There was a look of struggle on Li's face. Tycho sighed. "Li, I'm sorry. I should have told you. I've always known where you could find Brin. He really is dangerous, though. I wouldn't wish his bad side on anybody." He made a sour expression. "Of course, now I'm on it. You probably don't want to talk to him right now, but if you want to look for him later, you'll find him at a festhall called the Eel."

Li did a double take and made a sour expression as well. "Last night when I asked directions to a tavern, I was told I could look for the Wench's Ease or the Eel. If I had chosen the Eel, none of this would have happened?"

"Well, no." Tycho screwed up his face. "But there's a pretty good chance you'd be dead."

"Then I'm glad I chose the Wench's Ease." He held out his hand. Tycho just stared at it. "You were willing to help me, Tycho. I'll help you."

Tycho gaped at him. "You're kidding. I thought you'd be mad when I told you I worked for Brin."

Li shrugged. "Veseene gave me instructions that I wasn't supposed to get you in trouble. You were arrested because of me, so I am in a way responsible for the loss of the beljurils. You had your reasons for not telling me everything, Tycho." Tycho gave him a narrow glance. Li coughed. "And Veseene is very intimidating."

Tycho's lips twitched into a smile. "You're more afraid of Veseene than you are of Brin?"

"I haven't met Brin yet." Li's mouth narrowed. "Though I keep trying." He reached out and grabbed Tycho's hand, pulling him away from the tree and upright. "First we find your beljurils; then we talk to Brin."

"We don't have any clue of who took the beljurils at the jail, though!"

Li looked at him. "But we do. Who did we see there?" Tycho shrugged. Li snorted. "There is a saying in Shou Lung: A snake is never less than a snake."

Tycho frowned, puzzling through the proverb. "Once a thief, always a thief?" He sucked in a breath. "Desmada! We know she's corrupt already-what's to stop her from stealing from a prisoner's belongings?"

"That was my thought," agreed Li. "But would even she be brave enough to steal gems meant for Brin?"

"She wouldn't have known they were going to him." He smiled grimly. "This time of day, she'll be out on patrol. Let's go look for her and see if she's in the mood for a talk."

"There!" Tycho pulled Li around a corner and into a narrow street. "Desmada!" he called.

Up ahead, the guard twisted around and peered through the twilight then relaxed-slightly-with recognition. "What is it, Tycho?" Her hand dropped to the hilt of her sword. Recognition didn't mean trust-it could just as well mean she had guessed why they had come looking for her. Tycho quickly spread his hands.

"Easy," he said with a casual smile. "We just wanted a word with you."

Her eyes narrowed. She glanced at Li and back to Tycho. "You pulled off a slick argument this morning. You know Mard isn't going to forget that."

Tycho shrugged. "I make enemies every now and then."

"Mard isn't a good man to have as an enemy. If he brings you in again, he'll make sure you aren't able to talk your way free past a magistrate-he knows the law and he'll take advantage of it."

"Better that than knowing the law and abusing it," muttered Li. He was glaring hard at Desmada. Tycho poked an elbow into his gut, but Desmada's attention was already back on him.

"You know," she said, "I've been trying to figure out why you look familiar. It was nagging me all through the hearing, too."

"Imagine me being held down in the snow-"

Tycho jammed his elbow back again, this time hard. Li's words ended in a thick gasp. They had talked about this as they searched for Desmada. Li favored a rather direct, physical form of questioning; Tycho something more subtle. He thought that they'd had it worked out which they were going to try first. Desmada stared at them suspiciously, but Tycho just turned a broad smile on her.

"Speaking of the hearing," he said, "I was wondering if you could help us out with something." Desmada snorted.

Tycho gritted his teeth behind his smile. "Something was missing from my things when I retrieved them after the hearing."

Desmada grunted and shrugged her shoulders. "Ask at the guard station," she said and started to turn away.

Tycho moved with her, crunching through the snow. "We're not really likely to be welcomed with open arms at the guard station right now."

"Not my fault."

Just over her shoulder, Li made an angry face and flexed his fingers. Desmada must have sensed something because she spun around sharply, her hand shifting to a better grip on her sword. "What are you trying to-?" She drew a quick breath. "You think I stole something from you?"

She took two fast steps to the side so she faced them both. Tycho glanced quickly up and down the street. They were-for the moment-alone, most other citizens of Spandeliyon having already sensibly retired to their homes or favorite taverns for the evening. There were still people abroad though and he had no desire to be caught threatening a member of the guard, even one as corrupt as Desmada.

"Look," he said to her quickly, "we're just trying to find out what happened to some gems. If you could help us out-"

"I don't know anything about any gems."

"They belong to Brin," Li growled. Tycho winced and shot the Shou a foul glance. Desmada just snorted again, this time with laughter.

"You lost gems that belong to Brin? No wonder you're desperate." She eyed them both carefully. "You walk away now and I won't pass that little bit of news on around dock-side. Fair?"

"Desmada-"

The guard drew out a few inches of her sword. "Walk away, Tycho," she said harshly. "I don't know anything about your gems."

Tycho sighed and shrugged. "You know, I'd like to believe you, Desmada, but you should just cooperate and answer all my questions truthfully".

He let the command roll out of him in a baritone wave of almost-song, the music carrying the magic of a subtle spell. Desmada's face went slack for a moment as the enchantment sank into her mind. Li glanced at Tycho with an impressed expression. "Will it work?"

Desmada glanced between them. "Will what work?" she demanded.

"Never mind." Tycho flicked his fingers at Li, waving him to silence. The magic was potent but also delicate. Desmada would obey his suggestion, but the magic wouldn't stop her from attacking them or simply walking away. He kept on smiling at her. "Please, let me ask you again, Desmada: What do you know about the beljurils that were stolen from me at the guard station?"

The same slack expression of a moment before rippled across Desmada's face. "Nothing," she said.

Tycho blinked and glanced at Li. The Shou seemed startled, too. "Nothing?" Tycho asked. "You really know nothing about the stolen gems?"

"That's what I told you, isn't it?"

"Do you know of any other guard who would have tampered with my things while I was locked up?"

"No," Desmada snapped irritably. Tycho sucked on his teeth. It had to be the truth-his spell compelled her. At least, it compelled her to answer with what she thought was the truth.

"Did you see my things at all?" he asked. "Did you see a tin tube tied with green cord?"

"Yeah, I saw them. And I saw the tube." She shrugged. "I saw it before I saw you, actually. I didn't even know you'd been arrested until Jacerryl told me."

Tycho stiffened. "Jacerryl? Jacerryl Dantakain?" Des-mada nodded. "When did you see him?"

"When he brought your things to the guard station. He said Mard had rushed on ahead with you two under arrest and left him to bring your belongings along afterward."

Jacerryl.

Tycho took a deep breath as everything came together in his mind. Unlike Desmada, Jacerryl had known there were beljurils inside the tube. And he'd already passed the tube off, so if the beljurils went missing, it wouldn't be his fault. All the gems had been accounted for when the tube left his possession. He even had the perfect cover in the form of his brother's law-abiding honesty! Tycho could almost hear Jacerryl's voice whispering in his hood-covered ear again: Mard sticks to the law like honey. They'll be safe. Why had he been so close? A second breath turned into a hiss. It had probably been Jacerryl's hands that had taken the tube in the first place!