Tycho shook his head and pulled his coat back on. It was wet and cold from the snow, but most of the pig stench was gone. "No, it's all my fault. When we were arrested, I had a package with me that I was supposed to deliver to-" He hesitated. Considering the way the Shou had reacted to Desmada's corruption, Tycho didn't think he'd want to hear that his new friend did jobs for the one-eyed halfling as well. Or that he'd known all along where to find him. "That I was supposed to deliver," he said and left it at that. "While we were in jail, someone stole what was in the package. I've been given until noon tomorrow to get it… them back."
"What was in the package?" Li asked. Tycho told him. Li's eyes went wider. "Who in Spandeliyon could want something that valuable? "
"The man I was supposed to deliver them to!" Tycho wrapped his arms around himself. "Bitch Queen's mercy! What am I supposed to do? Li, this man is insane. I'm amazed he didn't break my legs before sending me out to look. If I can't find the beljurils, I'm dead. I'm worse than dead." He shuddered.
"This man sounds as bad as Brin," said Li.
Tycho couldn't hold back the strangled choke that rose up out of his throat. Li looked at him sharply. For a moment he was silent. "Tycho," he said finally, "that was pig dung on your coat."
"There are a lot of pigs in Spandeliyon," Tycho said defensively. "Every third house keeps a few."
"I haven't seen a pig since I've been here."
"It's cold! They like to stay in shelters where it's warm."
"Then you must have been standing around in a pigsty when you slipped."
He met Tycho's eyes. The bard ground his teeth together and stared back. Li's gaze was steady. Unflinchingly steady-and ever so slightly disappointed. A shiver crawled down Tycho's back and settled in his gut. Li's eyes tensed, not quite narrowing with suspicion, but just flickering as if a bit of trust had slipped away. Tycho's gut clenched and rose in anger, most of it directed squarely at himself. "All right," he groaned, "it was Brin! I deliver packages to him. Mard Dantakain's brother Jacerryl uses his influence to bring things into Spandeliyon-I pick them up when I give Laera her music lessons and take them dockside to Brin." He leaned against the tree and banged his head on its rough bark. "I told you a lot of people in Spandeliyon work for Brin. I'm one of them."
"Veseene-"
Tycho looked up. "Veseene doesn't know. This is how I make the extra coin to pay for the tea that keeps her palsy in check. Without it, she'd be bedridden."
There was a look of struggle on Li's face. Tycho sighed. "Li, I'm sorry. I should have told you. I've always known where you could find Brin. He really is dangerous, though. I wouldn't wish his bad side on anybody." He made a sour expression. "Of course, now I'm on it. You probably don't want to talk to him right now, but if you want to look for him later, you'll find him at a festhall called the Eel."
Li did a double take and made a sour expression as well. "Last night when I asked directions to a tavern, I was told I could look for the Wench's Ease or the Eel. If I had chosen the Eel, none of this would have happened?"
"Well, no." Tycho screwed up his face. "But there's a pretty good chance you'd be dead."
"Then I'm glad I chose the Wench's Ease." He held out his hand. Tycho just stared at it. "You were willing to help me, Tycho. I'll help you."
Tycho gaped at him. "You're kidding. I thought you'd be mad when I told you I worked for Brin."
Li shrugged. "Veseene gave me instructions that I wasn't supposed to get you in trouble. You were arrested because of me, so I am in a way responsible for the loss of the beljurils. You had your reasons for not telling me everything, Tycho." Tycho gave him a narrow glance. Li coughed. "And Veseene is very intimidating."
Tycho's lips twitched into a smile. "You're more afraid of Veseene than you are of Brin?"
"I haven't met Brin yet." Li's mouth narrowed. "Though I keep trying." He reached out and grabbed Tycho's hand, pulling him away from the tree and upright. "First we find your beljurils; then we talk to Brin."
"We don't have any clue of who took the beljurils at the jail, though!"
Li looked at him. "But we do. Who did we see there?" Tycho shrugged. Li snorted. "There is a saying in Shou Lung: A snake is never less than a snake."
Tycho frowned, puzzling through the proverb. "Once a thief, always a thief?" He sucked in a breath. "Desmada! We know she's corrupt already-what's to stop her from stealing from a prisoner's belongings?"
"That was my thought," agreed Li. "But would even she be brave enough to steal gems meant for Brin?"
"She wouldn't have known they were going to him." He smiled grimly. "This time of day, she'll be out on patrol. Let's go look for her and see if she's in the mood for a talk."
"There!" Tycho pulled Li around a corner and into a narrow street. "Desmada!" he called.
Up ahead, the guard twisted around and peered through the twilight then relaxed-slightly-with recognition. "What is it, Tycho?" Her hand dropped to the hilt of her sword. Recognition didn't mean trust-it could just as well mean she had guessed why they had come looking for her. Tycho quickly spread his hands.
"Easy," he said with a casual smile. "We just wanted a word with you."
Her eyes narrowed. She glanced at Li and back to Tycho. "You pulled off a slick argument this morning. You know Mard isn't going to forget that."
Tycho shrugged. "I make enemies every now and then."
"Mard isn't a good man to have as an enemy. If he brings you in again, he'll make sure you aren't able to talk your way free past a magistrate-he knows the law and he'll take advantage of it."
"Better that than knowing the law and abusing it," muttered Li. He was glaring hard at Desmada. Tycho poked an elbow into his gut, but Desmada's attention was already back on him.
"You know," she said, "I've been trying to figure out why you look familiar. It was nagging me all through the hearing, too."
"Imagine me being held down in the snow-"
Tycho jammed his elbow back again, this time hard. Li's words ended in a thick gasp. They had talked about this as they searched for Desmada. Li favored a rather direct, physical form of questioning; Tycho something more subtle. He thought that they'd had it worked out which they were going to try first. Desmada stared at them suspiciously, but Tycho just turned a broad smile on her.
"Speaking of the hearing," he said, "I was wondering if you could help us out with something." Desmada snorted.
Tycho gritted his teeth behind his smile. "Something was missing from my things when I retrieved them after the hearing."
Desmada grunted and shrugged her shoulders. "Ask at the guard station," she said and started to turn away.
Tycho moved with her, crunching through the snow. "We're not really likely to be welcomed with open arms at the guard station right now."
"Not my fault."
Just over her shoulder, Li made an angry face and flexed his fingers. Desmada must have sensed something because she spun around sharply, her hand shifting to a better grip on her sword. "What are you trying to-?" She drew a quick breath. "You think I stole something from you?"
She took two fast steps to the side so she faced them both. Tycho glanced quickly up and down the street. They were-for the moment-alone, most other citizens of Spandeliyon having already sensibly retired to their homes or favorite taverns for the evening. There were still people abroad though and he had no desire to be caught threatening a member of the guard, even one as corrupt as Desmada.