Jinpei hesitated at the door.  The sun was already near its zenith and Remy still hadn't made an appearance.

#Aawww, times a wasting, Remy.  Why don't I just get you up?# He firmly resolved himself to knock on the door.

A gnarled hand caught his fist before it could descend on the wood and a hand clamped over his mouth before he could cry out in his fright.

"Softly, Cockerel," Andre whispered in his ear before he could even think of struggling.  "Let de Master sleep."

Jinpei shot him an angry glare, but nodded as Andre released him and indicated that he should proceed to the kitchen.  It shocked him that the old man could have come up behind him so silently, without his noticing.  #Well, he is a retired thief.#

"It is de thieves hours, Cockerel." Andre handed him a plate of bacon and eggs.  "Gambit didn' get back until four dis morning.  When he can, he doesn' get up until de afternoon."

"Aaww Andre, I want some action.  It's boring sitting around doing nothing." Jinpei groaned around a mouthful of bacon and croissants.

"Dan why y' not practice wit' de picks, or e'en de motion sensor?  Y' forget how t' rewire somethin', y' ask.  Andre show y'."

Jinpei flushed slightly as he stared at his plate.

Andre only shook his head.  "Cockerel, y' wanted t' go out with Gambit last night, but he not gonna take y' e'en t'night, if y' can' pick a simple lock or rewire a security system.  We talkin' 'bout y' life, an' his life, Cockerel.  Gambit not live wit' dis contract on his head by bein' sloppy."

"I can take care of mysel--"

"Can y' take care o' y' *partner*?  C'n y' be responsible fer y' crew?"  Andre interrupted him and shushed him from raising his voice. "Y' can fight, Cockerel.  Fact is, I be  willin' t' bet y' a good scrapper t' have on y' side if dere be a battle.  But y' don' got t' be a fighter t' be a thief."

"I can learn."

"Patience?  Consideration?  Not everybody can be a good student, Cockerel.  There some things a body can' teach."

"I can learn." Jinpei nodded determinedly.

The clear clink and tinkle of fine crystal would be equated by some to the bell-like peal of fairies laughing.  However, the discordant sounds currently emerging from the study of the chateau of the David's clan were clearly an aberration to the fine music one would associate with crystal.

The servants trembled and stayed out of sight of the study area, even as the crystal decanter joined the Reidel glasses on the hardwood floor.  The crystal set was the only outward show of anger Lucian David would allow himself.  He kept his sulfurous curses low and to himself as he glared at the ornaments around his study.

Lucian had immediately sensed unease in the air when he had awakened that morning.  A walk through the chateau confirmed his suspicions.  During the night, an intruder had entered *his* home... the home of the Guild Leader of the Marseilles Assassins.

The interloper not only entered unnoticed, but he also rearranged ornaments and pieces of furniture before leaving.  Again, undetected!  Lucian didn't have to guess the identity of the intruder.  His visitor had left a calling card.

An empty port glass mocked him on his study table beside a small oak chest.  Inside the chest was a standard assassins' dagger, its blade cleaned, and a playing card.  An Ace of Spades.

"Gambit."

Lucian seethed as his thoughts wrapped around the interloper.  This was a type of warning only employed by the very best of the thieves... a *Master* Thief.  Only the elite of thieves would attempt to enter the house of an enemy and only rearrange furniture without taking anything.  The Guilds could count on the fingers of one hand the number of Master Thieves who would even consider the method as a way of flaunting their prowess.  And there was only one Master Thief Lucian knew of who was currently in his city.

It was a warning... a warning against the use of the Escillis poison.  Lucian crushed the playing card in his hand.  He meant to ignore that warning.

<<Guild Leader?>>

Lucian looked up to glare at the messenger.  To give him credit, the messenger didn't flinch nor allow himself get distracted by the pile of shattered crystal and spilled port in the corner of the room.

<<The--er--unit you sent out last night--was--vanquished-->>

<<What?!!!>>

<<The girl was assisted by Gambit-->>

<<Gambit?!  Again?!!  Am I surrounded by incompetents?!  My assassins were bested by one stripling thief and a *girl*?!!>>

The messenger stayed silent as he stared at his feet in embarrassment.  Lucian David abruptly dismissed the messenger and turned away to think over his current deployment.

They had marked out the five undercover youths days ago.  On that first night, it had been in the plans for a brief scuffle with them... a few nicks or cuts and one or more of them would die of Escillis poisoning.  But they were distracted by Gambit's appearance.

To David, it was a stroke of good fortune that the girl departed the UN entourage on her own. Her abused and broken body was to be left in the President's bed for him to find when he returned from his dinner party.  But their plans were thwarted again.

In the course of three nights, the thief had disrupted a pattern the Davids had used for decades and almost totally decimated his contingent of assassins.  For three nights running, there wasn't a single advancement in his contract against the UN President.  All because of Gambit!

Their time was now limited.  He could not afford to play around with intimidation tactics anymore.  They had to strike tonight.

David's eyes were drawn back to the pile of shattered crystal and port.  The servants would talk.  There was nothing he could do to prevent it.  Soon, the council would know of his shame.  Lucian turned away to stared up at the picture of his great-great-great grandfather.

After the Revolution in the 16th century, his family had fallen from grace.  The man whose portrait stared down at him had started the struggle to rebuild the house of David.  But it wasn't until Lucian's father had seized control of the Clan, after the debacle in the early 21st century, that they had finally risen from the gutters of the nobility.

In the space of three nights, Gambit had threatened to undo the centuries of hard work.

The last Reidal glass joined its companions in the corner of the room.

Andre nodded to the youth who came out on the front porch beside him.  "Finally ready t' join de legions o' living, pup?"

Remy yawned and stretched theatrically before grinning at the ancient man.  "At least 'm startin' t' feel human again."

Andre only snorted, "'bout time.  Don' t'ink Andre didn' miss seein' y' forego a nap after y' bath yesterday.  Y' been up f'over 75 hours an' all f' no good reason."

"Arret, Andre.  I got m' sleep dis mornin'.  Time t' get t' work." Remy glanced over at the yard.  "De Cockerel been practicin'?"

"De whole mornin', he's gettin' better."

Remy arched an eyebrow at the old man.  He could tell from the expression that Andre was impressed and hating it.

"I haven' heard dis go off yet?"

"The Cockerel's only started wit' it when he knew y' were awake.  Been workin' wit' de picks an' de wirin' de rest o' de mornin'."

Remy nodded as he turned his attention back to the yard.  "Bien, time I up de class den."

"Y' takin' him wit' y' t'night?"

"If it don' kill us."

"Y' don' need t'."

"Only way f' de Cockerel t' see that he's not got de true makin's o' a thief."

"Why y' do dis t' y'self, Remy?  Y' know y' got t' send de boy back."

"Arret Andre, let me keep dis illusion.  Let me care f' him jus' one more night.  I take him back tomorrow morning.  I promise."

"Remy, one day y' got t' let someone back in dere, an' let dem *stay*." Andre tapped his chest lightly.  "Y' love, and den y' send dem away before y' t'ink dey c'n hurt y'."

"Y' t'ink I don' love y', Andre?"

"What?  Y' t'ink *old* Andre live f'ever, pup?  Y' got t' go out and find people y' own age, who *don'* want t' kill y'."

Remy laughed, "My occupation not 'zactly de most c'nducive t' makin' friends, Andre.  I make dem when it comes."

"At least make dem where y' gonna be, pup.  Y' have y' friends in Asia, but y' like stayin' on dis side o' de world."

They fell silent again as they watched Jinpei approaching the motion detector.  He had finally reached it and was going through the motions of disarming the device.  Jinpei had learned his lessons well.

[<Good morning, Ken.  Have you any word of Jinpei?>]

<No.  And we can't afford to split our attention much longer,>  Ken muttered grimly as he settled into his seat and looked up at the monitor in the God Phoenix.  <With the attack on Jun last night, I'd say that the Galactors are going to up the heat on Cain.>

[<Do what you have to do.  We will just have to trust that Jinpei can take care of himself.>]

<Repeat that enough and maybe I'll start believing it too.>

[<Ken... we *will* have to talk about this--misconduct.>]

<I know...>  Ken shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  <Have you got anything for me on the information I sent you, Hakase?>

[<Concurrence with your thoughts, Ken.>]  Nambu accepted his change of subject without grumbling.  [<We have enough evidence to suggest that there indeed exists an international Guild of Assassins.>]

<Kuso!>

[<Be careful.  I once scoffed at the Corsican Mafia, but apparently there have been enough suspicious deaths in the surrounding area to warrant truth to stories of the Mafia's continued existence... if not the survival of the branch of assassins.>]

<Terrific, I just spoke to Cain on this last night.  The stories are still circulating.  Anything on the other matter?>

[<On the code-name you gave me last night?  Nothing.>]

<What?>

[<Nothing, a blank, zero.  The man's a cipher, Ken.  We have no *official* records or papers on the name 'Gambit'.>]

Ken arched an eyebrow at Dr. Nambu's slight emphasis.  <So what's the un-official word?>

[<If Jun can give us a report, this will be our first eyewitness confirmation that an agent known as 'Gambit' exists.>]  Nambu couldn't hold back his excitement any longer.  [<Interpol wants a statement from us.  They've been trying to get an eyewitness confirmation on this man for decades.  Can Jun give us a physical description?>]

<No.  I've talked to her about it and the only description she could give me, we couldn't use as an identifier.>  Ken felt his face flush as he said it.  <So what's his deal?  Where are his loyalties?>

[<I don't know yet.>]

<Is he a rogue assassin?>

[<I doubt it.  The cases in connection with the name point more to theft, infiltration, intelligence and counter intelligence.  A top-notch espionage agent or in other words, we are dealing with a thief of the highest order.  That kind of skill doesn't just appear out of the blue.  Inline with our current thoughts that there exists an international Guild of Assassins, you may have given us confirmation of the existence of an international Guild of Thieves.>]

Ken whistled, <Judging for the assistance he gave Jun, we could safely say that the two don't get along.>

[<Interpol will be sending us the dossier on him.  All unconfirmed and unsubstantiated information, of course.  From the age of the files, they have a suspicion that 'Gambit' is more of a title than it is one person, but they have no proof.  They hope that we can help them separate myths from reality,>] Nambu told him.  [<When Cain's diplomatic visit is over, stay a few more days, Ken.  Try to make contact with this 'Gambit.'  If the alleged Guild of Assassins is in league with Galactor, we must try and position the ISO with the Guild of Thieves.>]

<Right, signing of-->

[<Wait a moment, Ken.  You mentioned earlier that Jun gave you a description?  What was it?  We can at least record-->]

<It's not something we can use,>  Ken interrupted as he squirmed in his seat.  He inwardly cursed himself for having been loose tongued enough to bring it up.

[<We'll be the judge of that, Commander.  Any description we can have on Gambit is one more than we have now.  What did she say about him?>]

Ken mumbled under his breath as he sank deeper into his seat.  His face was scarlet.

[<I didn't get that, wha--?>]

<She said he was a damn good kisser!  Washio out.>  Ken killed the screen so he didn't have to catch sight of the normally stoic Nambu choking in laughter.