Avery The Sneak

Chapter 10: The Underbelly

Ludwig ran toward a pillar holding up the balcony seats. Before I can even wonder how he'll get up he was scaling the pillar. He crawled over the railing and disappeared.

I was left to fend for myself as the footsteps closed in. I sprinted for the confessionary lining the Eastern wall. It was a rectangular box with a door at each end. I entered near the altar, shut the door, and tried to be quiet. For a few moments the church was completely still.

The doors creaked open and two pairs of feet made their way down the aisle. They must have split at some point because one sounds much closer than the other. Neither said anything as they made rounds around the nave.

From up near the altar came the echoing sound of a man clearing his throat. "Ludwig! We know you're in here. The deal is still on. Make sure you reach the meeting spot in three weeks. Deal's off if you don't make it in time."

The footsteps retreated back toward the door. It slammed behind them, making me wince. I waited, sitting perfectly still on a little kneeler. My mind scurried to make sense of what I'd heard, and who had said it. Eventually I heard a faint echo, which must have been Ludwig hopping off the pillar. I stood up and strode back out into the nave.

Ludwig stood near the last row of pews, gently brushing dirt from his pants. He said nothing to me, and only glanced up when I exited the confessionary. I walked up to him, eyes set.

"Alright, spill."

Ludwig looked up, with an annoyed expression. "What do you mean?"

"Of all people, why is Slick delivering your messages?"

Ludwig cursed under his breath. "Because he and Sash work for the man who's helping me relocate."
"And you're scared of this guy?"

"What on earth would give you that idea?"

I pulled out a little drawstring pouch. "You didn't notice when I lifted this while they were walking toward the front door. You must have been pretty distracted." I smiled even though I was trying to be serious. It was my first pickpocket after all.

"For the record, I did notice. I just didn't have time to correct you."

"Would an ordinary person have noticed?" I said, trying not to let the hurt over being noticed show on my face.

"No, but you shouldn't settle for less. Now let's go. We need to get back on the road." Ludwig turned to leave.

I grabbed him by the sleeve before I had a chance to reconsider. "Oh no. You're not going anywhere until you explain why those brutes work for the man we're heading to."

Ludwig turned back to face me. His eyes were wavering between a set gaze, and a few wrinkles of what might have been pity. "We won't go into history, but the Syndicates control who goes into exile. It's a front for moving key people across the border painlessly."

"If the syndicate controls the border then why was I on the list? Unless my..." I didn't want to finish that thought.

"No. Your parents had nothing to do with it. As far as I know your mother hasn't contacted the Hounds since she left. You were on that list purely because I wanted you to be."

"But why? Why me out of everyone else there? This is too much trouble for a stranger." I had no idea what I would do if I didn't like the answer he gave. The idea of being alone in the North scared me, but it was better than having a crime family hunting me.

Ludwig looked up toward the altar at the far end of the nave. Whatever icon had adorned the wall was long gone, with only a faded patch of stone remaining. "The truth is I owe your parents a favor. They helped me move some merchandise fast when I was in a bind. Otherwise my head would likely be in a different city from the rest of me. I recognized you, and I figured it was as good a chance as any to pay back the favor."

I waited a moment, to chew over what he'd told me. It matched up with his story about my parents and their involvement with Milnir and Wrencort's underworlds. Still, I didn't have any real proof beyond his words.

"If you owe them then why bring me here? Chances are I might never see them again." I was startled by how hard it was to say. Just the thought was enough to put a lump in my throat and make my stomach go hollow.

"Well you never would have lasted at the Palemere. This way they'll hear you made exile and realize you must have met up with an old associate. At least they'll know you're alive, and never had to set foot in that hell hole."

Whatever Ludwig's reasons were I couldn't help but feel that I owed him somehow. Between helping me escape North and teaching me, I'm better off with the old man than I would have been at the Palemere. But there's still one problem.

"How come Slick and Sash singled me out on the road North? Did you put them up to it?"

Ludwig shook his head. "Only a few people order those animals around, and I'm not on that list. More likely than not they heard you were going to be let on the exile list and wanted to size you up. For people like them, violence goes hand in hand with any meeting."

I nodded and inspected the cobblestones on the floor as I thought it over. I didn't want anything to do with those two, or their boss. Still, I've had to get used to a lot of compromises since my arrest. Maybe my chance to steer clear of people like them went out the window when I was sentenced.

I sighed long and heavy. "All right, we do it your way. But first sign that something's wrong and I'm out of here."

Ludwig smiled. "I accept. Now, let's get back on the road. I still have a lot of the logistics to teach you."

"There's logistics to thievery?"

"Sure, for one thing you'll need a good fence. Make sure you don't hold on to anything stolen for longer than you have to."

"What if I like it though?"

Ludwig set his mouth in a hard line. "Sentimentality is for bankers. People like us have to worry about evidence when we commit a crime."

"That sounds like something a tramp would yell."

Ludwig's sage expression shifted to contain his annoyance. He looked like a balloon ready to burst. "One day you'll really appreciate what I have to offer."

I roll my eyes. "All right, how do I set up a fence?"

We strode off North with the church at our backs. Our conversations ranged from finding a suitable place to live to what to do if I ever got contacted for a job. So much I hadn't even considered as I honed my skills these past weeks.

"What about an abandoned place?" I asked in regard to housing.

Ludwig considered it for a moment. "Good at first, but you'll look suspicious after a while. You don't want word getting out that an outsider has taken up residence where people aren't likely to look. Also you might get lonely."

"Lonely? Is that a problem in this business?"

"More than you'd think. You'll pretty much always work alone so it's good to have time when you're with others. I've seen many good thieves undone by a lack of levity. Maybe find a hobby."

"I'll look into it. Let me ask you, what kind of places should I go after?"

Ludwig smirked. "Well you can never go wrong working your way up..."

Author's note: I had a lucid dream last night. I was in my dorm and I realized everything was wrong because my shower caddy didn't match. After that I was hovering around a mall. Try lucid dreaming if you can, it's pretty cool.

-SleepEasy