Andre watched from the second story balcony as Remy coaxed Jinpei on again towards the sensor.  Remy wanted to be absolutely certain that the boy was skilled enough for what was to come.  There could be no second tries or accidents, only cold, confident skill.

In Andre's mind though, he wished the boy would screw up, just to make Remy *not* take him at all.  But Andre could not deny that he was impressed by the boy's attitude, the Cockerel was not a quitter by any measure.  For that, Andre could grudgingly show respect.

Remy watched as Jinpei slowly proceeded through the motions with a cat-like grace.   #De Cockerel is a natural after all.#

Jinpei finished with a wide smug grin as he again held the chip that made the sensor work in his hands.

"See, Cockerel?  Simple when y' mind is properly set isn' it?"

"You bet it was!  I--I...  ?" Remy's hand shot out to catch Jinpei's elbow when he began to sway slightly.  Jinpei knuckled his temple with his right fist and leaned against the firm hand to steady himself.

'Mind?' 'Set?' The words were triggering a memory.  Two images were beside him.  And the two words echoed in his head ~mind set~ It said to him.  What was the rest of the sentence?

~it's a mind set~

It faded as quickly as it came and Jinpei once more became aware of himself standing in the courtyard.

"Cockerel?  It happened again?" Remy asked soothingly as he shifted his position to rubbed Jinpei's shoulders.

"Ye--Yeah.  I think my memory's trying to come back.  I see these flashes of people I--*think* I remember.  Like this big guy?  He's really fat.  Then there's this girl with long hair.  I think I've called her Onechan, but it's--it's not clear?"

Remy studied him at arm's length.  His expression carefully schooled and neutral.

"'Swallow Jinpei.' Remy, does that mean anything to you?  'Swallow Jinpei?' I--I think I remember hearing that--said to me?"

Remy frowned for a moment.  "Could hav' been me?  Dat night when I brought y' here, I had t' get de antidote down y'.  I kept asking y' t' swallow de antidote."

"Oh, that's all it was?" Jinpei looked disappointed as his frown deepened, the memory was gone and he couldn't seem to bring it back to the surface.

"Maybe Gambit should leave y' here.  Let y' brain settle down so y' 'member more."

"NO!" Jinpei cried as he caught the edge of Remy's jacket.  "I wanna go--"

Jinpei flinched and released his hold on Remy's jacket as he recalled the events of the previous night.

~"Rules, protocol, discipline, an' respect... dese are all cornerstones o' de Guild.  Y' remember dat.  Y' *never* challenge y' Master's decisions.  If y' want t' ask y' Master f' somethin', y' use y' head an' ask it right."~

Andre's words echoed in his mind again.  He knew better than to try to get something from someone of authority by acting bratty and whiny.  It wasn't going to get him anywhere with his--comman--Master.

#Commander?#  The image of a pair of sapphire blue eyes appeared and vanished again.  Jinpei shook it off quickly to look into the curious hazel-red eyes.  "Per--permission to speak, Master?"

Remy's eyes flickered only slightly in surprise.  "You may speak, apprentice."

"Please let me come with you tonight, Master.  I have trained hard under your tutelage and I wish to prove to you that I am ready!  Please, Aniki, take me with you?"

"'Aniki?' Y' be t'inking y' c'n make Remy bring y' wit' flattery?"

"Please?  I can do it.  I want to show you that I'm ready, please, Aniki?"

Remy studied the boy's eager expression.  A twinge touched his heart, making him feel suddenly old as he wondered when he had last displayed such an open, eager expression.

"I think you can handle yourself just fine, Jinpei.  You just remember.  You do what I tell you and you obey me instantly!  No questions, no talking unless I say you can talk.  *No* *fireworks*.  I will let you come, so long as you can assure me you won't lose your head."

Jinpei gave his chest a hearty thump.  "You can count on me, Aniki!  I won't let you down, I swear I won't!" he said with a great smile as Remy ran his fingers through the wild head of hair.

"Come, Cockerel... best t' eat first 'fore we get started on de work tonight.  Can' do it on an empty stomach, neh?"

"You bet!" Jinpei whooped as he ran from Remy and up the stairs, leaving the Cajun to shake his head and laugh.

"Boys an' deir priorities."

Remy didn' start to Andre apparently materializing by his side.

"Y' sure 'bout de garcon, Gambit.  He didn' even sense my approach."

"Still got a lot to learn, dat boy."

<<But not under you.  Why do you still want to take the boy out tonight, Gambit?  You have your confirmation there.  The Cockerel is with those four ninjas you found in the city.  Send him back.>>

<<Stop, Andre.  I know what I'm doing.  I know you're right, but let the boy have his night.  What child won't thrill at a chance to play a thief?  Be Robin Hood for one night?  He will learn.>>

<<*That's* why you're doing this?>>  Andre swung him around by the shoulder.  <<To give him a chance at knowing he'd never make a true thief?>>

<<I'm not blind, Andre.  The boy thrives on confrontation and action.  That is the antithesis of a thief.  He'll be bored after a time.  He'll never learn by listening, he has to experience it.>>  Remy laughed at the retired thief's expression.  <<The Cockerel's got the dedication and the attitude to learn.  But he hasn't got the temperament to be a thief.  And to understand this, I will at least give him this night.>>

<<Bullshit!  You are just rationalizing your need to have him with stay with you, Remy.  You *don't* want the boy to leave you.  So you're using every excuse you can think of to *delay* returning him to his family!>>

Remy turned away from him, unable to meet his eyes.  They both know that Andre's words were truer.  Remy had come to like having Jinpei around.  He had never had a younger brother before.  And when Jinpei called him 'Aniki', it had touched a cord though he didn't want Jinpei to know it.

<<Some people say the title of Gambit rests on shoulders much too young to hold the name.  Some say that Gambit should have stayed dead when the last thief who held that title was killed by the assassins five years ago.>>  Andre's hand closed on his shoulder.

<<You are the youngest thief ever to wear the black and magenta, Remy.  You gained the rank of Master Thief and earned the honor to be Gambit through hard work and never taking reckless chances.  Yet, you're risking your own hide for the dreams of a boy.  The boy knows the basic skills and the moves now.  But without the temperament...?  You had better pray that this night won't be your last!>>

Lucian David squirmed under the cold eyes of the Council.  *The* Master Assassin of Marseilles was in attendance this day and Lucian could barely withhold the shudder which ran through his frame as the cold eyes of death incarnate pierced him.

Age did not stoop the shoulders of this man and the fires of strength still burned strong within the cold gray eyes.

<<You... beg me one reason why we should burden ourselves with such a failure the likes of you.  It is a simple task, a task a child could follow better than the Guild Leader before us.  You are embarrassing us, David, and that is very dangerous, no?>>

<<Elders, I swear, I give no excuses, I seek only to serve-->>

<<Then do it, David.>>  The cold voice purred.  <<Accomplish what our clients have asked of you and stop chasing this--this--thief, who makes a mockery of all Corsica with his tricks.>>

<<Yes, Elder.>>

The old man sat back in his chair in obvious rage and pity, all at the same time.  Lucian was young, trying to win back the honor of his family at all cost and that was becoming too dear and dangerous for all of them in the larger sense of the world.

Corsica's famed power had been destroyed once by outsiders, it would not be lost again because one henchman could not see fit to follow the orders he'd been given...  interference of a Master Thief not withstanding.  Still... the old man was not totally without mercy.

<<You have one more night, Lucian.  Only one.  There will not be another time if you decide to fail.  By tomorrow morning, the contract has to be fulfilled.  Is that clear to you?>>

<<Yes, elder, I understand.  We shall not fail.  I promise you, we shall have Cain as called for.>>  David slowly backed out of the chamber.

For him, this had been a wake up call to become personally involved in Cain's demise.

The Council did not immediately disperse on David's departure.

<<There is more to this than appears on the surface.>>

<<What is-->>

<<Gambit is a very specialized emissary, fellow elders.  Though this thief will have his, or her, fair share of normal thievery, it is not in Gambit's practice to deliberately interfere in the normal business of others.>>  The Master Assassin turned to them thoughtfully.  <<This thief may be to us as the title implies.  Would you care to guess why?>>

<<We *have* frowned--occasionally on David's methods.>>

<<This is an O'merta.>>

<<Vengence?  For what?>>

<<It was rumored to us that the previous Gambit was killed over five years ago.  We were not, however, privy to how she died.>>  The Master Assassin steepled his hands in front of him in thought.  <<Rumor has it that it was more an accident--a case of mistaken identity.>>

<<David?!  That botched-->>

<<Gambit *is* above petty revenge.  But the methods...>>

<<We all share a certain repugnance to *some* of David's methods.>>

<<It seems we are not alone.  That Gambit is in our city stands more a rebuke to us from the Grand Master.>>  The Master Assassin frowned at his fellow elders.  <<We have been lax in our disciplinary duties, Elders.  I see the Grand Master's displeasure in this.>>

<<Let Lucian David complete this contract first, if he can.  He has little time to... *play* now.  I would doubt that Gambit will interfere in his actions if he carries out his duties to Guild standards.>>

<<That is true.  However, we will have to curb David from reverting to form if we do not wish to continue to court the Grand Master's displeasure.>>

<<That may not be possible.  David wields an uncommon power among us with his use of the Escillis-->>

<<Which only gives this Gambit his reason to utterly destroy David.>>  The Master Assassin's lips broke into a grim smile.  <<We may, at the end of this, come to be thankful for the thief's presence.>>

<<*If* Gambit has made this an O'merta.>>

<<David has tonight-->>

<<And tomorrow morning.>>

<<Mor--?>>  The Master Assassin frowned as he snapped his head towards one of the elders.  <<Yes, he also has a morning, if necessary.

<<If David can end this with Guild honor still intact and retain the respect of the Guild...  Well, let us wait and see.>>