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‘And just exactly what part do you play in this grand scheme, Hiera Jalkan?’

‘Ah - I’d really rather not say, your Grace,’ Jalkan replied nervously

‘I’ulators can coe your mind, Hiera Jalkan,’ the Adnari said ominously

‘Well--’ Jalkan said nervously, ‘I sort of find houses and such with lots of valuable things inside’

‘And just exactly how do you gain entrance into these various houses?’ the Adnari pressed

‘Well, they’re mostly the houses - and palaces - of the wealthier y, your Grace I told them that the church scholars had issued a rule that the exact dimensions of every piece of church property and all church buildings ister That opens a lot of doors forowned by any y When I coo tell Rabell about it, and he arranges the robbery I get a quarter of all theother places as well, he tells et paid for the ones I tell hi tosaid ‘You’re very clever, Hiera Jalkan, but you do know that you’ve coan to treain

‘Don’t shake sotold him ‘I think I’ve cohty sin you’ve co has a price - or had you already noticed that?’

‘I’ll pay anything, your Grace,’ Jalkan vowed in a treet down to business here How many of these tiny children can this scoundrel Rabell put his hands on?’

‘I’m not really sure, your Grace I haven’t had much contact with their handlers’

‘Handlers?’

‘They’re the men who more or less own the children They decide which house they want to rob and stand guard outside while the child is inside stealing’

‘Our business seeht want to advise Rabell that I’ether an order about recording diet you into some houses and palaces you probably don’t even know about Our glorious Naos, Parok VII, is so senile now that he doesn’t know night fro the church, so what I say is the law I think our first step should be to put these "handlers" you ulators That should be very useful Nobody argues with the Regulators You’d better go advise your fat friend that the situation’s changed just a bit’

‘Ah, your Grace,’ Jalkan said ‘I can’t really go anyplace just now I’m all chained up, re replied with feigned astonishment ‘Isn’t it peculiar that I didn’t notice that ed just a bit, Rabell,’ Jalkan announced when he returned to the ancient conveniuht after I checked out Adnari Radan’s palace, I went back to my cell to put the notes I’d taken into so for ulators?’ Rabell exclaiulators aren’t quite that savage, Rabell They chained ed ’