Free Iron Jaw and Hummingbird by Chris Roberson

see seated across the way—and return home to Penglai right away, and if I am to stay, I’ll need a few more coins to cover expenses.”
    The woman was overjoyed. She pulled her string of coins out of her handbag and handed it to Temujin without question.
    â€œWill this be enough?”
    Temujin smiled and held the coins briefly aloft, his gaze flicking to where Gamine sat. From her vantage point, Gamine could count easily fifty gold coins. “Yes,” he said, “I think this should be sufficient for my needs. I’ll send word by tachygraph to my family that they should send the money right away.”
    â€œOh, thank you ever so much,” Mistress Marlowe said. “If you will meet me at this precise spot in two days’ time, at noon, we shall straightaway work to free my friend the duke, and secure your reward!”
    â€œTwo days’ time, at noon,” Temujin repeated with a grin. “And I’ll have with me enough to repay your generous loan and secure the duke’s release.”
    Mistress Marlowe nodded and rose from the table, clutching her handbag. Flashing Gamine a slight smile, she hurried from the restaurant into the bright sunshine.
    Temujin paused a moment, in character, and when the woman had gone, danced over to Gamine’s table, the coins jingling in his fist.
    â€œDon’t you wish you had this to share?” Temujin rattled the string of coins, tilting his head to one side as though to better hear the sound. “And all I had to do for it was listen to a bit of prittle-prattle.”
    â€œYou are a tiresome old man,” Gamine said, and turned her attention back to her noodles. Temujin just grinned, showing the gaps in his smile.
    Â 
    Three days passed, in which Gamine saw the sights the city of Fuchuan had to offer and wondered about her future. Temujin rested in their rooms at the inn, so Gamine wandered the city streets alone, visiting vendors’ stalls, galleries, and museums, reveling in the newfound feeling of freedom that came with her decision to leave behind the art of the trickster. She was a regular person again, like all those around her. They were marks no longer, nor victims, just people going about their business. She liked not having to worry about how much that one might have in his purse, or how easily she might get another to buy into a flimsy tale. She was strictly a tourist, enjoying the city of lights.
    In Red Flower District, on a crowded street, Gamine felt a rough hand grab her arm. Annoyed, she looked up into a pair of eyes, one of which drooped comically. It was a man dressed in finery, gold rings on his fingers.
    â€œI thought it was you!” the man snarled.
    It took Gamine a moment to place the face, as distinctive as it was.
    â€œOh no,” she breathed. It was the man from whom she’d conned two dozen bronze coins, nearly a full year ago, when she and Temujin had first set out on the Grand Trunk.
    â€œOh, yes, damn your hide,” the man said, his tone vicious. “You promised me a fivefold return on your loan, but imagine my surprise when I found that the name you wrote on your ‘receipt’ proved as false as your promises. Clever, clever girl.” His face was twisted in a hateful sneer. “Well, we’ll see how clever you are now.”
    A city guardsman was crossing the street a hundred yards away, his hand on the pommel of his saber.
    â€œGuardsman!” the droop-eyed man yelled. “Help! Quickly!”
    The city guardsman turned at the cry, and walked over, in that officious, stately manner that Gamine was sure only police could carry off. From a nearby corner, another two guardsmen turned to see what was happening.
    â€œWhat seems to be at issue?” the first guardsman said, his eyes narrowed.
    â€œThis girl is a thief,” the droop-eyed man said, pointing to Gamine with his free hand, his other still holding tight to her arm.
    While the droop-eyed