Big Dan laughed. “Well, their gift of luck’s not doing such a good job, is it?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“How’d she end up crippled if all these high-and-mightys were looking out for her? And besides, what difference does it make? You’re not looking to bother her or whoever blessed her. It wasn’t Grey, was it?”

“No.”

“And you’re only after Grey, right?”

“Yes. But I want to end this enmity between me and Grey without incurring new animosities.”

“So, we snatch the girl he does like, he comes looking for her, and then you have him. No mess, no fuss. Nobody else involved except some fiddler girl that no one’s going to miss. We can let the boys have her when we’re done using her for bait.”

A few of the other bogans looked up with an interest Gathen didn’t have. But that was only because the human fiddler was too small and skinny for his tastes.

“Perhaps you’re right,” Odawa said.

Big Dan took that as agreement.

“You just let us sort this out,” he said. He turned in Gathen’s direction. “You and Rabedy—go fetch the girl. And bring her here.”

“If I might make a suggestion?” Odawa began. He turned a bland face, full of humility to Big Dan.

“Go ahead.”

“We need to keep her somewhere more secret than out in the open, where anyone with half a head for farseeing can find her in a moment. It would be better to take her to someplace hidden, such as the Doonie Stane in the Aisling’s Wood.”

“Except the Doonie’s a bit of a do-gooder,” Big Dan said.

“Not anymore. I’m afraid he’s quite a bit dead now.” The green-bree shrugged at the question in Big Dan’s eyes. “I thought I had more need of his haven than he did, you see.”

The bogans all had to smile at the way he’d put that. They respected anyone who took what he wanted and damn the consequences.

“So take her to the Doonie Stane,” Big Dan told Gathen, “and let us know when you’re done.”

Gathen nodded, though he wasn’t pleased. Like he wanted to go back to that pluiking hotel and then have to babysit Grey’s doxie with no one but Rabedy for company. Rabedy wasn’t any kind of a fighter, but then it wasn’t like there’d be any need for more than one pair of strong arms to kidnap a human girl.

“And don’t screw this up,” Big Dan added.

Like you are, bringing this green-bree into our business? Gathen thought. But all he said was, “We won’t, boss.”