[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Now properly clothed so that his ragged state wouldn't attract attention, Skif
was permitted to follow Deek out into the streets.
They walked along as Skif had already learned to, as if, no matter how fine
the
neighborhood, they belonged there, that they were two boys who had been sent
on
an errand that needed to be discharged expeditiously, but not urgently.
Deek, however, knew every illicit way into the laundries and wash houses of
the
fine houses on these streets, and he led Skif over walls, up trees, and across
rooftops. Together they waited for moments when the laundresses and
washerwomen
were otherwise occupied, and dropped down into the rooms where soiled linens
were sorted for washing.
It was Skif who picked out the napkins from among the rest no more than two or
three lightly soiled squares of linen at each place. He chose nothing that was
so badly grease-stained that it was unlikely it could be cleaned, nor did he
pick out items that were new.
Once retrieved, Deek did something very clever with them. He folded them flat,
and stuffed them inside the legs of his trews and Skif's, so that there was no
way to tell that the bits of fabric were there at all without forcing them to
undress. When they had the full two dozen, with no close calls and only one
minor alarm, Deek called a halt, and they strolled back to Bazie's.
Skif was tired, but very pleased with himself. He'd kept up with Deek, and
he'd
been the ones to pick out the loot Bazie wanted. Nothing new, nothing over-
fine,
nothing that would be missed unless and until a housekeeper made a full
inventory. Not likely, that; not in the places that Deek had selected.
They made their way up, over, and down again, and back to Bazie's den. This
time
when Deek knocked, it was Bazie himself that opened the door for them, and
Skif
watched with covert amazement as he stumped back to his seat like some sort of
bizarre four-legged creature, supporting himself on two wooden pegs strapped
where his legs had been, and two crutches, one for each arm.
 Aaa  Bazie said, in a note of pain, as he lowered himself down to his seat
and
quickly took off the wooden legs.  When ye brings back th' glimmers, young'un,
I'll be getting proper-fittin' stumps, fust thing. He gestured in disgust at
the crude wooden legs.  Them's no better nor a couple slats. How's it that a
mun
kin be sa good wi' needle an sa bad wi' whittlin ?
He put the crutches aside, and looked at them expectantly.
 Here ye be, Bazie! said Deek, taking the lead, and pulling napkins out of
his
trews the way a conjure mage at a fair pulled kerchiefs out of his hand. Skif
did the same, until all two dozen were piled in front of their mentor.
 Hah! Good work! Bazie told them.  Nah, young'un ye look an ye tell me wha's
the big problem we got wi' these fer sellin' uv 'em?
That was something Skif had worried about. Every single napkin they'd taken
had
been decorated with distinctive embroidered initials or pictures on the
corners.
 Them whatcha-calls in th' corners, Skif said promptly.  Dunno what they be,
but they's all different.
 They's t' show what owns 'em, but ol' Bazie's gotta cure for that, eh, Deek?
Bazie positively beamed at both of them, and took out a box from a niche
beside
his seat. He opened it, and Skif leaned forward to see what was inside.
Sewing implements. Very fine, as fine as any great lady's. Tiny scissors,
hooks,
and things he couldn't even guess at.
His mouth dropped open, and Bazie laughed.  Ye watch, an ye learn, young'un,
he
said merrily.  An nivir ye scorn till ye seen ,
Bazie took out the tiniest pair of scissors that Skif had ever seen, and a
thing
like a set of tongs, but no bigger than a pen, and several other implements
Skif
had no names for. Then he took up the first of the napkins and set to work on
it.
Within moments, it was obvious what he was doing; he was unpicking the
embroidery. But he was doing so with such care that when he was finally done,
only a slightly whiter area and a hole or two showed where it had been, and
the
threads he had unpicked were still all in lengths that could be used.
 Nah, I'll be doin' that t' all uv them, then into th' bleach they goes, an'
no
sign where they come from! Bazie rubbed his hands together with glee.  An'
that'll mean a full five siller fer the lot from a feller what's got a
business
in these things, an' all fer a liddle bit uv easy work for ye an me! Nah, what
sez ye t' that, young'un?
Skif could only shake his head in admiration.  That I'm mortal glad I grabbed
fer Deek's ankle yesterday!
And Bazie roared with laughter.  So'm we, boy! he chuckled.  So'm we!
Skif did not go out again, nor did Deek. Instead, they emptied out the
cauldron
of its warm, soapy, green-gray water, pouring it down a drain hole in the
center
of the room, and refilled it with fresh. This was no mean feat, as it had to
be
done one bucketful at a time, from the common pump that everyone in the
building
shared which was, predictably, in a well house attached to the side of the
building to keep it from freezing. Bazie had special buckets, with lids that
kept the water from slopping, but it still made for a lot of climbing.
No wonder Bazie was ready t' bring me in! Skif thought ruefully, as he poured
his bucketful into what seemed to have become a wash cauldron without a
bottom.
His arms ached, and so did his back this business of becoming a thief was more
work than it looked!
 How often d'ye empty this'un? he asked Bazie, who was mending a stocking as
dexterously as he had unpicked the design on the napkins.
 Once't week, Bazie replied.  We saves all th' whites fer then. Wouldna done
it
early, forbye th' napkin order's on haste, an' ye're here t' hep.
Skif sighed, and hefted the empty bucket to make another journey. This was
like
working at the Hollybush
He had no doubt that he would be the chief cauldron filler until Bazie took on
another boy, so he had this to look forward to, once a week, for the
foreseeable
future.
On the other hand, Bazie appeared to feed his boys well and treat them fairly.
Skif had plenty of time to think about the situation, to contrast how Raf,
Deek,
and Lyle all acted around Bazie and how well-fed (if a bit shabby) they
looked.
So Bazie wasn't running a gang that was wearing silks and velvets and had
servants to do their work. So he and the rest of the boys had to do a hauling
now and then. They were eating, they were warm, and Bazie was a good master.
What was a little hard work, set against that?
So he hauled and dumped, hauled and dumped, while his arms, back, and legs
complained on every inward journey. When the cauldron was at last filled,
Bazie
let him rest for just long enough to drink another mug of tea. When the tea
was
gone, Bazie put him to building up the fire beneath the cauldron, then adding
soap and a pungent liquid that he said would whiten the worst stains. When the
water was actually boiling, at Bazie's direction he added the napkins, then
other articles that should have been white. There wasn't a lot; pure white was
a
very difficult state to attain, so the boys didn't steal anything that should
be
white.
 Dunno how them Heralds does it, Bazie said, half in wonder and half in
frustration.  Them Whites, 'sall they wears, an' how they nivir gets stains, I
dunno.
 Magic, Deek opined cheekily, and Bazie laughed.
 Gimme stick, Deek told Skif.  Take a breather. Deek took over then,
stirring
while Skif lay back on a pile of straw-stuffed sacks that served as cushions,
letting his aches settle.
Lyle arrived, tapping his code on the door, and Deek let him in. Raf was right
behind him. Both boys began emptying their pockets and the fronts of their [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]