The woman spat at Kanseen, who swatted it away with hoi third hand. All three children were crying now.

'I want you to tell Eddis something from me, Edeard said. 'Tell him that if he leaves the gang behind, if he finds himself a proper job — and there's plenty to be had — he'll be welcome back in Fonscale Street. I'll cancel the warrant myself. That's all he's got to do.

'Screw you! She pulled at her children. 'You know nothing about life. Ivarl will dance on your ashes yet. And no Skylord will ever rescue your soul.

Macsen touched the brim of his hat as she stomped off down the street. 'Thank you, madam, always a pleasure to help the citizenry, but he didn't say it very loud.

'You okay? Kanseen asked.

'Yeah. Edeard gave her a shaky nod. 'Yeah, I suppose m» Lady, how many families have been split up like that?

'Are you serious? an incredulous Kanseen asked. 'What a the families of Eddis's victims? The people you're supposed to helping? Isoix and his children? Don't they deserve some consideration?

'Yes, sorry, he hung his head. 'I just wasn't expecting this to be so hard.

'Cheer up, Boyd said, and put his arm round Edeard. 'It can only get worse.

Edeard was about to remonstrate, then saw Boyd's mocking expression, and he managed a weak smile. 'Much worse.

'Far far worse, Macsen promised.

'Let's go and see what misery and torment Walsfol has in store for us then.

As he set off with his friends, Edeard chastised himself for not expecting such an ambush. The only real surprise was that it hadn't happened earlier. Although they'd managed to add another fifty warrants to the original batch, fifteen had been cancelled. There had been a few genuine cases of mistaken identity, but more than one person in the associations had used the scheme to settle an old grudge. Then there were some traders who'd taken advantage in order to get commercial rivals banned from the district, reducing competition. Each reported case of abuse had to be properly reviewed and sorted out, which took a great deal of time for the constables — but not as long as a court case, as Edeard had to keep pointing out to the grumbling Masters and station captains.

But even with the troubles and abuse and legal challenges and the racketeers' unrelenting attempts to get past, he considered it a success. And in that he wasn't alone. The gangs had made hardly any collections in Jeavons and Silvarum, and only two I aiders had been assaulted before the constables arrived. Makkathran's remaining districts had watched the results keenly. Under continuing pressure the Masters of Haxpen, Lillylight, Drupe, llongo, and Padua were drawing up their own warrants and talking to the station captains about enforcement. In another couple of days, they could well be signed. Tomorrow was the last day of Vologral's three week trial. Not that the District Master and Representatives would have the final say. Not any more. The Grand Council was due to convene to debate the 'disturbance' to city life caused by the reintroduction of the exclusion warrants. Finitan was leading the bloc of Councillors arguing their benefit. If they lost, the warrants would be revoked; and as Finitan had told him, Bise was preparing an act to rescind the original law. He had a lot of tacit support, Finitan said, because no one was sure where the whole thing would end. Was it the Waterwalker's intention to turn Sampalok into a criminal ghetto, cut off from the rest of the city? And exactly how did such a young inexperienced constable come to lead such a campaign in the first place. Politically, the Masters were becoming very nervous of Edeard. Finitan was coming under increasing pressure from his fellow Masters to produce a valid conclusion to the campaign.

Edeard didn't actually have one. When he did think that far ahead, to a time every district had issued warrants, he'd assumed the Grand Council would step in with a final solution. Expulsion was his preferred option, though he wasn't sure how that would be achieved, nor where the gang members would be banished to. He'd just wanted to start the ball rolling, to give people hope. Only now were the true consequences becoming apparent.

Though even he had to laugh when on the day after Cherix received his ducking in Birmingham Pool, District Master Bise very publically signed an exclusion warrant preventing Edeard from entering Sampalok. Less amusing was the dignified announcement from the Pythia saying that she would never prohibit anyone from entering Eyrie to attend the Lady's church. Owain also declared no warrants would apply to Anemone and Majate, so that all citizens would be able to reach the seat of government, a right which Rah himself had laid down. And as for the protestations from the Gondoliers Guild about restricting their trade… There had never been a gondola strike in Makkathran before. Even though it had only lasted a day, it shocked everyone. There were threats that more would be called, especially if the vote in the Grand Council tomorrow didn't go the way the gondoliers wanted. The Dockers Guild had also pitched in with a promise to support the gondoliers.

Thankfully, Edeard was getting a lot of support and encouragement from various traders and merchants. Ordinary people, too, were grateful, if their reaction to the constable squads on bridge duty were anything to go by.

Edeard just wanted tomorrow's Council debate to be over, one way or the other. The weight of expectation that had fallen on him was awesome.

Dinlay was waiting outside the main entrance of the Culverit family mansion. The first rays of sunlight had already reached the highest level of the ten storey ziggurat, to glint on the huge horseshoe arch windows. Five pistol-carrying guards with the family's insignia on their coats opened the grand iron-bound front gate. The squad walked in through the giant archway to find themselves in a broad courtyard. Vivid topaz climbing roses smothered the pillars on every side, while tall granite statues of past Culverit Masters and Mistresses gazed down sternly. An equerry greeted them and ushered them inside. Edeard sighed when confronted with a spiral stair.

'I suppose the family live on the top floor, he muttered to Boyd.

'The Master's family do, of course.

The summit of the mansion was a house larger than the Jeavons constable station, surrounded on each side by a strip of hortus garden. It was the traditional residence of the District Master, with the lower floors occupied by dozens of relatives and household staff and clerks who administered his estates.

As they ascended, Edeard became very conscious of the mood swirling round him. There was anger, predominant in the men, and a great deal of fright and sorrow.

'Something bad has happened here, he said quietly. Macsen gave a short uncomfortable nod of agreement.

Walsfol and Julan were waiting for them on the upper hortus garden that faced the Grand Major Canal. Even so early, the Chief Constable was wearing a pristine tunic, his gold buttons shining brightly in the rising sun. Julan, by contrast, was one of the few aristocrats who showed his age. A hundred and fifty three years made his shoulders sag, and his grey hair thin. He wore a rumpled house robe over his nightshirt. His eyes were red rimmed, and sunken with abject despair.

The squad had brought Edeard up to date with Culverit family gossip on the way over. Now, as never before, they were the subject of intense speculation and discussion within the rest of Makkathran's aristocracy. Master Julan had married very late in life. In itself that wasn't too unusual among his class. It was a truly romantic marriage. Apparently he fell completely in love with his wife (a hundred and eight years his junior) as soon as they were introduced, and was utterly devoted to her until her tragic, untimely death six years ago. Though what scandalized everyone was that the first child she produced had been a daughter, Kristabel, as was their second child, during whose birth she'd died. There was no son to inherit. It was almost without precedent in the city. But to the dismay of Lorin, Julan's younger brother, there was a clause in the Culvert family's legally registered claim to the Haxpen District to allow the lineage continuation through a daughter if there were no sons. The situation had occurred only twice before in Makkathran's two thousand year history.