"Sweet chum right, it's a trick!" Cado growled. "One I'm not falling for!" He lunged at Ledek's exposed back and Ledek yelled as the knife sank into his shoulder. With a gasp, Vencil leaped for Cado.

Tycho stretched out his legs, tangling Vencil's feet. The man went down hard-and took an even harder blow as Cado, whipping his knife out of Ledek's shoulder, jumped back and stomped down hard on his hand. Vencil howled and clutched the injured hand close. His good hand snapped up and latched onto Cado's belt, pulling him off his feet. Cado twisted and stabbed as he fell.

Beyond the two struggling men, Ledek was staggering unsteadily. "Li!" shouted Tycho. "Roll toward me now!"

Li spun his body around and right into the back of Ledek's legs. With a startled yell, the Hooded's man toppled back. He almost caught himself and for a moment his arms flailed through the air as he fought for balance-and lost.

He splashed back into the dark pool. His last scream was choked off as the current sucked him under.

Cado reared up, whirled around at the noise, and looked down. Vencil lay still beneath him, Cado's knife buried in the side of his chest. Confusion washed across the tall man's face. "Bloody-"

Tycho sang magic at him. Light, sharp and bright, flashed briefly in front of his eyes. Cado reeled back, stumbling over Li's still-rolling body. Guided by the brief moment of contact, Li gave a tremendous shout, drew back his legs, and kicked hard. His feet took Cado square in the backside and sent him slamming headfirst into the stone wall of the vault. He hit with a meaty thud and slid down to sprawl limply on the floor. Li struggled to his knees, panting, hood still in place, but poised to attack anyone who came near. Tycho drew a deep breath. "Li," he said, "it's over."

"There's one more," snarled Li.

"Cado did him." Tycho got himself up onto his knees and shuffled over to Vencil's body. He plopped himself where he could grab the hilt of Cado's knife with his bound hands. It made a wet, sucking sound as it slid free. "Come here and hold out your hands."

It was tricky work, cutting rope that neither of them could see with a knife that was slippery with blood. He managed to do it without nicking either himself or Li more than twice. Hands free, Li immediately ripped off his hood and stared around. His eyes settled on the water of the pool. His mouth opened and, for a moment, no sound came out. Then he gasped, "How close did I come to that?"

"You almost went where Ledek did." Tycho let the knife clatter from his fingers and twisted around. "My turn."

Li cut the rope around his wrists and the bonds on their ankles. Tycho stretched gratefully and swung the shoulder on which he had fallen in gentle arcs. The joint protested, but not badly. He climbed to his feet and checked on Cado. "Unconscious, but not dead." He dug through the tall man's pockets and reclaimed his silver coin. Li, however, took a second knife from Vencil's body and looked in the direction of the stairs. Tycho followed his gaze. "The Hooded," he said.

"Yu Mao," said Li. "Do you still doubt it? Do you still think I'm wrong in what I have to do? He knew who I was and he tried to kill us anyway."

Tycho hesitated. "No," he said finally. "I don't doubt it." He held out his hand and Li gave him one of the knives- the smaller of the two. Tycho closed his fist around the handle. "But before you kill him, I want to get Brin's belju-rils. You may not need to talk to him anymore, but I still need to buy him off!"

"He may want to reward you for killing his rival." "That's not the sort of thing I want a reward for." They bound Cado, gagged him with a strip of cloth, and tucked him away in the darkest corner they could find. Vencil's body they dumped into the pool-Li shuddered as he saw the speed with which the water seized it and took it away. With the obvious signs of their struggle gone, someone would need to look closely to find Vencil's blood on the shadowed floor. There was no one else in the cellar, but there was also no guarantee that there was only one way in and they didn't need anyone raising an alarm.

Li led the way up the stairs, creeping slowly, knife at the ready. Both of them were alert for anyone coming down from above. No one did. Just before they reached the top, Tycho touched Li's leg. "Let me go first," he whispered. "If there are more of the Hooded's men in there, I can take them down with a spell. I might even be able to catch Yu Mao." Li frowned. Tycho shook his head. "It won't hurt them," he reassured him. Li's frown didn't lighten, but he stood aside. Tycho squeezed past and climbed to the top of the stairs. Putting one hand on the door handle, he held the other up to Li, three fingers extended.

He folded the first finger and his hand tightened on the handle.

He folded the second and drew a deep breath.

He folded the third, ripped open the door, and stepped through, spell on his tongue.

The Hooded's hall was empty.

"Bind me!" he hissed as Li came bounding in after him. He darted over and checked the gang boss's table. Its top was clear, though the stroke of Li's scimitar cut a light line across the wood, and there were no drawers underneath. Other than the table and its matching chair, the room was empty.

"Three other doors," said Li quietly. He pointed at one. "The leatherworker's shop."

Tycho pointed as well. "Cado brought me a chair from that one. It's probably a storeroom."

"Or a private room."

Tycho's finger paused and swung to the third door. "That one? Which way did the Hooded's men come from before?" Li shook his head. Tycho hissed. "All right." He strode up to the third door and opened it.

Gathered around a table, talis cards in their hands, three men looked up in surprise. One of them dropped his cards and grabbed for a cocked crossbow.

Tycho choked and slammed the door shut. An instant later, there was a sharp thunk against the other side. He whipped the door open again. Exactly at head height, a crossbow bolt quivered in the wood. The men were on their feet, cards forgotten in favor of daggers and swords. Tycho swirled his hand through the air and sang out a spell, powerful yet at the same time as soft and gentle as a breeze.

First one man, then another, and finally the third, staggered and slid to the ground in deep slumber.

Li looked in past Tycho and nodded in impressed approval. He pointed at a fallen sword with a questioning look. "Go ahead," Tycho told him. "They won't wake up." He stepped into the room himself and looked around. Table, bench, a bed-and no other way out. He cursed.

"The other door," said Li. He picked up the sword and took a second and offered it to Tycho. The bard shook his head. Li shrugged and put the weapon back down. "How long will they sleep?"

"Not long." Tycho led Li back out into the hall and closed the door. He took the Hooded's chair and wedged it under the handle. "That should hold them long enough if they wake up too soon."

"Can you cast that spell again?"

"If I need to."

They opened the final door more cautiously. There were chairs-the one Cado had produced for Tycho and two others like it-set just beyond, but there was also another flight of stairs, this time going up. They ended in another door.

Li wrinkled his nose and said, "I smell incense and pipeweed."

Tycho nodded and led the way once more. This time, however, he listened closely at the door. He could hear murmuring on the other side-but only one voice. No, there were two, but one was very faint. The Hooded and his young interpreter. Tycho caught Li's eye and counted down on his fingers again. One. Two. Three.

The upper door swung open to a room draped in silks and rich hangings, lit by softly glowing magical lanterns, and strewn with thick carpets and cushions. In the midst of this luxury, the Hooded and his interpreter scrambled to their feet. The Hooded-his robes set aside to reveal a simple tunic and trousers, but the leather hood still draped over his head-leaped for a rack of swords. His interpreter, however, reached no farther than her belt, snatching out a knife and sending it flickering at Tycho.