"My father must help. It's Ferris. He's being hauled to Kapash's of-fice as a thief," Bazil said.
For a moment, sheer funk robbed Kris of any strength. "Where is he? What did he take? Do you know, Bazil?"
"He's been visiting all the drinking places, talking to the servers. Like he told Zainal he would do, to advertise Eric's services. Then a big guy arrived this morning, swearing Ferris had robbed him. He didn't say what, but Ferris ran, and one of the market guards caught him. They're hauling him off to Kapash's office. Oh, Kris, if he's put in that triangle, he'll be killed." Bazil was almost sobbing with fear.
Kris was really torn about interrupting Zainal. Maybe she could handle this. She beckoned to Chuck. Clune, having heard what Bazil had said, stepped forward.
"I'll come, too," he said, pumping up his biceps.
Chuck also saw how deeply involved Zainal was in the business of trading and he took Kris's arm.
"What could he have stolen? And yes, I know his history, Kris, but we'll get him out of it. I know Kapash has just been waiting for the chance." Chuck scooped up something from the digitally locked box before he slammed it shut and passed it over to Sally Stoffers, telling her to guard it. She knew it contained gold flakes and the smaller nuggets. "We'll just see if we can deal with this." Kris saw the marked hesitation on Bazil's face.
"I am Lady Emassi, Bazil. I can deal with a mere market manager. Tell Zainal we've gone to the manager's office, Sally, but only when he's finished dealing. It's this way, isn't it, Bazil?" Kris said, striding down the long side of their square.
Bazil still looked scared and dubious but he ran to catch up with her, worried about Ferris. While she knew that Bazil might be feel-ing cheated of his father's support, she also knew that Zainal would be annoyed with his son for interrupting him.
There was an interested crowd around the manager's office but Kris, with Chuck and Clune beside her, formed a wedge and pushed her way through, alarmed to hear Ferris sobbing.
"I stole nothing. It was on the floor. The man said I could have it," he was saying.
"Who are you?" the man demanded, and she saw the gap in the front of his teeth.
"I am Lady Emassi, a rank conferred on me by Supreme Emassi Kamiton," she announced, squaring her shoulders and trying to con-trol her panting, for they'd rushed to get there. "Ferris is one of our young people. What do you allege he has stolen from you?" She knew she was imitating Dame Edith Evans at her most regal and repressive, but perhaps it would work.
The man pointed at the gap in his teeth. "My toof."
Kris managed not to grin at his lisp. "How could a slender lad like Ferris steal your tooth?" she asked, managing to retain her Evan-sian pose.
"It was on the floor," Ferris said, as if that conferred legitimacy on his action.
"And that's where you found it?"
"Yes. On Sicrim's floor. This morning."
"But the toof is mine," the fellow insisted, becoming more agitated.
"I was just taking it to Dr. Sachs," Ferris said, looking penitent and put-upon.
"But it is mine!"
"If it was left on the floor since last night, sir, it may be presumed that you had abandoned it," Kris pointed out. "Therefore, the lad has not knowingly stolen from you as an act of bad faith. He was, in fact, bringing it to the one man on this planet who can replace it in your jaw.
"He can?" the man exclaimed.
Now Ferris shoved his hand in his pocket and displayed a tusk neatly bagged in one of the little plastic envelopes that Eric had brought with him.
"That's mine!" The fellow lunged to repossess it.
"A lot of good it does you in the bag," Ferris said contemptuously, recovering some of his usual impudence, and he folded thin arms across his chest. "I cleaned it off, which Eric says is necessary, and put it in the bag for safekeeping. I did not know who it belonged to."
Ceremoniously, a look of creditable innocence on his face, Ferris handed it over.
"It belongs to me." The man slipped the item into his pocket, leaving one hand protectively over his tooth, as if Ferris might some-how regain it.
Kris swiveled squarely to face Kapash, who had been listening and watching the proceedings with an odd expression on his face. "How could Ferris have known the owner, Manager Kapash?" Kris asked earnestly. "Now that he does, he has returned it. No theft has occurred. There has been honorable restitution of a missing object."
"But he took what does not belong to him," Kapash said, his face severe and threatening. "He is a thief. Nor did he properly attempt to find out who owned the tooth."
"But Sicrim said I could have any teeth I could find," Ferris said plaintively. "I wasn't doing anything wrong. Ask Sicrim."
"Is this Sicrim present?" Kapash asked after briefly mulling that over.
He is trying to be reasonable, Kris thought, in these ludicrous cir-cumstances, but Sicrim was not among those who crowded around the office.
"He is a thief!" the tooth owner said unforgivingly, pointing down at Ferris with a dirty, broken finger.
"He is a boy," Kris said, giving the plaintiff a long and sour look for his bullying attitude. "And the sooner you get to the dentist to re-place that tooth, the better. The longer you wait for treatment, the less chance you have of getting it back into your jaw, you know"
"Aha!" Kapash said, pointing at Kris. "So this is how you get busi-ness for that expert of yours?"
"What? I'm not the one knocking teeth out, Kapash. He has to get that done for himself," she said, jerking her thumb at the plaintiff. There was a ripple of amusement from those so avidly listening to the discussion. She wished she'd thought to bring some packets of beans, although dropping some on Kapash's desk would have been too obvious a bribe. But, to judge by the onlookers' attitude, she also sensed that she had made a good argument.
"Let it be, Kapash," someone from the crowd said.
The faint wail of a siren was audible after that remark. "Besides, there's the riot alarm. That's your business, Kapash."
Kapash held up his hand to silence those in the office. Plainly heard were aggressive shouts and calls as well as the bray of the siren. Clearly Kapash had to investigate, and with a glare at Kris, he rose and stalked out of his office, gesturing to his guards to fall in behind him as he went in search of more culpable and lucrative targets. Most of those gathered followed him to see what amusement the new di-version would provide.
Kris held out her hand to Ferris and led him out of the office.
"I did have Sicrim's permission, Kris, I did. I know you won't be-lieve me."
"But I do, Ferris. You have more sense than to get us into any trouble with your taking ways. Especially after this," she said as they walked as quickly as possible out of the square.
Whistles, more sirens, and startled, hurt cries could be heard, and served to hurry them out of the vicinity.
They met Zainal, hurrying in their direction, in the main corri-dor of the next square.
"What happened? What's happening?" He pointed in the direc-tion of the audible disturbance.
Kris gave him a quick summary while Ferris hung his head in shame for having caused the emergency and bringing trouble to his friends.
"I think Kapash would have loved to press charges, but:" Chuck added.
"It was a good notion, Ferris, but you see how careful we have to be here, do you not?" Zainal said, one hand jiggling the thin shoul-der, making the boy meet his eyes.
"Yes, Emassi, I do. I will not cause you more trouble."
"Good lad. Now, we will not mention this to Eric," Zainal began when a stranger intruded on their circle. Ferris quickly took refuge behind Zainal because it was the toothless man who had barged into them.
"You!" He pointed severely at Ferris. "You will take me to this man who can put my toof back in my jaw!"