"You..." she began, and aborted that because her voice was going high. Sheswallowed as unobtrusively as possible and said, "I... understand. You arefast."

Zip laughed, exaggeratedly. So did Ahdio, setting down three more.

"You're Rankan," Hanse had said, very quietly. Only Jes/Kama heard, and nodded.She was impressed anew.

"You really take down one of them tonight, Hanser?"

Shadowspawn nodded. "Straight Street, Ahdio, three doors down from Odors."

Ahdio's smile was genuine."! love it. How? Excuse me- will you tell me now?"

"It attacked." Hanse reached lazily across himself, tapped the leather-andcopper armlet at his right bicep. "In the eye. The right eye. Wiped the blood onits tunic-thing."

Ahdio was grinning. "Mind if I spread the word?"

"Think it's safe?"

"You think they have spies or informants here in the Maze?" Ahdio's voice wasrich with incredulity.

"I do. Half the people in this room would sell a sister for a good offer, andall of us would spout about anything under torture. I think I'd better say Imind, Ahdio."

The huge man sighed. "My lips're sealed. You three look's if you'd ruther be inthe back room."

Zip and Hanse nodded in unison.

A minute later he and Kama were ambling back that way, after having bade Zipgood night. The little room beyond the wall behind the bar was plain, with thesame flooring, walls adorned only by hanging utensils and pottles and a coupleof leathern sacks, full. The table was square and the chairs roughly- and wellmade. The room was also occupied by a score or so tuns of beer and a good-sizedred cat with a cropped ear, a restless tail, and a mean look. It was looking atHanse. Hanse didn't like cats overmuch; any animal that could and would staredown a human should be illegal. This one also looked as if it ate large, livedogs for snacks.

"These are friends. Notable," Ahdio told the cat. "Excuse me," he said quietly,and patted Hanse's shoulder, and Kama's. "Friends, Notable. Take a nap."

Notable blinked, long, and didn't say anything. It continued to stare. Kamaacted as if it weren't there, while Hanse stared back. They stood still whileAhdio went over and moved a keg that had to weigh several hundred pounds. Nexthe moved the one behind it. And squatted. When Zip's knock came, the tavernerwas ready to open the concealed half-door and move back while Zip squat-crawledinto the room. Ahdio closed the low door, secured both its locks, and replacedboth kegs. He went through the friend-excuse-me-hand-on-shoulder routine withZip, gestured to the table and chairs, and started to leave.

"Oh," he said, at the door into the main room. "If you want anything, waitawhile. I'll send Throde."

"Who's Throde?" Zip asked, while Hanse was saying, "You telling us not to get upand walk over to that door because of the cat, Ahdio?"

"That's a damned good cat, Hanse. Had a prowler try to get in here one night andNotable screamed loud enough to scare off every prowler from here to VomitBoulevard. 'Nother fellow followed me back here one night late with his mind onbadness and before he had his sticker out of its sheath Notable was eating holesin his knife-arm. Likes beer but won't take it from anyone but me. Zip: Throdeis my helper. You know-^they call him Gimp. Good boy. From Twand; my cousin'sboy."

Since Hanse knew very well that Ahdiovizun was not from Twand, he consideredthat stuff about Throde or Gimp to be highly unlikely. So what? Ahdio was betterthan all right, and Throde was his helper, and both Zip and what-was-her-nameJes were in disguise, and-never mind how many lies were being told and lived outin the taproom.

That stuff about Notable the red cat Hanse believed implicitly.

Ahdio departed their company and without a trace of preamble or smile Hansesaid, "Let's hear it. You've become leader of a bunch called People's Front forthe Liberation of Sanctuary and recently you were very nearly killed. This womandisguised as a man has an accent says she's from Ranke and she knows how tomove. An alliance against the Stare-Eyes, then? What's it want with me? I'm notpolitical."

"Popular Front," Zip corrected. "The P in PFLS is for Popular, not People's. Wedon't mind saying you're right about Kama-she's with the Rankan 3rd Commandounit. They're as eager as we are to get rid of the froggies. The Stare-Eyes. Itisn't going to happen tomorrow morning or by next Eshday, either. We need morerespect, more money, more good people, and even more warm bodies."

Hanse had ceased even touching the mugs of beer or glancing at them either. "Gotno money and I'm not good people or interested in joining the Popular FLS." Heshrugged. "You'll get more respect when you've shown you can do more than writebloody messages on the Vulgar Unicorn's walls and get One-Thumb and a bunch ofother people in trouble."

"The PPLS didn't do that, Hanse, and I didn't do it. And you're right-it was arotten idea. Those froggies that busted in there looking for trouble weren'tofficial ones, though. And Hanse... we know how-Kama and I-how we can gainrespect and money and more followers all in one operation that won't involve asingle death. Not one. Just-"

"You're dreaming."

Kama made a noise, and Hanse didn't glance her way. He did glance at Notable,which was examining its left forepaw with great interest while its tail sort ofwandered around the floor behind it.

"Damn it, Hanse-"

"Zip?" Kama waited a moment, and Zip leaned back, trying not to look disgusted."Hanse," she said, "word is that once someone actually broke into the Governor'sPalace and actually stole Prince-Governor Kadakithis's wand of power-the onestraight from Ranke as emblem of Empire-and actually got away. Whether it wasstrictly the thief's idea or not is not for certain and not important anymore.Kadakithis is in hiding or detention and the Beysa sleeps in the governor'ssuite-alone, presumably-as boss of Sanctuary. Word is also that the thief whopulled off that fantastic piece of work actually ransomed the Savankh back tothe prince, and got away with it. Maybe a traitor or two got killed along theway, and maybe not; maybe the prince actually owes a debt to that thief andmaybe not. All that doesn't matter."

She paused, waiting, and Hanse decided to outwait her. After thirty seconds orso it got to him and he said, "I've heard that story, or some of it, too. Whatabout it, Jes?"

"Call me Kama. What about it is this. What would have happened if it had beennoised around that the Savankh was in the hands of the people of Sanctuary-theIlsigs? Enormous loss of face for the prince and for the Empire he represents,or represented! Lots of laughter in town. And lots of people flocking to jointhose who had the Savankh. Maybe a few contributions of funds, too. Nowadaysthings are worse. A lot of people didn't like the Rankan rule of Sanctuary, butno one likes these fish-eyed invaders."

"That's for sure," Zip muttered.

"True," Hanse said, and glanced at Notable. As a test, Hanse slapped his leg.Notable put down his paw and took up staring. "I think I like that cat."

"So," Zip said, on an eye-signal from Kama, "if I-if the PFLS had the Beysinscepter, their symbol of power... and if we spread the word, actually showed itaround..."

"You'd have about a million Beys down your throat."

"Maybe about a hundred," Zip said, "but they wouldn't be down our throats,they'd be trying to find us. Meanwhile just about everyone in Sanctuary would behappily lying to them and misdirecting them, and joining us to free Sanctuaryfor Sanctuarites, and contributing services and money and even working deals toget some weapons in here."