The children. Discard the coats to the street indeed! Oliver would throw them out, where those same children Oliver had just complained about, most of them approximately the halfling's size, might pick them up. Luthien had his answer, and the understanding of Oliver's secret generosity gave him the strength to leap out of his chair.

A new spring in his step, a new and valuable purpose, showed clearly to Oliver as they made their way to Montfort's lower central area, a wide and open plaza, lined by kiosks and some closed tents. Corner performers were abundant, some singing, others playing on exotic instruments, others juggling or performing acrobatics. Luthien kept his hand against his purse whenever he and Oliver pa.s.sed anywhere near these people-the first lesson Oliver had given him about the market plaza was that almost all of the performers used their acts to cover their true profession.

The market was bustling this bright day. A large trading caravan, the last major one of the year, had come in the previous night, traveling from Avon through Malpuissant's Wall and all the way around the northern spurs of the Iron Cross. Most goods came in through Port Charley, to the west, but with the Baranduine pirates running the straits, the largest and wealthiest of the southern merchant caravans sometimes opted for the longer, but safer, overland route.

The two friends milled about for some time. Oliver stopped to buy a huge bag of hard candies, then stopped again at a clothier's kiosk, admiring the many fur coats. The halfling made an offer on one, half the asking price, but the merchant just scowled at him and reiterated the full price.

The impa.s.se continued for a few minutes, then Oliver threw up his hands, called the merchant a "barbarian," and walked away briskly.

"The price was fair," Luthien remarked, running to catch up with his brightly dressed companion.

"He would not bargain," Oliver replied sourly.

"But the price was already fair," Luthien insisted.

"I know," Oliver said impatiently, looking back at the kiosk. "Barbarian."

Luthien was about to reply, but changed his mind. He had limited experience at the market, but had come to know that most of the goods could be bought at between fifty and seventy-five percent of the obviously inflated asking price. It was a game merchants and buyers played, a bargaining session that, as far as Luthien could tell, was designed to make both parties feel as though they had cheated each other.

At the next stop, another clothier, Oliver and the merchant haggled vigorously over a garment similar to the one the halfling had just pa.s.sed up. They came to terms and Oliver handed over the money-fully five silver coins more than the other coat had been priced. Luthien thought of pointing this out to Oliver as they walked away with their latest purchase, but considering the halfling's smug smile, he didn't see the point.

And so their morning went: buying, bartering, watching the performers, tossing handfuls of hard candy to the many children running about the crowd. It was truly an unremarkable morning, but one that heightened Luthien's sagging spirits considerably and made him feel that he was doing a bit of good at least.

By the time they were ready to leave, Luthien carried a tremendous sack over his shoulder. Oliver flanked him defensively as they pushed back through the mob, fearing sharp-knived cutpurses. The halfling was turning his head slowly, regarding one such shady-looking character, when he walked headfirst into Luthien's sack. Oliver bounced back and shook his head, then stooped to retrieve his fallen hat. The rogue he had been watching openly laughed, and Oliver thought he might have to go over and inscribe his name on the man's dirty tunic.

"You silly boy," the embarra.s.sed halfling snarled at Luthien. "You must tell me when you mean to stop!" Oliver batted his hat against his hip and continued his scolding until he finally realized that Luthien wasn't even listening to him.

The young Bedwyr's eyes were locked straight ahead in an unblinking stare. Oliver started to ask what he found so enthralling, but following Luthien's line of vision, it wasn't really very hard for the halfling to figure it out.

The lithe woman was beautiful-Oliver could see that despite the threadbare and plain clothes she wore. Her head was bowed as she walked, her long and thick wheat-colored hair cascading down her cheeks and shoulders-was that the tip of a pointed ear that Oliver saw peeking from within its l.u.s.trous strands? Huge eyes, bright and compelling green, peeked out from under those tresses and showed an inner strength that belied her obviously low station in life. She was at the head of a merchant's procession, her sharp-featured master a few paces behind her. Oliver thought the man looked remarkably like a buzzard.

Oliver walked up beside his companion and nudged Luthien hard in the side.

Luthien didn't blink, and Oliver sighed, understanding that his friend was fully stricken.

"She is a slave girl," Oliver remarked, trying to draw Luthien's attention. "Probably half-elven. And that merchant-type would not sell her to you for all the gold in Eriador."

"Slave?" Luthien remarked, turning his confused stare upon Oliver as if the concept was foreign to him.

Oliver nodded. "Forget her now," the halfling explained.

Luthien looked back to find that the woman and her procession had disappeared from sight into the crowd.

"Forget her," Oliver said again, but Luthien doubted that to be an option.

The companions went back to their little apartment and dropped off their goods, then, at Oliver's insistence, went to the Dwelf. Luthien's thoughts lingered on the woman, and the implications of his strong feelings, as they sat by the bar in the familiar place.

He thought of Katerin, as well, the love of his youth. "Of my youth," he mumbled under his breath, considering how curious that thought sounded. He had been with Katerin O'Hale just weeks before, but that life, that innocent existence on Bedwydrin, seemed so far removed to him now, seemed another life in another world, a sweet dream lost in the face of harsh reality.

And what of Katerin? he wondered. Surely he had cared for her, perhaps had even loved her. But that love had not fired him, had not set his heart to pounding, as had the mere glimpse of the beautiful slave girl. He couldn't know, of course, whether that fact should be attributed to honest feelings for the slave, or to the general changes that had occurred in Luthien's life, or to the simple fact that he was now living on the edge of catastrophe. Had all of his emotions been so amplified? And if Katerin walked into the Dwelf at that moment, how would Luthien have felt?

He did not know and could no longer follow his own reasoning. All that Luthien understood was the lifting of his heart at the sight of the fair slave, and that was all he truly wanted to understand. He focused his thoughts on that look again, on the bright and huge green eyes peeking out at him from under those luxurious wheat-colored tresses.

Gradually the image faded, and Luthien again considered his present surroundings.

"Many of the Fairborn are held as slaves," Oliver was saying to him. "Especially the half-breeds."

Luthien turned a fierce look upon the halfling, as though Oliver had just insulted his love.

"Half-breeds," the halfling said firmly. "Half elf and half human. They are not so rare."

"And they are held as slaves?" Luthien spat.

Oliver shrugged. "The pure Fairborn do not think highly of them, nor do the humans. But if you wish to cry tears for any race, my naive young friend, then cry for the dwarves. They, not the elves or the half-elves, are the lowest of Avon's hierarchy."

"And where do halflings fit in?" Luthien asked, somewhat nastily.

Oliver ran his hands behind his head, through his long and curly brown hair. "Wherever we choose to fit in, of course," he said, and he snapped his fingers in Luthien's face, then called for Tasman to refill his empty flagon.

Luthien let the discussion go at that and turned his private thoughts back to the woman and to the issue of slavery in general. There were no slaves on Bedwydrin-at least, none that Luthien knew of. All the faces were welcomed there, in peace and fairness, except for the cyclopians. And now, with the edicts coming from Carlisle, even the one-eyes could not be turned away from the island's borders. Cyclopians on Bedwydrin would not find themselves welcomed at every door-even keepers of public inns had been known to tell them lies about no open rooms.

But slavery? Luthien found the whole issue thoroughly distasteful, and the thought that the woman he had spied, the beautiful and innocent creature who had so stolen his heart with just a glance, was a slave to a merchant filled his throat with a bitterness that no amount of ale could wash down.

Several drinks later, Luthien was still sitting at the bar, grumbling openly to himself about injustice and, to Oliver's disdain, vengeance.

Oliver elbowed Luthien hard, spilling the meager remaining contents of the young man's flagon down the front of Luthien's tunic. Fuming, Luthien turned a sharp gaze on his friend, but before he could speak out, Oliver was motioning for him to remain silent, and nodding for him to train his eyes and ears to a discussion going on between two roguish-looking men a few stools down.

"It's the Crimson Shadow, I tell ye!" one of them proclaimed. " 'E's back, and Duke Morkney and his thievin' merchants'll get it good, don't ye doubt!"

"How can ye make the claim?" the other rogue asked, waving the notion away. "How long do Crimson Shadows live? What say you, Tasman? Me friend 'ere thinks the Crimson Shadow's come back from the dead to haunt Montfort."

"They seen the shadows, I tell ye," the first rogue insisted. "A slave friend telled me so! And no wash'll take 'em off, and no paint'll cover 'em!"

"There are whispers," Tasman interjected, wiping down the bar in front of the two slovenly rogues. "And if they are true," he asked the first rogue, "would you think it a good thing?"

"A good thing?" the man slurred incredulously. "Why I'd be glad indeed to see those fattened piggy merchants get theirs, I would!"

"But wouldn't your own take be less if this Crimson Shadow hits hard at the merchants?" Tasman reasoned. "And won't Duke Morkney place many more guards on the streets of the upper section?"

The rogue sat silent for a moment, considering the implications. "A good thing!" he declared at last. "It's worth the price, I say, if them fatted swine get what's coming to them!" He swung about on his stool, nearly tumbling to the floor, and lifted his spilling flagon high in the air. "To the Crimson Shadow!" he called out loudly, and to Luthien's surprise, at least a dozen flagons came up in the toast.

"A thief of some renown, indeed," Oliver mumbled, remembering Brind'Amour's description when he had given Luthien the cape and bow.

"What are they talking about?" Luthien asked, his senses too dulled to figure it out.

"They are talking of you, silly thief," Oliver said casually, and he drained his flagon and hopped down from his stool. "Come, I must get you back to your bed."

Luthien sat quite still, staring dumbfoundedly at the two rogues, still not quite comprehending what they, or Oliver, were talking about.

He was thinking of the slave girl, then, all the way home, and long after Oliver dropped him onto his cot.

The second rogue, the doubtful one in the discussion of the Crimson Shadow, watched Oliver and Luthien leave the Dwelf with more than a pa.s.sing interest. He left the tavern soon after, running a circuitous route along the streets to a secret gate in the wall to the upper section.

The cyclopian guards, recognizing the man but obviously not fond of him, watched him suspiciously as he crawled out the other side. He flashed them his merchant seal and ran on.

He had much to report.

Chapter 16.

THE PERILS OF REPUTATION.

"You should be thinking of the task at hand," Oliver remarked in uncomplimentary tones as he and Luthien wove their way through the darkened streets toward Montfort's inner wall.

"I do not even think we should be going," Luthien replied. "We have more than enough money ..."

Oliver spun in front of the young Bedwyr, stopping him with a pointing finger and a vicious scowl. "Never," Oliver said slowly and deliberately. "Never, never say such a stupid thing."

Luthien flashed a disgusted expression and ignored the halfling, but when he tried to continue walking, Oliver grabbed him and held him back.

"Never," Oliver said again.

"When is enough enough?" Luthien asked.

"Bah!" the halfling snorted. "I would steal from the merchant-types until they became pauper-types, giving their riches to the poor. Then I would go to the poor who were no longer poor, and steal the wealth again and give it back to the merchant-types!"

"Then what is the point?" Luthien asked.

"If you were truly a thief, you would not even have to ask," Oliver said, snapping his fingers in Luthien's face, a habit that had become quite regular over the last few days.

"Thank you," Luthien replied without missing a beat, and he forced his way around Oliver.

The halfling stood in the deserted street for some time, shaking his head. Luthien had not been the same since that day a week before in the market. He was thrilled when Oliver had discarded those coats he did not deem appropriate-and the children of Tiny Alcove had fallen upon them like a pack of ravenous wolves-but Luthien's mood had become generally surly, even despondent. He ate little, talked less, and had found an excuse to prevent him from going to the inner section of the city on every occasion Oliver had proposed an excursion.

This time, though, Oliver had insisted, practically dragging Luthien out of the apartment. Oliver understood the turmoil that had come over the proud young Bedwyr, and truthfully, the rapidly growing reputation of the Crimson Shadow added an element of danger to any intended burglaries. Rumors along the seedy streets near Tiny Alcove hinted that many of Montfort's thieves had cut back on activities for a while, at least until the merchants' panic over this Crimson Shadow character died away.

But Oliver knew that it was neither confusion nor fear that held Luthien back. The man was smitten-it was written all over his somber face. Oliver was not coldhearted, considered himself a romantic, even, but business was business. He skittered up beside Luthien.

"If I looked into your ear, I would see an image of a half-elven slave girl," he said, "with hair the color of wheat and the greenest of eyes."

"You aren't big enough to look into my ear," Luthien coldly reminded him.

"I am smart enough so that I do not have to," Oliver quipped in reply. The halfling recognized that this conversation was seriously degenerating, something he did not want with a potentially dangerous job ahead of them, so he jumped out in front again and brought the impatient Luthien to a stop.

"I am not cold to the ways of the heart," the halfling a.s.serted. "I know you are in pain."

Luthien's defenses melted away. "In pain," he whispered, thinking those words a perfect description. Luthien had never known love before, not like this. He could not eat, could not sleep, and all the time his mind was filled, as Oliver had said, with that image of the half-elven woman. A vivid image; Luthien felt as if he had looked into her soul and seen the perfect complement of his own. He was normally a pragmatic sort, and he knew that this was all completely irrational. But for being irrational, it hurt all the more.

"How beautiful is the wildflower from across the field," Oliver said quietly, "peeking at you from the shadows of the tree line. Out of reach. More beautiful than any flower you have held in your hand, it seems."

"And what happens if you cross the field and gather that wildflower into your hand?" Luthien asked.

Oliver shrugged. "As a gentlehalfling, I would not," he replied. "I would appreciate the glimpse of such beauty and hold the ideal in my heart forevermore."

"Coward," Luthien said flatly, and for perhaps the first time since the children had gathered around Oliver's discarded coats, the young Bedwyr flashed a sincere smile.

"Coward?" Oliver replied, feigning a deep wound in his chest. "I, Oliver deBurrows, who am about to go over that wall into the most dangerous section of Montfort to take whatever I please?"

Luthien did not miss Oliver's not-so-subtle reminder that they had more on their agenda this night than a discussion of Luthien's stolen heart. He nodded determinedly to the halfling and the two moved on.

An hour later, the friends managed to find enough of a break in the patrol routes of the plentiful cyclopian guards to get over the wall and up onto a roof in the inner section, along the southern wall under the shadows of great cliffs. They had barely scampered over the lip when yet another patrol came marching into view. Oliver scrambled under Luthien's crimson cape and the young man ducked his face low under the hood.

"So fine a cape," Oliver remarked as the cyclopians moved away, oblivious to the intruders.

Luthien looked about doubtfully. "We should have waited," he whispered, honestly amazed by the number of guards.

"We should be flattered," Oliver corrected. "The merchant-types show us-show the Crimson Shadow-true respect. We cannot leave now and let them down."

Oliver crept along the rooftop. Luthien watched him, thinking perhaps that the impetuous halfling was playing this whole thing too much like a game.

Oliver swung his grapnel across an alley to another roof and secured the line with a slipknot. He waited for Luthien to catch up, looked around to make certain that no other cyclopians were in the area, then crawled across to the other roof. Luthien came next, and Oliver, after some effort, managed to work the rope free.

"There are arrows that bite into stone," the halfling explained as they made their way across another alley. "We must get you some for that bow of yours."

"Do you have any idea of where we are going?" Luthien asked.

Oliver pointed north to a cl.u.s.ter of houses with slanting rooftops. Luthien looked from the halfling to the houses, then back to the halfling, blinking curiously. Always before, the two had hit the southern section. With its flat roofs and the darkness offered by the sheltering mountain walls, it was ideal for burglars. He understood the halfling's reasoning, though; with so many cyclopians in this area, the less accessible houses would not be so heavily guarded.

Still, Luthien could not get rid of a nagging sensation of danger. The less accessible houses were the domains of the richest merchants, even the members of Duke Morkney's extended family. Luthien figured that Oliver knew what he was doing, and so he kept quiet and followed, saying nothing even when the c.o.c.ky halfling led the way back down to the streets.

The avenues were wide and cobblestoned, but up above them the second stories of the houses were built tightly together. No building fronts were flat, rather they were curving and decorated, with jutting rooms and many alcoves. Teenagers milled about, along with a smattering of cyclopian guards, but between Luthien's cape and the many nooks, the companions had little trouble in avoiding detection.

Oliver paused when they came to one intersection, the side lane marked by a sign that proclaimed it the Avenue of the Artisans. Oliver motioned to Luthien, leading the young man's gaze to a group of cyclopians milling about a block from the intersection and calmly approaching them, apparently in no hurry.

"I'm thinking that tonight we do not go down from a roof," the halfling whispered with a wistful smile, rubbing his eager hands together.

Luthien caught on quickly and eyed the halfling doubtfully. One of the first rules that Oliver had taught him about cat-burglary in Montfort was that the wealthy shops of the inner section were best left alone. The proprietors up here often employed wizards to put up magical wards to watch over their stores. The obvious disinterest of the patrolling cyclopians did lend some hope, but again, that nagging sensation of danger tugged at Luthien.

Oliver grabbed him by the arm and slithered into the avenue. Luthien followed, again trusting the judgment of his more experienced companion. A short while later, the two were standing in the shadows of an alcove between two shops, Oliver admiring the goods displayed in the side panels of their large front windows.

"This one has the more valuable items," the halfling said, speaking more to himself than to Luthien and eyeing the fine china and crystal goblets on display. "But these," he turned about to regard the many pewter figurines and art in the other window, "will be the easier to be rid of.

"And I do so like the statue of the halfling warrior," he remarked. It was obvious that Oliver's mind was made up. He looked all about to make sure that no cyclopians were in the immediate area, then reached under his gray cloak to a pouch on the housebreaker and brought forth the gla.s.s cutter.