Hanse swallowed, blinked. Sitting stiffly on a divan in the luxurious apartment, he put it all through his mind again and chased its tail. He came to his own conclusion.

I have been a fool. I did all this for my pride, to be such a clever fellow. I am a clever thief, but a stupid fellow! Being here thus when he comes in could gain me another signature on another document from him - this time my death order! Oh damn plague and pox, what have I done!?

Nothing, he thought as he rose with a great sigh, that could not be undone... he hoped. All he had to do was betake himself from here so that neither Kadakithis nor anyone else would ever know he had broken in. He glanced around and swallowed hard. It certainly was hard and against the grain not to steal something!

And so Shadowspawn went to the window, and wearily began the process of breaking out of the Governor's Palace and its grounds.

2

'It develops that I need help,' Prince-Governor Kadakithis said, 'and I cannot see a way to threaten it out of anyone.'

'Including me?'

'Including you, Hanse. Furthermore, if you won't help, I can't see how I can punish you either.'

'I'm glad to hear it. But I didn't know there were things a governor couldn't do, much less a prince.'

'Well, Shadowspawn, now you know. Even Kitty-Kat isn't all powerful.'

'You need help and the Hell Hounds can't provide it?'

'That is close, Hanse. The Imperial Elite Guardsmen cannot help me with this. Or so I perceive it.'

'I sure do wish you would sit down. Highness, so I can.'

Kadakithis walked across the rich carpet of his privatemost chamber and sat on the edge of the peacock spread of his bed. He gestured. 'Do take that divan, Hanse, or those cushions as it pleases you.'

Hanse nodded his thanks. He sank among the cushions, curbing a grin at their luxury. Last night he had sat on the divan, and only he knew it. This day he chose the luxury of the jumble of stuffed Aurveshan silk. (Quag the Hell Hound had been on duty at the gate. He had recognized the hooded blind beggar, who winked at him. Having been secretly apprised that Hanse was invited. Quag conducted the blind beggar to His Highness. The hooded robe lay on the bed beside the prince now, who had congratulated Hanse on the cleverness of his entry. Hanse forbore to tell him how much more clever he had been last night.)

Now he decided that he could afford a modicum of daring: 'Either I'm hearing sideways or you just told me you need me for something the Hell Hounds, I mean Imperial Elites, can't do. Or that your Highness can't trust them with? Or that you don't want them to know about.' Revelation: 'Or ... something illegal?'

'I will not affirm or deny anything that you have said.' That said, the prince merely gazed at him. The boy did a good job of looking enigmatic, Hanse mused, overlooking the fact that they were about the same age.

'If the prince will forgive me saying it... his Chief of Security is surely not one to baulk at such a ... mission.'

The prince continued to stare. One pale eyebrow rose slightly under that disgustingly handsome shock of yellow hair. And then Hanse was staring.

Tempus! It's about Tempus, isn't afl I haven't sees him for weeks.'

'Kadakithis turned his gaze on an ornate Yenizedish tapestry. 'Hanse: neither have I.'

'He is not on a mission for your Highness?'

'Just use the pronoun for me, Hanse, and we can save whole days of our lives. No. He is not. He is missing. Who might wish him to be missing?'

Hanse was wary of being used as informant, but saw no reason not to answer that one. 'Oh, half the people in town. Maybe more. About the same number that would wish the governor to be missing. Your pardon of course. Governor. Or the Emperor. Or Ranke.'

'Hmm. Well, Empire is built on conquest, not love, however often they are the same. But I have striven to be decent here. Fair.'

Hanse considered. 'It is possible that you have been fairer than we might have expected.'

'Nicely put. Carefully chosen words. You may well become a diplomat yet, Shadowspawn. And the Hell Hounds'! What of them?'

Hanse smiled briefly at the slim noble's calling his elite guards by the people's name for them; indeed, even the Hell Hounds called themselves Hell Hounds these days. It was a dramatic name with a romantic and rather sinister sound that appealed to their sort.

'Shall I answer that, to one from Ranke, with all the power there is? What power have I?' .

'You have influence with the Prince-Governor, Hanse, and with his Chief of Security. You uncovered the plot against me and helped break it up. You regained that awful fear-rod, and it cost you. Recently you helped Tempus in a matter, too. Now we are even in one area at least, aren't we?'

'Even? I? Me? Hanse of Sanctuary and the Emperor's brother?'

'Stepbrother,' the prince corrected, and fixed Hanse with a wide-eyed gaze, all blue. It reminded Hanse of his own ingenuous pose. 'Yes. Now we have both killed. I, Bourne. You... the night Tempus lost his horse.'

'The Prince-Governor is not without knowledge,' Hanse observed.

'Another careful, diplomat's phrasing! Now: Tempus set himself to destroying the minions of that Jubal fellow. Do you know why?'

'Maybe Tempus is a racist,' Hanse said, trying to look wide-eyed and ingenuous.

It didn't appear to be working. Damn. This golden-locked boy was smarter than Moonflower, despite her extra-human ability. Hanse sighed. 'You know. Jubal is a slaver and those weird-masked employees of his are feared. He has respect, and power. Tempus works for you, for Ranke's power.'

'Let's don't go making wagers on that. Would you say his killing of those in the blue birdmasks might be called murder, Hanse?'

'It might if it was one of us,' Hanse said, to the gleaming top of a low table. 'Surely not for him that calls us Wrigglies, though.'

The prince failed to disguise his little start. 'Strong words, Hanse of Sanctuary. And to one who does not call the Children of Ils "Wrigglies"!'

'Yes, and I really wish I hadn't said it. As a matter of fact I wish I wasn't here at all. How can I share confidences here? How can I say my mind to you, when you aren't a you, but both prince and governor?'

'Hanse: we have been through some things together.' In a manner of speaking, Hanse thought. You weren 't poked with

that damned terror-stick, and you didn't spend half the night down a well and the other on a torturer's table!

'I might even consider myself in your debt,' Kadakithis went on.

'I am getting awfully uncomfortable, my lord ofRanke,' Hanse said elaborately. 'Will my lord Prince tell me why I am here?'

'Damn!' Kadakithis regarded the carpet and heaved a great sigh. 'I've an idea it would be a waste of time to offer you wine, my friend. So I -'

'Friend!'

'Why yes, Hanse,' Kadakithis said, all large of eye and open-looking. 'I call you friend. We are even of an age.'

Hanse erupted to his feet in a jerk that was still admirably sinuous. He paced. 'Oh,' he said, and paced. 'Oh gods. Prince -don't call me friend! Don't let anyone else hear that!'

The prince looked very much as if he wanted to touch him, and was sure that Hanse would shrink away. 'How lonely we both are, Hanse. You won't have any friends, and I can't! I dare trust no one, and you who could trust - you reject even an extended hand.'

Hanse was almost stricken. Friends? He thought of Cudget, dead Cudget. OfMoonflower. OfTempus. Was Tempus a friend? Who could trust Tempus? Who could trust anyone wearing the title 'governor'?