TARU HAS NEVER BEEN ONE to embrace the idea of “shortcuts,” be they metaphorical or literal; to their way of thinking anything worth the effort, be it practicing with a blade or trekking over mountains as part of a long cross-country journey, must be earned without leniency from others or one’s self. It was Brio who impressed upon Taru the importance of taking shortcuts, especially when engaging in clandestine affairs, and particularly when the errands he undertook before his disappearance began to endanger them both.

The alleys Taru is circumnavigating were also introduced to them by Brio, providing the quickest path from the Bottoms to the Gen Circus without making use of the sky carriages. The retainer moves swiftly, accepting the necessity of slinking through narrow, poorly seen spaces even as they resent having to do so.

Taru’s booted feet abruptly stop short, halting almost instinctively.

There’s an Aegin waiting at the head of the current alley, and he’s not alone. Three other Aegins flank him.

“You are Taru, Gen Stalbraid’s lawful retainer?” their spokesman asks.

He’s shorter than Taru, but appears in fair shape for a man of his middle years.

“I am.”

“I have to ask you to come with us.”

“You’re arresting me?”

“I’m detaining you.”

“What is the difference?”

“Manacles and the absence of my asking you beforehand.”

Taru grunts something like a laugh. “I refuse your request.”

“If you refuse then we’ll have to arrest you.”

Taru becomes aware of more Aegins swarming up from the back of the alley. Without looking, Taru judges there to be four of them, from the sound of their footfalls.

“You’ve brought along an excessive number of helpers, if you don’t mind me saying.”

“We were informed you’re a warrior who demands to be taken seriously.”

“May I know your name?” Taru asks.

The Aegin stares for a moment, suspicious, and then says, “Kamen. Kamen Lim, Aegin second-class. Why?”

Taru holds Aegin Lim’s eyes with a hard stare. “I was recently forced to kill two men whose names I’ll never know. That felt wrong to me somehow. I told myself I’d never again take a life without knowing the name of that person first.”

With that, Taru unsheathes both short sword and hook-end in one greased motion that is a blur to the eye. The retainer’s feet spread, knees bending, the blade of the short sword held across one shoulder while the retainer extends the hook-end defensively.

The Aegins surrounding Taru immediately draw the daggers from their baldric scabbards and shift into defensive postures of their own.

Aegin Lim instinctively takes a step back, his hand going to the handle of his dagger. However, he doesn’t unsheathe the weapon.