"That's good," I sez, "since I've noticed some movement in that big tree up ahead. Don't look at it directly, but it's the one with the limb that juts out over the trail. I think we're finally gonna see some action."

Actually, it was a pretty feeble ambush. Particularly after the big buildup I had given it. Still, I hadn't managed to build and maintain the long career I am enjoyin' by un-derestimatin' the opposition . .. even when they deserve underestimatin'.

We are still a good ways from the tree, call it a stone's throw, when, with a snappin' of twigs and a small shower of leaves, this kid drops onto the trail ahead of us. He lands off balance and ends up on his rump, but he's game and manages to scramble back to his feet without droppin' his sword.

"Tell me again about how we were selling this guy short," Pookie murmurs to me.

I give a little shrug, as there is nothin' else to say.

I have to admit, the perpetrator does not strike an impressive figure. He's a short little runt, even with the hat, to a point where his head would maybe come halfway up my chest if I wasn't wearin' a disguise. He has the build of a gangly teenager and the grace of a three-legged mule, which he proceeds to demonstrate by gettin' his sword tangled in his cloak as he tries to brandish it. Despite the spiffy black outfit, I would figure that Spyder could take him and four more just like him without mussin' her hair.

"Good day to you, minions of Evil," he sez, tryin' to make his voice sound deeper. "I am here to relieve you of your troublesome burden. Your wheelbarrow is laden with monies taxed from the sweat of honest citizens. I will take charge of it from here."

Pookie and Spyder are lookin' at me with raised eyebrows, so I figure it's my show.

"I don't think so," I sez, foldin' my arms. "Really?" the kid sez, genuinely surprised. "And why not, may I ask?"

"Well, other than the fact that we outnumber you three to one," I sez, "there the detail that we're all outside the range of that sword you're wavin'."

"Forgive me," he sez with a smile. "I neglected to introduce my associate. 'Nardo!"

"Perhaps you should count again, soldier," sez a voice to my right. "And believe me, you're well within my range."

I had marked that particular tree as bein' the most likely spot to give cover fire from, and I was right. The big guy had eased out from behind it just enough to get a clear shot if he had to, but could still duck back quick if things got rough. He had his crossbow loaded and cocked, all right, but at the moment he had it pointed straight up so we could get a good look at what he was holdin'.

"Well," I sez. "I guess there's only one thing I can say to that. Pookie! Drop the disguises!"

As I'm sayin' that last bit, I'm duckin' behind the wheelbarrow for cover as I pluck my own crossbow from my belt and level it at the kid.

Pookie and Spyder follow my earlier instructions and hit the dirt, movin' in opposite directions from where I am, then freeze. For several long moments, we hold that tableau without anyone sayin' anything.

"Is that you, Guido?" comes a call at last.

"Got it in one," I sez. "How's it goin', 'Nardo?"

"Not as good as it was a few seconds ago," he sez. "If I had spotted that you were a part of the guard detail, I would have passed on this caper."

"It's called a disguise spell," I sez. "It comes in handy when one is settin' up a counter-ambush. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I'll remember that next time... if there is a next time," he sez.

"So what are you doin' givin' cover fire on an amateur heist like this?" I sez. "I heard you retired."

"Took a baby-sitting job to make ends meet," he sez. "The baby is the one you're holding the crossbow on. How about yourself? What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"At the moment I'm workin' an assignment as a Personal Envoy for the Great Skeeve," I sez. "It seems like you and your 'baby' there are a part of it."

'Nardo is silent for a while as he digests this.

"That's the way things are, huh?" he sez at last. "So where do we go from here?"

"I'd say it's time for us to talk," I sez. "You and me. Let's see if we can come up with a way for everybody to walk away from this one."

"Sounds good to me," he sez. "Let's do it."

He eases out from behind his tree while I stand up from behind the wheelbarrow. Then, movin' real slow and matching our pace to each other, we each ease sideways. He ends up standin' next to the kid, and I end up next to Spyder.

In hindsight, I probably should have gone with Pookie. At the time, however, Spyder was closer. Besides, I knew that Spyder could handle a crossbow because I had helped her learn back in Basic, while I wasn't sure whether or not Pookie's high-tech travels had familiarized her with this dimension's crossbow designs.

"Okay, Spyder," I sez, keepin' my eye on 'Nardo. 'Take my crossbow and cover me. Keep it aimed at 'Nardo, but stay loose. We should be able to straighten this out without any shootin'."

"What's with all this talking, Guido?" she sez, takin' the crossbow from me. "You had the drop on them. Why not just finish it?"

"Take a tip from an old pro, Spyder," I sez. "If you have a choice between talkin' and fightin', always take the talk option. You can still fight if the talkin' doesn't work out. If you fight first, it's too late to talk."

I see that 'Nardo has handed his crossbow to the kid, so I start forward. As I do, I take care to move forward at an angle so I'm not in Spyder's line of fire and she has a clear shot at 'Nardo at all times. He does the same, movin' slow to meet me at a point where we is both in easy range of the coverin' crossbows.

It occurs to me that we each now have a crossbow pointed at us, held by kids what are not all that experienced. This is not a relaxin' thought, and I find myself wishin' that I had thought to mention to Spyder that the crossbow she is holdin' has a hair trigger on it, quite different from the army models she trained with.

"You're looking good, Guido," he sez as we come together.

"Thanks, 'Nardo. You're lookin' good yourself."

Actually, he looks kinda old to me. Even older than when I saw him before he retired. This does not seem like the moment to mention this, however.

"How's Nunzio?" he sez. "Are you two still working together?"

"He's fine," I sez. "He's back at the palace coverin' the Boss while I'm out here beatin' the bushes."

"Speaking of which, how do you propose we handle this situation?" he sez.

"First off, I've got one question," I sez. "Does the kid there have any intention of tryin' to whack the Great Skeeve or otherwise disrupt the current government of Posseltum?"

"Is that what this is all about?" he sez. "Naw. It's nothing like that. The kid overspent his allowance and is trying his hand at crime instead of getting a steady job. You know how that goes."

"I know the tune, I can fake the lyrics," I sez, making a face. "In that case, I think we can settle this pretty easily You see, my specific assignment is to investigate rumored rebel activity, not to go chasin' highwaymen. If you give me your word that this is not part of a bigger caper, I think we can let the kid walk."

"You mean you'll let him go on hitting the tax collectors?" 'Nardo sez, surprised.

"I don't think that would be a good idea," I sez. "No I meant that we won't take him in for what he's done so far. Throw a scare into him. Tell him that you got me to back off because we're old friends, but that if he keeps it up, I'll come after him for real. If you can't get him tc go straight, at least convince him to pick targets that aren't tied into the government."