'What?' roared the Hell Hound. 'Those gutter-rats? Take the Prince's money andbe thankful I -'

'Zaibar!'

'But Your Highness, this man is only playing on your-'

'If he is, it's mine to give ...'

He pressed a few more coins into Hakiem's outstretched hand.

'Now come along. I want to see the bazaar.'

Hakiem bowed low, ignoring the Hell Hound's black glare. When he straightened,the urchins were clustered about him again.

'Was that the Prince?'

'My dad says he's the best thing for this town.'

'My dad says he's too young to do a good job.'

'Izzat so!'

'The Emperor sent him here to get him out of the way.'

'Sez who?'

'Sez my brother! He's been bribing guards here all his life and never had anytrouble till the Prince came. Him and his whores and his Hell Hounds.'

'They're going to change everything. Ask Hakiem ... Hakiem?'

The urchins turned to their chosen mentor, but Hakiem had long since departedwith his new wealth for the cool depths of a tavern.

3 THE PLAN

'As you already know, you five men have been chosen to remain with me here inSanctuary after the balance of the honour guard returns to the capital.'

Prince Kadakithis paused to look each man in the face before he continued.Zaibar, Bourne, Quag, Razkuli, and Arman. Each of them a seasoned veteran, theydoubtless knew their work better than the Prince knew his. Kadakithis's royalupbringing came to his rescue, helping him to hide his nervousness as he mettheir gazes steadily.

'As soon as the ceremonies are completed tomorrow, I will be swamped withproblems in clearing up the backlog of cases in the civil court. Realizing that,1 thought it best to give you our briefing and assignments now, so that you willbe able to proceed without the delay of waiting for specific instructions.'

He beckoned the men forward, and they gathered around the map of Sanctuary hungon the wall.

'Zaibar and I have done some preliminary scouting of the town. Though thisbriefing should familiarize you with the basic lay of the land, you should eachdo your own exploring and report any new observations to each other. Zaibar?'

The tallest of the soldiers stepped forward and swept his hand across the map._ -

'The thieves of Sanctuary drift with wind like the garbage they are,' he began.

'Zaibar!' the Prince admonished. 'Just give the report without asides oropinions.'

'Yes, Your Highness.' The man replied bowing his head slightly. 'But there is apattern here which follows the winds from the east.'

'The property values change because of the smells,' Kadakithis reported. 'Youcan say that without referring to the people as garbage. They are still citizensof the empire.'

Zaibar nodded and turned to the map once more.

'The areas of least crime are here, along the eastern edge of town,' heannounced, gesturing. 'These are the richest mansions, inns, and temples, whichhave their own defences and safeguards. West of them, the town consistspredominantly of craftsmen and skilled workers. The crime in this area rarelyexceeds petty theft.'

The man paused to glance at the prince before continuing.

'Once you cross the Processional, however, things get steadily worse. Themerchants vie with each other as to who will carry the widest selection ofstolen or illicit goods. Much of their merchandise is supplied by smugglers whoopenly use the wharves to unload their ships. What is not purchased by themerchants is sold directly at the bazaar.'

Zaibar's expression hardened noticeably as he indicated the next area.

'Here is a tangle of streets known simply as the Maze. It is acknowledged by allto be the roughest section of town. Murder and armed robbery are commonplaceoccurrences day or night in the Maze, and most honest citizens are afraid to setfoot there without an armed escort. It has been brought to our attention thatnone of the guardsmen in the local garrison will enter this area, though whetherthis is out of fear or if they have been bribed...'

The prince cleared his throat noisily. Zaibar grimaced and moved on to anotherarea.

'Outside the walls to the north of town is a cluster of brothels and gaminghouses. There are few crimes reported in this area, though we believe this isdue more to a reluctance on the part of the inhabitants to deal with authoritiesthan from any lack of criminal activity. To the far west of town is a shantytowninhabited by beggars and derelicts known as the Downwinders. Of all the citizenswe've encountered so far, they seem the most harmless.'

His report complete, Zaibar returned to his place with the others as the princeaddressed them once again.

'Your priorities until new orders are issued will be as follows,' he announced,eyeing the men carefully. 'First, you are to make a concentrated effort toreduce or eliminate petty crime on the east side of town. Second, you will closethe wharves to the smuggler traffic. When that is done, I will sign into lawcertain regulations enabling you to move against the brothels. By that time, mycourt duties should have eased to a point where we can formulate a specific planof action for dealing with the Maze. Any questions?'

'Are you anticipating any problems with the local priesthood over the orderedconstruction of new temples to Savankala, Sabellia, and Vashanka?' Bourne asked.

'Yes, I am,' the prince acknowledged. 'But the difficulties will probably bemore diplomatic than criminal in nature. As such, I will attend to itpersonally, leaving you free to pursue your given assignments.'

There were no further questions, and the prince steeled himself for his finalpronouncement.

'As to how you are to conduct yourselves while carrying out your orders ...'Kadakithis paused dramatically while sweeping the assemblage with a hard glare.'I know you men are all soldiers and used to meeting opposition with baredsteel. You are certainly permitted to fight to defend yourselves if attacked orto defend any citizen of this town. However, I will not tolerate brutality orneedless bloodshed in the name of the empire. Whatever your personal feelingsmay be, you are not to draw a sword on any citizen unless they have proven - Irepeat, proven - themselves to be criminal. The townsfolk have already taken tocalling you Hell Hounds. Be sure that title refers only to the vigour with whichyou pursue your duties and not to your viciousness. That is all.'

There were mutters and dark glances as the men filed out of the room. While theHell Hounds' loyalty to the empire was above question, Kadakithis had cause towonder if in their own minds they truly considered him a representative of thatempire.