“She did back then, for Silva the elder,” Hubert said. “He looked out for her, kept his son off her back, which Silva Junior did not care for. But the old man took a real shine to the girl. Eventually, she gave up the ring, found some other way to pay the old man back. High-end thieving was what I heard. She had a friend who made the plans and the tools, she did the second-storey work.”

“Then why is she back in the pits?” Lucian asked. “And who does she fight for now?”

“That goes back to when Old Man Silva died,” Hubert said. “There was talk Silva wasn't going to pass the mantle down to his son. Too impulsive, too beholden to his own appetites. Word is, the old man was going to step back and pass it to one of the old-guard before he passed. Someone who’d respect the old man’s treatment of the girl.”

“But he didn’t pass it on to anyone else,” Lucian said.

“No, he didn’t,” Hubert agreed. “Couple of months ago, the old man went in his sleep. There were rumours, of course, but nothing came of them. Since the old man hadn’t said otherwise, the son stepped in. Damn near the first thing he did was go after the girl. As far as I know, she’d almost cleared the old debt, but now it’s in the hands of Silva Junior. He made plenty clear the only payment he’ll take. She and her friend have a skill-set, though, and made themselves scarce. Found their way to another of the Big Three, Clarissa Ventress. Cut a deal to protect them from Silva.”

“So Ventress is making her fight again?” Lucian asked.

“Word is, she’s only doing it to annoy Silva.”

“What does she get out of that?”

“The transition from father to son hasn’t been smooth for Silva’s people,” Hubert explained. “The old man was stable and reliable, while it’s no secret his son is just the opposite. He ousted his father’s old guard, put in his own people. That's left a lot of folks uncertain and nervous about Silva's position in the Big Three. There's been talk about the other two snatching away Silva’s territory. Word is, the only reason they haven’t moved is they don’t want Island folk coming down here. Begging your pardon, sir.”

“So Ventress is using the girl,” Lucian said. “She wants to make Silva do something stupid.”

“The Big Three know better than to rock the boat too hard,” Hubert said. “They don’t want folk like you, sir, coming in and dealing with them.”

“But if Cole Silva does something loud and impulsive,” Lucian said, “then Ventress steps in to settle it down. She claims new territory and makes good with the Island powers at the same time.”