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The main floor of the Paltry is louder than the depths, an overload of sound and sight I scale backout what I ed with a pulse of uneven currents Their wiring is faulty, flickering in places It makes one of my eyes twitch The cameras are more intense too, focused on the Security post at the center of the marketplace It’s little more than a stall itself, six-sided, with five s, a door, and a shingled roof Except the box is full of officers instead of misrowing horror

"Faster," I whisper "WeCal and Farley, until I’lances over his shoulder, brow furrowed But his gaze slides pastin the crowd No, sohtening on Crance’s arm "Seaskulls"

Instincts be dalimpse of them They’re not hard to pick out White ink on shaved heads, tattooed skulls of jagged bone on their scalps No less than four Seaskulls pick their way through the crowd, following us as rats would aus If the situation wasn’t so dire, I would laugh at their ht, and parts to let them pass, to let them hunt

The other Reds clearly fear these cri co about their post They could be swifts, strongarms, oblivions--Silvers who can make us pay in blood and pain At least I know they’re not so dangerous as the Silvers of court, the whispers and silks and silences Whispers as powerful as Queen Elara don’t wear lowly black unifordoms, not a few yards of marketplace, and they are far away from here For now

To our surprise, the first blow comes not from behind but from dead ahead of us A bent old crone with a cane is not who she seenarled piece of wood She throws hi a bald head and a skull tattoo

"Fish Market not enough for you, Mariner?" she snarls, watching as Crance lands on his back Shade goes doith hiled up in Crance’s li

I rabser for a bit of entertainment No one notices us melt into the wall of faces, not even the four Seaskulls who followed us We are not their target--yet

"Keep walking," Cal rumbles in my ear

But I set my feet I will not be moved, not even by him "Not without Shade"

The Seaskull wo soundly against bone She’s quick, turning her weapon on Shade, who is sround, his arms raised inhis way to safety, but knows he cannot Not with every eye watching Not with the Security post so close by

"Fools and thieves, the lot of therumbles nearby She seems to be the only one annoyed by the display Merchants, patrons, and street urchins alike look on in anticipation, and the Security officers do nothing at all, watching with veiled a bets on the brewing fight

Another srits his teeth, trying to hold back a grunt of pain, but it echoes loudly over the Paltry I almost feel it myself, and wince as he crumples

"I don’t know your face, Mariner," the Seaskull crows She hits hian certainly will He’ll pay for your safe, if bruised, return"