“Galt?” Kashvi breathed, not knowing whether to thank Vishna or curse Halleth. Since the affair at the manor they had worked together on a few of the higher risk jobs that they had needed to keep their dues paid.
“What is going…” Galt began before a dozen gray cloaked thugs rounded the corner.
“We are!” Kashvi shouted. Plucking a throw  tube from her sleeve and firing it at the on rushing thugs. The tube made a high pitched note as it launched a four inch metal spike into the chest of one of the gray cloaks. The man squealed and clawed at his stomach as he went down under the boots of is fellows. 
“It’s Lucky Galt” one of the thugs cried with obvious relish. Kashvi cursed inwardly, wondering what card game or contest of affection Galt had cheated the man at. In any case, it was obvious he recognised him as a member of the seven ravens.


An invisible hand shoved Galt into motion with the force a kicking horse as Joe Shipwreck, clad in an unbelievably expensive invisibility spell, shoved the thief into motion. Kashvi grabbed the edge of a street vendors cart and pulled it over with a shout. Cheap jewelry fell in a clatter, causing passers by to dart in to grab at it, further tangling the pursuit.

“Go!” Kashvi shouted unnecessarily, vaulting over a crippled beggar who had been magically restored to mobility by the prospect of a quick score. Galt needed no further encouragement, taking off as fast as his legs could carry him. They bolted out of the alley and onto the Boulevard of Cherries. A crowd was lining both sides of the street to watch a parade of lantern twirling priestesses drawn up in ranks along floats depicting the passing of the seasons in abstract mythological design. Each float was drawn by a pair of white ponies, their manes braided with colorful ribbons.


“Going through,” Joe Shipweck growled and Kashvi fell in behind the sound of her voice. The crowd infront of her scattered as though struck by a colossal bowling ball. Screams rippled out as she ran through the gap, jumping up onto one of the floats. A trio of handbow bolts peppered he paper mache rendition of Yande, Goddess of the Sea with dull crumps. Apparently her earlier attack had reminded the thugs of their own ranged weapons. Kashvi rolled over an enormous clam shell and off the the other side of the float, momentarily shielded from further bolts. A guardsman who had been watching the parade a grab for her. Kashvi struck him open palmed, breaking his thumb the way her instructors in distant Hindia had taught her, then, for good measure, she drove her knee into the mans crotch the way Galt had taught her. A second watchman pulled his batton free from his belt and then collapsed in a limp heap as Galt cracked him across the side of the head with a koch. Attacking the watch meant a steep fine under normal circumstances but Kashvi was willing to hope that today might be an exception. 
“Where are we going?” Galt demanded as they burst through he crowd and down another long alley. This one was given over to food vendors and was thick with the smells of roasting meat and hot oil. Hanging pots clanged with handbow bolts as the pursuing thugs cleared the crowd.

“Canal!” Kashvi shouted as she hurdled a rice sellers cart. Galt leaped up onto one of the food counters, ignoring the curses of a cook in a grease stained smock. His foot landed on the edge of a cauldron full of hot oil, upending it in a glistening sizzling spray. At first Kashvi thought he had lost his footing, but he tumbled past and seized a lantern, casting it against the wall of the alley. The glass cover shattered and the oil ignited with a dull whumph sending men and women screaming in all directions. A moment later they emerged from the alley on the edge of a canal. Joe Shipwreck, whose concealment spell had now burned out made a frantic gesture at one of gondola’s which floated a few feet from the paved edge. Kashvi and Galt leaped into it, startingly the pilot who had been dozing under a sheet of canvas awake.

“You can’t…” he began and then Joe leaped aboard, connecting hard with the gunnel, using his momentum to send the little craft skittering out into the canal.

“Paddle you beautiful bastards!” he shouted, grabbing the pilots long pole from his hands and shoving them off down river as fast as could be managed.