"Easy, Shed. I know. He caught up with us. It got hairy. We left him cut up, but he'll mend. And he'll come back looking for you. I came to warn you. You've got to get out of Juniper."

"Oh, no," Shed said softly. Another tooth in the jaws of fate. "Been considering that anyway." That would not

tell Pawnbroker anything he could not guess for himself. "Things have gotten rotten here. I've started looking for a buyer." Not true, but he would before day's end.

For some reason Asa's return restored his heart. Maybe just because he felt he had an ally, somebody who shared his troubles.

Most of the story poured out. Pawnbroker did not take exception. He did not make an appearance.

Asa had changed. He did not seem shocked. Shed asked why not.

"Because I spent so much time with Raven. He told me stories that would curl your hair. About the days before he came to Juniper." "How is he?" "Dead."

"Dead?" Shed gasped.

"What?" Pawnbroker bulled through the doorway. "Did you say Raven was dead?"

Asa looked at Pawnbroker, at Shed, at Pawnbroker again. "Shed, you bastard. . . ."

"You shut up, Asa," Shed snapped. "You haven't got the faintest what's happened while you were gone. Pawnbroker is a friend. Sort of."

"Pawnbroker, eh? Like from the Black Company?" Pawnbroker's eyebrows rose. "Raven been talking?" "He had some tales about the old days." "Uh-huh. Right, buddy. That's me. Let's get back to Raven being dead."

Asa looked at Shed. Shed nodded. "Tell us." "Okay. I don't really know what happened. We were clearing out after our mix-up with Bullock. Running. His hired thugs caught us by surprise. We're hiding in some woods outside of town when all of a sudden he starts screaming and jumping around. It don't make no sense to me." Asa shook his head. His face was pale and sweaty. "Go on," Shed urged gently. "Shed, I don't know." "What?" Pawnbroker demanded. "I don't know. I didn't hang around."

Shed grimaced. That was the Asa he knew. "You're a real buddy, fellow," Pawnbroker said. "Look. . . ." Shed motioned for silence.

Asa said, "Shed, you've got to get out of Juniper. Fast. Any day a ship could bring a letter from Bullock." "But. . . ."

"It's better down there than we thought, Shed. You got money; you're all right. They don't care about the Catacombs. Think it was a big joke on the Custodians. That's how Bullock found us. Everybody was laughing about the raid. There was even some guys talking about getting up an expedition to come clean them out."

"How did anybody find out about the Catacombs, Asa? Only you and Raven knew." Asa looked abashed.

"Yeah. Thought so. Had to brag, didn't you?" He was confused and frightened and starting to take it out on Asa. He did not know what to do. He had to get out of Juniper, like Asa said. But how to give his watchdogs the slip? Especially when they knew he had to try?