could, and to hell with shortcuts. He stepped directly out onto the Street of
Odors-also called Stink Street and Perfume Boulevard, with the tanners and
charnel houses right there-and walked north to Straight Street. Once it crossed
the Processional, it jogged a little and became the Path of Money. There bankers
and lenders and changers lurked, and some were even honest. It was Ahdio’s
belief and hope that his was.
Then it was back to the Bazaar and/or Farmer’s Market, by some route or other;
he was a known walker who attracted little attention from the diwiers and
“guardians” of this or that section of town. Stepsons competent and in-, or 3rd
Commando members, or the dangerous usually-youths of the PFLS-“Piffles,” some
were pronouncing it-or sword-backed Beysibs, forced by the weather to cloak the
bare breasts they apparently loved to flaunt, painted. He gave them little
attention in return, speaking when they were obviously not supposed to be
concealed, and pretending not to see them when they were.
Ahdio assumed that he was one of the very few in the Maze who had made a deal
with the 3rd Commando Unit of Ranke. After all, it was in his back room that
Kama of the 3rd C. and Zip of PFLS had met with Hanse, for the purpose of
persuading that thief called Shadowspawn to break into the Palace. Oh, Ahdio
knew that, now; Kama had been back and they were friends-make that “on friendly
terms.”
Not infrequently he stopped at a better inn just to take note of it and its
clientele and enjoy a measure or two served by someone else. Then it was back to