The Dream Thief

Chapter 4-1

Chapter 4

Loretta paced back and forth in her study, turning her head with every turn of her body so she never looked away from her wall. Several lamps were on full brightness, and she knew the map better than she knew her own face.

Still she paced.

Maybe she was worried about going out into the night again, into the risky business of Building. Maybe this was part of her routine, what she needed to get herself and her nerves steeled. Maybe she was just giving her own excitement and anticipation the chance to get to a delirious fever pitch.

The only thing she truly still needed was full dark.

The map of the Builders' neighborhoods in Waldron's Gate was the largest she'd been able to find in any of the shops in town, nearly five feet to a side. She'd often wished for something a bit bigger, though this did serve her purposes quite nicely. Several colored pins and matching lengths of thread decorated the otherwise plain map, spiraling out from individual houses.

Loretta didn't need such a visual representation of her nocturnal adventures, but it pleased her greatly to have it.

A false wall with a boring but flawlessly executed painting was pushed back behind the bookshelves to her right, all the traps and warning devices disabled. She'd never had to put any of them to use since no one had ever entered her study. Again, she was pleased and reassured to have them.

Right now she was not reassured by the amount of time she had available to her. So many Builds, so little time.

She normally worked on Builds for at least a month, often longer if she had as many requests as she did right now. Her encounter with Olsen Norwood kept her uneasy in her bones. None of her other clients or anyone else acted strangely, but that didn't lessen Loretta's sense of danger all around her and her need to complete these Builds as quickly as possible.

She finally walked over to the map and touched the only pin with no thread yet attached to it, the head a rich, dark green. So far, she'd matched the pin to the main paint color of the first house in her circuit. That match was not always an easy thing with such elaborate decorating styles all the rage over the past few years. Sometimes it was simply a matter of picking the one she liked best out of half a dozen choices.

Loretta knew the Labine household well, as she did all of her best repeat customers. Her last visit had moved the resident Builder squarely onto the top of Loretta's target list. Mr. Labine, a clothier to many of the wealthiest families in Waldron's Gate, had finally trusted her enough to let her see their entire stomach-turning collection. Far too many of the items were unfamiliar to her. Even Loretta didn't want to speculate about how many of them may have been genuine.

What caught Loretta's attention was the private chamber's location right across the hall from the master bedroom, where she now knew the lady of the house slept every night. Mrs. Labine happened to be a high-ranking and well-respected Builder. She'd even confirmed Loretta's decision by helping her husband with the detailed description of the next curio they were seeking. The woman's strange wishes and desires would further Loretta's own ambitions. She'd sunk the green pin into her map that very night.

With one last glance at the street names surrounding her target, more to calm her nerves than to set it in her mind, Loretta closed the fake wall and reset the security devices. She turned to make one last check over her tools and supplies. She was already wearing her most critical disguise, a solid black leather garment that fit her tightly as any glove, as scandalous in that tight fit as in being formed into pants instead of a skirt.

The hide was nearly as soft as Loretta's own skin, so it wouldn't creak as she moved. The skinsuit was well reinforced with bone and steel where it counted. Her long, curly black hair was tightly braided and pulled into a low bun. She opened the matching black bag she would carry across her back even though she knew everything was inside.

The most important thing, her Dragon, was safe in a fitted case, with her gyro-compass tucked inside. Another small case held her headgear, matte black like everything else. A map she never needed and a large flask filled with cold water were the only other items.

Her clothing held pockets for all the weapons she could comfortably carry, though she'd never needed any on her Building nights: knives, a garrote, hypodermics, and a leaded club.

Her specially made tripod, expandable to taller than she herself stood, designed to be silent and nearly invisible with the wood and brass painted black, was folded into a cane.

Nerves worked off and appetite worked up, Loretta was ready.

Her most trusted guard was the only one allowed on duty on Build nights. Bess knew better than to ask too many questions. Her loyalty was unquestioned, and so was her participation. She was already hidden away in the secret compartment on the porch when Loretta locked her front door, held up one hand in silent thanks to the guard, and stepped out into the darkness.