Day 5

"You are incorrigible!" Karla declared when Tristan joined her for breakfast just before first light. "What did you discover?"

"That she is quite skilled with her mouth!" Tristan smirked.

"Regarding the Razor Claws, you rake!"

"They have extreme security measures regarding the entrance to their headquarters. How to operate the mechanism is known only to Pavel, Marcus, and Brandon. That is where the vault is, which is why it's a closely held secret. They conduct most of their business in the lair you saw, and are protected by paying off the City Guard."

"She told you all of that?"

"She is not the only one with a talented tongue! It's amazing what you can learn from a sated girl!"

"The other way is equally true," Karla declared. "And more reliable."

"I am immune to such attempts," Tristan declared smugly.

They finished their meal, settled the bill, and quickly made their way to Isaac's house to collect the ransom. Once they had it, along with the journal, they retrieved their horses and began their journey back to Fulham.

"Let's ride to Langford," Tristan suggested. "We can cover that distance in a day."

"Of course you want to stay there, rather than in Thornwick!"

"Tristan, Deflowerer of Maidens, will not be denied!" he declared firmly.

"New title?" Karla asked.

"It fits!" he replied. "And it will fit nicely in any tight spot!"

"It's no jest for you to say 'any'!" Karla observed, shaking her head.

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Meanwhile, in Fulham, Matthew decided to report to Kranos that he was having some success, but would need a few days to convince Miri to willingly submit.

"Do not tarry," Kranos said. "And do not try to trick me."

"It's difficult for her, as it would leave her mother alone."

"Is that worth your life? If so, you made a very poor choice. Do not even think of removing her maidenhead. That is mine, and mine alone, and the power that comes with it."

"Power?"

"A permanent bond in the minds of many young women in your plane, including Miriam. You know that, and that is why you have refrained so far."

"But how could you know?" Matthew asked.

"I can scry into your world and learn many things."

Matthew wondered how far that went, and considered he might make a trade.

"Perhaps you would be willing to accept technology in trade?"

"Technology?" Kranos queried. "I do not know that word."

"I could share the secrets of gunpowder and electricity. The first allows the propulsion of a projectile at high speed and over much greater distances compared to a crossbow. The other can provide light brighter and cleaner than oil, and can do the work of a water mill without the water."