeard growled. 'The thief from Silvarum market, the one who was holding the box.

'Where! Kanseen demanded.

'Sonral Street. Top third.

The squad registered annoyance. 'We can't farsight that far, Boyd complained.

'Okay, here you go, Edeard gifted them the ge-eagle's sight.

'Are you sure? Macsen asked.

'He's right, Kanseen said. 'It is him, the bastard. I can just farsight him.

'There are two others with him, Edeard told them. 'And he's nervous about the ge-eagle, so they're not here for anything legitimate. Let's spread out and surround them. Keep a street between yourself and them the whole time. I'll track them with farsight, I don't want to risk him seeing the ge-eagle again, that'll scare them off.

They all smiled at each other, edgy with nerves and excitement.

'Go! Macsen cried.

After five minutes steady jogging Edeard wished he paid more attention to keeping fit. As before, Makkathran's citizens were reluctant to give ground to anyone in a hurry, least of all a red-faced, sweating, panting young constable. He dodged and shoved and wiggled his way along streets and through alleys, ignoring the whingers, and glaring down anyone who voiced a complaint. His uniform made it worse with its hot, heavy fabric restricting his movements.

Eventually he got himself into position a street to the west of the trio. His farsight showed him his squadmates taking up positions all around. 'Got them, Dinlay's longtalk announced as he slowed to a walk.

'Me too, Boyd reported.

'What do you think they're here to steal? Macsen asked.

'Small enough to carry easily, valuable enough to be worth the risk, Dinlay replied.

'Another one been paying attention during our lectures. But unfortunately that covers about ninety per cent of the shops around here.

'Could be something in one of the storerooms, too, Boyd suggested.

'Or a house, Kanseen added.

'Let's just keep watch on them, Edeard told them. 'When they go into a building, we close in. Remember to wait until the crime has been committed before arresting them.

'Hey, never thought of that, Macsen said.

Edeard let his farsight sweep through the buildings around the trio, trying to guess what they might be interested in. Hopeless task.

The suspects turned off Sonral Street into an alley so narrow one person could barely fit. Edeard hesitated, they were heading towards his street, but it was a blind alley, blocked by a house wall twenty feet high. His farsight probed around, revealing a series of underground storerooms beneath one of the jewellery shops on Sonral Street. There was a passage leading up to a thick metal door in the alley.

'At least they're consistent, he remarked. 'That's a jeweller's shop on top.

'On top of what? Boyd asked.

'There's some kind of passage leading off the alley, Kanseen told him. 'It leads downwards somewhere. Edeard, can you actually sense what's there?

'A little bit, he admitted reluctantly. 'Just some kind of open chamber. I think. For a moment he wished everyone had his ability — life would be a lot easier.

'So now what do we do? Macsen asked. 'We can't rush them, not down that alley.

'Wait at the end, Dinlay said. 'They can hardly escape.

Edeard's farsight was showing him a whole network of interconnecting passages and rooms running under the row of shops. The passages all had locked doors, but once the thieves were inside, there was a chance they could elude his squad within the little underground maze.