I answer this time. 「To discuss the black market.」 I take off my hat. 「There’s going to be a war.」

「So I’ve heard.」

「War profiteers will get very rich, very fast.」

「It had crossed my mind.」

I like this young one, not afraid to seem afraid—Saladin chose well, approaching the heir to the group rather than its inflexible patriarchs. 「In wartime,」 I continue, 「a lot of small crimes earn large punishments. The Hives are all preparing to wield lethal force again, not just Blacklaws and MASON. Death will soon be a lawful penalty.」

「That had also crossed my mind.」

「Groups like yours can waste a lot of lives and time working against us, or you can work with us, and get rich safely while we vent our… energy… on bigger enemies.」

Pressed hot against my back, Saladin punctuates ‘energy’ with a zealous slurp of flesh. It drips, meat on the bone, in a way no meatmaker steak does, the living juices of the animal still quick inside the tissues, as if seeking a heart to give them life again. One thug retches audibly.

「Tai-kun wants us as allies?」

「Tai-kun」—our Master’s Mitsubishi nickname drips like syrup from Saladin’s tongue—「has never heard of you, but They trust me to scent the powers of the underground.」 He cannot smile without baring fangs. 「I like you.」

「What do they want us to do? Hunt down Sniper?」

「Take a potshot if you have a chance, sure, but hunting’s more my strong suit. Yours is business. The powers that be want your black-market channels flowing, to lubricate distribution of goods to civilians when normal channels inevitably fail.」 I catch the scent of marrow as the bone cracks. 「Accept our terms, and we’ll see to it that your problems with the authorities are minimized.」

The protectee nudges the largest guard aside, striving to make eye contact against the dark and glare. 「What are your terms?」

「So long as what you leech from official stockpiles doesn’t exceed two percent of our stores of food and materials, or one percent of medical supplies, then you may find that the efforts to stop your operations fall slack, while those of your people who do get caught may find evidence lost and prosecutions bungled. Take more than that, and repercussions will be in deadly earnest, and will start with your bash’.」

「What about weapons?」 the young boss asked. 「Two percent of goods, one of medical supplies…」

「Your current avenues for arming yourselves will stay open, but if you touch war weapons you risk death; no leeway there. Also, you’ll minimize use of deadly force against our people, obviously. And no selling the lion’s share of the supplies to our enemies rather than to civilians. Once things break down every bash’ on Earth will be desperate to stockpile everything it can; get rich off them and leave the war to soldiers.」