Edeard used his third hand to close the door. 'It will only be the one visit, he said, deliberately ignoring Nanitte — though there might have been a bruise on her cheek, the light was too poor for him to be sure. 'This kind of visit, anyway.

Buate picked up a silver stiletto, playing with it absently. 'And what is this kind of visit, Waterwalker?

'A friendly one.

'Indeed? What kind of friendship do you imagine we could have?

'Brief.

Buate laughed. 'I see why my dear brother enjoyed you as his sparring partner.

'I don't remember seeing you at the funeral.

'I was busy in the provinces. I only returned to Makkathran after I heard the sad news.

'Do you know who killed him?

'I thought he drowned.

'No. He was dead long before he hit the water. Torture tends to do that.

'That's awful. I trust you're busy finding the criminals who did this.

'That's one of the reasons I'm here.

'Ah. How interesting.

'Did you hear Grand Master Finitan has declared his candidacy for Mayor?

'It was the talk of the house tonight.

'His campaign will be centred on banishment.

'Yes, so I heard. I'm afraid he won't be getting my vote. Too many of my friends would suffer under such a policy.

'That's why you need to lead them away.

Buate's detached amusement faltered. 'Excuse me?

'I want you to go now. Leave the city. Take your colleagues and your business associates and your lieutenants with you. This way you'll be able to leave with most of your money; you can live a good life in exile.

'Normally I'd just laugh at something so preposterous. But I can see you're actually being serious.

'A lot of people are going to get hurt over the next few months. There will be deaths. You can avoid that. Think of this as an appeal to your better nature.

'You believe I have one?

'I think you're smarter than your dead brother. He was a jumped-up thug, using equally stupid muscle against small fry. But now you're here, and I see things are already changing. The gangs are targeting merchants and larger businesses now. You're trying to integrate yourself deeper within the city's economy, and submerge yourself from legal challenge. That takes a more methodical mind. He reached out with his third hand, and aggravated a whole ream of paperwork on the desk, sending the sheets fluttering across the floor. Nanitte scrambled to pick up those that fell across her and the couch. 'The mind of someone who appreciates paperwork.

Buate dropped the stiletto, and watched the swarm of paper with disapproval. 'Please don't do that.

Edeard sent a last flurry of papers chasing up towards the high ceiling. 'A smart legal mind. And I've grown to dislike lawyers.

'I have no idea what you're talking about. I am not acquiring businesses, nor have I any desire to. The House of Blue Petals provides a more than adequate income.

Edeard heard loud footsteps pounding along the corridor outside. He cocked his head to one side and gave Buate an expectant look.

'Boss! a man yelled.

The doors burst open. A very out-of-breath Medath came charging in, his oilskin cloak scattering water on the polished floor behind him. 'Boss! Boss! The Waterwalker was there, he caught us with Rapsail and—AAARGH! Medath nearly fell over backwards in fright. He clutched at his heart, eyes bugging as he drew a juddering breath. Buate was actually trembling in anger as he glared at his enforcer.

Edeard smiled contentedly. 'T-t-t timing is everything in our line of work, don't you find?

'You can't be here, Medath cried. 'You're back there. His finger pointed madly out towards the city. 'I ran… Boss?

'SHUT UP.

Edeard made his smile vanish. 'Leave the city. Take this cretin and all the others like him with you. You cannot win. Not against me.

Buate rose from the chair, his hands pressed palms-down on the desk. 'You understand nothing. Go back to your countryside, boy, before you and everyone you love gets hurt. This city is not for you.

They stared at each other as Medath continued to pant loudly behind them.

'Makkathran is already mine, Edeard said. 'You have no idea what I'm capable of. He turned and started to walk for the door.

'You're as weak as my brother, Buate spat after him. 'Next time it won't be Mirnatha who gets taken.

Edeard spun round, flinging an arm out. Buate was torn from his seat to smash against the wall between two of the oval windows. He squirmed impotently seven feet above the floor. Thin worms of dazzling static crackled in the air around him, jabbing down at his clothes. Buate wailed in dread as tiny puffs of smoke squirted out of each strike point.

'If anything ever happens to her or any of my friends, you will join your brother in a manner that will make his passing seem a delight. Edeard abruptly withdrew his third hand. Buate fell to the floor, landing badly on his shoulder. He grunted savagely at the pain.

'You keep bad company, Edeard told Nanitte, and closed the doors behind him.

Edeard woke alone in his maisonette. His ge-chimps bustled round getting breakfast ready as he walked down the steps into his pool. For all the fun Kristabel and he had sponging each other down in the beach house, he'd missed the sheer luxury of the bathing pool with its perfect temperature. At first he thought that might account for his melancholia, then he acknowledged he just missed not waking up with Kristabel.

As he munched his way through the mix of nuts and fruit which the ge-chimps had prepared he wondered if he should longtalk her. It would be nice to find out when they could actually meet up next; yesterday had been so ridiculously busy. He was sure that she would expect him to go to the Culverit mansion and be with her to spend a night together, even though they'd be a lot comfier in the maisonette with his modified bed and the other simple comforts he'd created. Then he paused with a glass of apple and mango juice halfway to his mouth. Of all the family girls he'd been with, every one had been brought back to the maisonette — excepting the occasional night spent in an inn's room or that nightmare weekend with Ranalee. Not once had he been taken back to their bedroom at the family residence.

Has Boyd ever gone back to Sana's mansion for a night? I can't remember. Lady, I wish I understood these kind of customs better.

The Grand Families could get quite stuffy about formalities.

I'll ask Kanseen, she'll tell me.

Until then, he foreswore off longtalking Kristabel. Of course, if she were to call to him…

Macsen was waiting by the gates at the tenement's entrance. 'How did it go last night? he asked.

'Not too good. Buate wasn't inclined to leave Makkathran.

'I could have told you that.

'I knew it myself, but I had to put it to him.

Macsen grinned. 'Your conscience… It'll be the death of us.

'Most likely. But you should have seen Medath's face. It was worth ten times the risk just for that. So how did your part go?

'Sentan and the rest of them trudged off down the south road. Quite a picture, it was. We stayed by the gate for over an hour, and sent a ge-eagle out to watch, but they never came back.

'Ah well, four down, four hundred to go.

'We can't do this four at a time. Besides, it took us five days hard work just to uncover this one scheme.

'I know. We just have to hold the line until Finitan gets elected.

'You really think he will?

'He has to, Edeard said earnestly. 'Most people in the city want the gangs expelled. Owain doesn't stand a chance.

'You don't know that. He could pull out a policy that will be even more popular.

'If he wanted to be that popular, he'd enact banishment right now, and stop trying to wreck our exclusion warrants campaign.