The Deveel’s smile broadened, and I was conscious of cold sweat breaking out on my brow.
“That won’t be necessary. You see, whether I believe you or not is of little consequence. Even if we searched, I’m sure you would be better at hiding things than we would be at finding them. All that really matters is that we’ve established that they did come in here, and that makes them your responsibility.”
I wasn’t sure exactly what was going on here, but I was sure that I was liking it less and less with each passing moment.
“Wait a minute, Hay-ner,” I began. “What do you mean ‘We’re responsible’? Responsible for what?”
“Why, for the fugitives, of course. Don’t you remember? When we agreed to let you use this place rent-free, part of the deal was that if anyone of this household broke any of the Bazaar rules, and either disappeared off to another dimension or otherwise refused to face the charges, that you would personally take responsibility for their actions. It’s a standard clause in any Bazaar lease.”
“Aahz,” I said testily, “you cut the deal. Was there a clause like that in it?”
“There was,” he admitted. “But I was thinking of Tananda and Chumley at the time . . . and we’ll stand behind them anytime. Massha, too. It never occurred to me that they’d try to claim that anyone who walked through our door was a member of our household. I don’t see how they can hope to prove….”
“We don’t have to prove that they’re in your household,” Hay-ner smiled. “You have to prove they aren’t.”
“That’s crazy,” Aahz exploded. “How can we prove….”