The Water Mirror by Kai Meyer Page B

rhythmically against the dark walls. Somewhere over them pigeons cooed in the niches and
     carvings of the houses. They turned a corner and left the light of the shoals of
     lanterns.
    â€œHave you had to chase mirror spirits yet?” Serafin asked
     after a while.
    â€œSpirits? Do you think it’s spirits living in the
     mirrors?”
    â€œMaster Umberto said it’s the spirits of all the people
     Arcimboldo’s cheated.”
    Merle laughed. “And you believe that?”
    â€œNo,” Serafin replied seriously, “because I know
     better.”
    â€œBut you’re a weaver, not a mirror maker.”
    â€œI’ve only been a weaver for two years. Before, I was
     sometimes here, sometimes there, all over Venice.”
    â€œHave you still got parents?”
    â€œNot that I know of. At least they’ve never introduced
     themselves to me.”
    â€œBut you weren’t in an orphanage
     too?”
    â€œNo. I lived on the street. As I said, sometimes here, sometimes
     there. And during that time I picked up a lot of stuff. Things that not everybody
     knows.”
    â€œLike how to clean a rat before you eat it?” she asked
     derisively.
    He made a face. “That, too, yes. But I didn’t mean
     that.”
    A black cat whisked past them, then made a turn and came back. Without
     warning it leaped onto Serafin. But it wasn’t an attack. Instead it landed
     purposefully on Serafin’s shoulder and purred. Serafin didn’t even jump but
     raised his hand and began to stroke the animal.
    â€œYou’re a thief!” Merle burst out. “Only thieves
     are so friendly with cats.”
    â€œStrays together,” he confirmed with a smile. “Thieves
     and cats have much in common. And share so much with each other.” He sighed.
     “But you’re right. I grew up among thieves. At five I became a member of the
     Guild, then later one of its masters.”
    â€œA master thief!” Merle was dumbfounded. The master thieves of
     the Guild were the most skillful pilferers in Venice. “But you aren’t more
     than fifteen years old!”
    He nodded. “At thirteen I left the Guild and went into the service
     of Umberto. He could well use someone like me. Someone who can climb through
     ladies’ windows on the sly at night and deliver them the goods they’ve
     ordered. You probably know that most husbands aren’thappy to
     see their wives doing business with Umberto. His reputation is—”
    â€œBad?”
    â€œOh, well, more or less. But his clothes make them slender. And very
     few women want their husbands to learn how much plumper they actually are.
     Umberto’s reputation may not be the best, but his business is doing better than
     ever.”
    â€œThe husbands will find out the truth, at least when their
     wives . . .” Merle blushed. “When they get
     undressed.”
    â€œOh, there are tricks and dodges there, too. They turn off the
     light, or they make their husbands drunk. Women are cleverer than you think.”
    â€œI am a woman!”
    â€œIn a few years, maybe.”
    She stopped indignantly. “Serafin Master Thief, I don’t think
     that you know enough about women—aside from where they hide their purses—to
     express yourself about such things.”
    The black cat on Serafin’s shoulder spat at Merle, but she
     didn’t care about that. Serafin whispered something into the cat’s ear and
     it calmed down at once.
    â€œI didn’t mean to insult you.” He seemed quite taken
     aback by Merle’s outburst. “Really, I didn’t.”
    She gave him a piercing look. “Well, then I’ll excuse you this
     one time.”
    He bowed, so that the cat had to dig her claws firmly into his shirt.
     “My most humble thanks, madam.”
    Merle looked away quickly to hide her smile. When she
     looked at him again, the cat had