The thief's name was Jolm Kah.  But today, he was calling himself Sheer Kahn.  He liked to keep the "kah" somewhere in his named so even if he didn't recognize the name (which almost never happened), there would be some familiarity in it.
    The inn he was standing in front of was called The Dancing Bear.  It was smaller than most, but it would do.  He was in Marimel territory, so the inns tended to be small.  The paint was new; he could tell.  Red shutters on the windows, brick painted red, and a large oak door.
    Kah was born of the Marimel Clan; their mark was the tattoo of four concentric circles on the back of the hand.  That was one law everyone in Solmatiis and Rem must obey: each Clan was to put their marker on the back of the hand eight days after the baby was born.  Kah couldn't remember what each circle stood for--all he knew was that they stood for something and that he didn't care; he didn't have one.

    He walked into the inn and the door swung noisily closed behind him.  Kah cringed at the loud screeching it made as the rusty hinges swung shut.  He looked around at the people in the inn.
    Three men were sitting at the bar, nursing an ale each.  One looked up at him and went back to his drink soon after.  A table across the room had a woman and two men, his customers.  There was a juggler on stage, entertaining two people at the table in front; other that, no one was there.
    Kah walked over to the table his customers were sitting at and sat down.
    One man looked like the fabled pirates.  He had black hair worn long and curled.  He sported a mustache that curled a little around the edges to make little hooks and a short-cropped beard.  His eyes were a cool blue that looked as if he could look straight into your soul.  He wore no expression on his face.
    The other man had a scraggled pirate look to him, too.  His hair was a sandy-blonde, raggedly cut, and shorter than normal.  He had no beard nor a mustache.  His eyes were dark brown and Kah thought he could be tall for the way he was sitting so uncomfortably at the table.
    The woman was strikingly beautiful.  Her features were sharp, long brown hair with red highlights, and bright green eyes.  She was muscular, but that was to be expected because he could plainly see she had been born of the Hiroshima Clan.  Kah had heard from somewhere that the Clan had been named after some city on Earth, but that was irrelivant.  The sign on her hand was a sinuous line crossing through two straight lines.     "I have taken the liberty of ordering you a meal," said the first man.  He waved at the dish in front of Kah.
    Kah nodded in reply.
    "Ah, yes," said the man who had spoken first before Kah could begin eating, "we have not yet made our acquaintences.  My name is Farle.  This is Driscul and Arku."  Driscul was the blonde-haired man and Arku was the woman.
    Farle paused.  Then, he turned his head down and his eyes up, so as to look under Kah's eyebrows and into his eyes.  "You may eat, you know.  It would do us no good to poison you."
    Kah inspected his plate of food.  A one-third pound of steak, surrounded by peas and a potato.  This must have been an expensive meal, thought Kah.
    "I suppose you know my name," Kah remarked after taking his first bite.
    "Of course," Driscul replied with a short laugh.
    "You must excuse my brother."  Arku glared at the blonde while somehow still facing Kah.  "He laughs at the most inappropriate times."
    The thief nodded absently and continued eating, continuously watching the faces that watched him closely and intently.  What are they trying to find? he thought.  Why would I pull any tricks before I have completed my task?  "Are you going to watch me all night?" asked he.
    "No, of course not."  Farle turned and smiled at Driscul and Arku.  "We were just waiting for you to eat.  I'm sure you haven't eaten in days."
    "I eat well enough."  You ignorant trem, Kah finished in his mind.  How dare anyone assume he didn't do well to survive by himself?  He had lived better than that Farle ever could when he was eight years old!  The steak was now gone and he began eating the potato.
    "Why must you wear gloves inside, Sheer Kahn?" asked Driscul, obviously seeing the black gloves that Kah always wore to cover up the fact that he had no marker.
    Kah looked at them all defiantly and decided it wouldn't do any harm to show them his hand.  He looked at his hands and rubbed them together.  "Because..."  He removed his gloves and quickly showed them the back of his hands before covering them up again.
    Arku gasped.  "Outcast," she mumbled.
    He almost winced.  Kah had had to deal with insults like this for many years and he still wasn't used to it; he would never be used to it.
    "Sheer Kahn, you have no marker," stated Farle flatly.  "Why."  It wasn't meant to be a question.
    "I have no need to tell you.  I am here on business."  He pushed his plate back.
    For a long, awkward silence, they all stared at one another.  Actually, it was more like Kah stared at the three of them and they stared back.
    First, he studied Farle.  The expression he wore now was one of expectancy.  His blue eyes were like the old man's from a story brought over from Earth--one of Kah's favorites.  He remembered it was called "The Tell Tale Heart" by Edgar Allen Poe, his favorite author.  When he had ever had a chance to read, he had always read Poe.  Another one of his favorite stories was "The Pit and the Pendulum" also by Poe.
    Driscul's face was extremely awkward and uncomfortable.  Kah almost laughed out loud.  This man looked rather comical; like an elf getting in trouble for his impish deeds.
    Arku sat emotionless.  He hated that about women!  They were always able to wipe any and all emotions from their faces without any trouble at all.  Just as easily, they could put emotions there they didn't even have.  Well, most women could anyway.  Those were the ones you had to watch out for because you couldn't tell which ones they were.  Then there were the women who showed everything on their faces; you could read them like books.
    He looked at his plate that was pushed slightly towards the center of the table and realized it was empty.  Kah didn't remember eating it all, but it was just as well he didn't.
    A waitress came by and broke the silence.  "Are you done with that, sir?"
    Kah nodded and pushed his plate towards her so she could take it easier.
    She did and quickly walked away.
    "The job I have for you is simple," said Farle as if he had just snapped out of a dream.  He nodded to Arku and she pulled out a sack.  "This is sixty silver.  If you do well, I will pay you another sixty."
    "Get on with it."  He was growing impatient.  When he dealt with customers, he wanted them to be straight to the point.  The payment, job, and reward for his troubles.  Quick, easy, and done before you know it.  That's the way he worked.
    Driscul sighed loudly.  Kah figured this was a sign that he was going to talk now, and he was right.
    "Chandlen has something we need."
    "In his house, there is a desk," Arku interrupted.  "We have information that what we need is in the top drawer that is locked.  We know the key is hidden inside the mouth of a lion statue on his desk."
    Kah held up his hand to stop them.  He felt a pang of what could either be called pain or remembrance of the conversation they had had earlier.  "All this is nice to know."  He looked from one person to another slowly.  "But what is it you need?"
    Farle exchanged quick glances with his associates.  "Well, it may not be so easy to get as you think.  We can give you--"
    "Farle."
    The black-haired man shook his head and leaned in closer.  "We need the Ring of the High Lords."
    Kah leaned back in his chair and breathed loudly.  Was that it?  He had lifted harder things before.  The Ring should be easy; especially if it's kept in a drawer.  What kind of Leader keeps his ring in a locked drawer? Kah thought.  "I will make a deal with you, Farle.  You tell me why and I shall tell you the reason there are no markers on my hands."   There was  along pause.
    "No," Arku said, "that's all right.  Yours will remain a mystery as will ours."  She glared at Farle and Driscul.  "As much as your offer is tempting."  She elbowed Driscul who was sitting next to her.
    He grunted in response.