City of Jade

23

Risky Business

BURGLARS

MID SPRING, 6E9

Dogs. Ruck-loving, rat-eating dogs . Binkton slipped back down from the spike-fanged top of the moonlit wall to the shadow-clutched alley below. He came to rest beside his cousin. “You didn’t tell me they had dogs,” he whispered.

“Huh?” Pipper looked up from the carefully coiled rope as he finished attaching a small grappling hook to one end, a hook with its tines padded.

“Keep your voice low, Pip,” whispered Binkton, “else they’ll hear us.”

“Who’ll hear us?” whispered Pipper back.

“The dogs. You didn’t tell me they had dogs.”

“Dogs?” breathed Pipper.

Binkton growled low in exasperation. “Are you listening, Pip? There are dogs patrolling the yard-a couple of huge brutes with jaws that crush and teeth that bite. We fall afoul of those two, they’ll snap us up like we were no more than bits of bacon.”

Pipper frowned and shook his head. “Dogs?”

Through clenched teeth, Binkton hissed, “Yes, Pip, dogs; dogs you didn’t mention when we planned this.”

Dropping the hook, Pipper began free-climbing the ten-foot-high wall by jamming his fingers and toes into the mortar cracks. “Are you certain? I mean, there were no dogs when I-”

“Argh!” Binkton plopped down with his back to the wall.

Moments later, Pipper dropped down beside Binkton and murmured, “Well, Bink, you’re right. There are definitely two big dogs patrolling the yard. And a new kennel off to one side.”

Binkton sissed air out between clenched teeth, but otherwise made no comment.

“They weren’t here when I scouted out the place,” breathed Pipper. “No dog poop. No kennel. Nothing. It’s not like I’d miss something like dogs.”

“Oh, yeah? But miss them you did, even though you watched the house for five days.”

“I did watch it for five days, Bink, but I swear there were no dogs. Me, I think they are new.”

Binkton unclenched his jaw and drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Finally, he said, “Oh, Pip, I believe you. Maybe they are new, but it’s just that I’m frustrated. Rackburn is off to the Rivers End Theater, and we’ve not got a lot of time. And with dogs patrolling the yard, even if we escape their slavering jaws, they’ll alert Rackburn’s household, no doubt a bunch of Ruck-loving, rat-eating ruffians. That’d just put us in another pickle, and we’d not get Lady Jane’s money back to her.”

Pipper made a gesture of negation. “We can’t let that happen, Bink. Let’s take another look at the situation.”

Pipper started to climb, but Binkton sat still for a moment, brooding. Finally, with a sigh, he got up and followed Pipper, who at that moment gripped two spikes along the top and raised his head just above the wall to peer over. He quickly ducked back down and whispered, “Oh, lor.”

“What? What is it?” asked Binkton, his voice a low mutter.

“Another one,” murmured Pipper.

“Another dog?”

“Yes.”

Grasping two spikes, Binkton lifted himself up to where he could see.

Three huge mastiffs lounged near the rear entrance to the manse.

Binkton flinched down.

Once more Pipper raised up to study the scene. After a moment he murmured, “I think we’ve enough rope to reach the balcony.”

“And. .?”

“And I can cast the grappling hook over and snag the rail; then we’ll tie it off at this end on one of the spikes and walk across.”

“Are you insane, Pip? You’re the acrobat, not me.”

“Oh, Bink, walking a rope is as easy as falling off a log.”

“Good example, Pip, ’cause I’d fall off at the first step. Besides, your rope and hook were to be used to get us up to the balcony only after we crossed the yard.”

“But, Bink, that was just so we wouldn’t have to sneak through the house to get to the room with the strongbox.”

“That was the plan,” said Binkton, “over the wall, across the yard, up to the balcony, through the window to the left, and to the coffer. Well, the dogs have put an end to that scheme, and put an end to your new one, too. I mean, even if I could walk the rope, they’d bark the moment you threw the hook, and that would bring out the ruffians to catch two ninnies: one walking a rope above, the other screaming and falling down into the jaws of the beasts. But even if I didn’t fall, don’t you see, Pip, no matter what we try, the dogs, they’ll raise a hue and cry.”

Pipper frowned and then brightened. “You are right, Bink. But remember what Uncle Arley said about turning disadvantages into advantages, like turning hecklers into part of the act.”

“So. .?”

Pipper began easing back down the wall.

Binkton followed, and when he reached the ground beside Pipper, again he asked, “So. .?”

“So, bucco, we’ll turn those hecklers into part of the act.”

“What in blue blazes are you talking about?”

“Well, Bink,” said Pipper, grinning, “I know where we can get a couple of chickens.” And he started along the alley.

Binkton momentarily stood still, but then as enlightenment dawned, he murmured, “Oh, I see. For a bit there I thought this might be another one of Pip’s harebrained schemes, but I think it might actually work.” Binkton hurried after his cousin. As he caught up, they looked at one another in the moonlight and smiled, on the verge of laughter. They’d get Lady Jane’s money back if it took all night.

And as they strode on down the twisting way, Pipper fell into reflection. It was but some two and a half years ago-in early autumn, 6E6, to be exact-that they were on their way to make their fortune, and he wondered just how two buccen Warrows had ever managed to get from that beginning to this end, to this unseemly business of burglary. .