Again, I was a bit naive at first in how I went about my research. I started in the shelves that I looked through everyday. As if there was going to be a book entitled "The Life and Times of Garrett the Thief" sitting right next to "The Book of Stone". I soon realized that anything written that I might find about him would probably be bits and pieces of information, and certainly out of the way. Eventually, off in a rather dark corner shelf, I found the closest thing I could get to the complete book that I wanted, though the information was still sparse.

What I found was a diary, with some correspondence bound into it. Most of it was just records of shipments, transactions, how the day's sales went. But there were occasional blurbs. There was one entry that specifically attracted my attention.

"Spoke with Cutty today. Apparently he has a new thief in his employ. He goes by the name of Garrett, which strikes me as completely unfamiliar. However, from Cutty's description of his work, he strikes me as being far too good to just come out of the woodwork. Someone must have trained him well. Either he is an ex-employee of my competitors, but then why do I still not recognize the name? No, I have a suspicion that he came from the Keeper's ranks. Which strikes me as incredibly odd. How, why did he leave them? Really, it's none of my concern, but for some reason, I find him to be a rather large question. I will see what I can find out about him as time permits. I do have other things to do than perform backgroud checks on thieves."

Much later I found another entry...

"It has become quite apparent that this Garrett is not from the employ of anyone in this city. Simply because just about every crime lord in the city has been looking to hire him. Ramirez, the slime, has had a very strong interest in aquiring his talents. So apparently I was right that he was, at one point, a Keeper. Again, this fact boggles the mind. I think I'd like to keep an eye on him. I have no doubt his exploits in this city will prove quite fascinating."

There were other bits and pieces, the last one of interest that I can recall follows.

"Garrett came into the shop today. It seems he was in need of maps, which I fortunately had. I'm guessing Cutty's information about his job was a little scarce and he wanted to do some homework. Smart man. His outside appearance was quite full of arrogance and business, but one could tell that he had some kind of weight on his soul, something that he was running from. Apparently he could sense that I was detecting this, because he stopped perusing the maps I had shown him, quickly paid for them and left. I watched him walk away from the store, and I swear I saw a shadow move, following him. So the Keepers are following him too! This proves most interesting."

The only other thing that I noticed was that the next to last entry mentioned an apparently botched attempt to kill Garrett by some employees of Ramirez. Lord Tahnit found this most amusing. Unfortunately, I was left with more questions than anawers at this point. I put the book back and had started to peruse the rest of the library, when Lord Tahnit entered.

"Come, Mishkal, it's time for supper. How are you feeling? Good? Wonderful. Let's eat, relax a bit, and then get to work."

I followed him to the dining hall. We ate, and then returned to his chambers, where we took our usual seats by the fireplace.

"Who is this Garrett, then?" I asked him.

"Garrett? Ah yes, I did tell you that you needed to hear that story, didn't I? Hmmm... If I begin to tell you about Garrett, it will take all night, at least. I think, I know a better source for your information. You'll wind up going there eventually anyway. For now, let's just say that he's damn near the best thief ever to dwell within this city. He actually saved it from destruction. No, it wasn't the Hammers that defeated the Trickster! Far from it! I'm still not sure whether it was the Keeper's victory through Garrett, or Garrett's victory through the Keepers... the two of them are completely intertwined, though he would like to think he has parted from them."

"Who are these Keeper's then? Could you tell me that?"

"The Keepers... that's harder to explain than Garrett! I'll tell you everything that I know. First of all, they are an extremely secretive bunch. No one knows exactly where they are located, or how many of them there are. I'm estimating fifty at the absolute most. Their cause is a preservation of balance and order. What they percieve as balance and order is anyone's guess. They watch a thousand times more, if not many thousand times more, than they act. The only thing I've ever heard of them actually doing is that they saved Garrett from being killed by the Trickster. I have a hunch that they do more, but only in extremely hidden ways. I wish I could tell you more. Alright, let's begin." he said as he got up. He went over to a locked chest, opened it, and pulled out the cloak and the gear that I had inherited from Renik. The sight of it brought back both the memories and the fear of that night, as well as a sense of exhiliration. Lord Tahnit himself was going to test me.

He handed me everything, it seems there was a bit more than what I had that night. Included was some light leather armor, as well as a completely black shirt and pair of pants.

"Go into the other room and change into these. When you come back, there will be a bag of gold planted in the room. I want you to find the bag and return it to me without me knowing where you are. Good luck!"

I went into the antechamber to his bedroom and began to change. The pants and shirt were made of a light, but strong material that did not rustle. I noticed that the leather armor was jointed so that it would not creak, no matter how one turned or stretched. My heart started pounding with excitement as I put these items on. I was actually becoming a thief. At the same time, I was scared stiff, and nervous. I hadn't really examined the room for any differences when he and I went into it, and I didn't know what he would do to it while I was changing. Eventually, I had put my gear on. I took a deep breath and turned to the door to his office.

There was a shadow just before the door, which I had left partially open. I decided to walk around the antechamber and approach the shadow, so that I could survery the room from there. I could see Lord Tahnit in his chair. He was up in it, looking around the room with a smile on his face. He was apparently pleased with this test that he was putting me to. I continued to look around the room. The door I was coming from was to the left of the entrance from the hallway, a little less than halfway across the front area. Just about directly in front of me was the fireplace with the pair of large upholstered chairs turned halfway towards each other and halfway towards the fireplace. Lord Tahnit was sitting in the one farthest from the main door, towards the back of the room. His desk was situated on a slightly risen section which was the back half of the room. It was surrounded with shelves on the right side, and various other objects to the left. I looked around to see how I could make it across the room unseen. Obviously, there was quite a bit of light from the fireplace, but he also had a light on his desk, and in the right hand corner behind it, filtering down through the shelves. Outside of the flickering light from the fireplace, the wall immediately to my left was completely dark. This would be my main access route to the rest of the room. Now, how to cross the threshold...

He turned his attention to the side of the fireplace, and I decided to make my move. I quickly stepped over the threshold into the shadows to the left of the door. He turned around just before I finished getting my foot into the shadow... I thought he had seen me. I stood perfectly still. Apparently, he didn't notice. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, and I swore if nothing else he could hear that. Again, he kept surveying the room as had before. I turned my attention to the floor. There was a footstool not more than two inches from where I stopped. Had I tried to come any farther away from the door when I came through, I would have tripped right over it. He had laid some traps for me as well. I stared hard at the floor past the footstool. All was clear. I slowly stepped over my obstacle. No noise. He still hadn't seen me.

At first I thought that the direction of his gaze, or where his eyes lingered might betray where he had placed my prize. No such luck. I studied his glances, and they were quite even in all directions. As I continued to look around the room, I noticed a bag that I hadn't seen before on a shelf, not too far from the corner he had lit up behind his desk. It was possible to grab it and remain in shadow, but it would prove difficult. I slowly crept along the wall, trying to keep as much attention as I could on where I was walking as well as on Lord Tahnit. As I approached the dark corner behind his desk, I noticed several untensils lying on the ground, and a pedestal, on which were a few assorted glasses and trinkets... and nestled in them was another bag, just like the one on the shelf. Hmmm... which one was the real prize? I decided to play it safe and go for the first one. No sense in passing anything up.

I had no idea if the utensils on the floor would make any noise if I moved them, so I carefully stepped around them. I was within reaching distance of the bag. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, silently, focusing on every detail of the mess on the pedestal before I moved any further. The easiest way to get the bag would be to reach in from above and slowly pull it out. The problem was that the position I had to be in required that I turn my back to Lord Tahnit. I slowly reached my hand over the glasses on the pedestal, glancing over to Lord Tahnit occasionally. He turned toward the fireplace again. I turned my back, reached my hand down, and started to pull out my bag... I could feel a glass moving as I did... Damn! He had balanced a glass on top of it. I was running out of time! I reached my other hand over to balance the glass as I pulled the bag from under it, my palms sweating like mad. I pulled out the bag and turned back to where I could see him, just as he turned back around to survey the room. He didn't see me. I also realized that his eyes must take a few seconds to readjust to the darkness after looking at the fire. I smiled slightly, as I realized my advantage, and I had the bag!

In the darkness, I felt through the cloth to guess the bag's contents... damn again! It was full of beans! I looked over at the second bag. From my new perspective I could see that the bag was more in the light than I would have liked it. Getting to it was one thing, but if he looked toward that shelf, I was near positive he would be able to see if it was missing... I grinned widely as an idea came to mind...

I held the bag tightly in my hand to keep the beans from rustling, as I moved away from the pedestal towards the shadow just before where the shelves were. Carefully, I moved the bag from my right hand to my left. I leaned slighly against the part of the shelves that were in shadow, reaching my hand as close to the second bag as I could without it going into the light. I turned to look at him. He was looking dead at where I was. He seemed to be peering into the darkness... he was starting to give himself away. This is indeed where my prize was! He studied the shadow where I was, but saw nothing. He then turned his attention curiously to the door I had come through, apparently curious as to whether or not I had started my mission. I quickly grabbed the bag of gold, and replaced it with the bag of beans. I heard the beans rustle slightly as they settled. He turned quickly around, and began studying the shadow where I was again. My heart started pounding again. Then the fireplace started crackling loudly. He looked at it, shrugging off his suspicions. I moved away from the shelves and stopped to feel this bag. Coins indeed were in it, I had my prize! I then stopped, because I wasn't sure exactly how he wanted me to deliver it to him. I then rationalized that getting the prize was only half the task. One had to get away with it. So I decided, since I had been doing so well, that I'd add a bit of style to my finish, and drop it in his lap.

I started creeping again along my dark wall, back to the door and the side of the room with the fireplace. There was a brief patch of light from the fire before the shadow of his chair began. I waited a moment, as he was about due to turn his back again. I crouched down, awaiting my opportunity. Almost like clockwork, he turned again. I moved into the shadow of the chair, staying low. I stopped breathing entirely. I heard him move back to look around the room again. I slowly stepped right to the back of his chair... I couldn't see where he was looking, he was right above me. One glance even slightly down and shadow or no shadow he would see me. Time to finish it. Before he could notice me, I quickly brought my arm around and tossed the bag in his lap.

"What? Ah! Ah ha!" he started laughing hysterically. The sound was almost deafening compared to the silence that persisted in the room throughout the ordeal. "Come out, my dear Mishkal! You've passed that test! Oh my, Renik wasn't kidding, you are good!" I then stood up. I was elated and at the same time rather tired. I tried to resist the urge to smile, but I couldn't keep a grin from coming to my face. He looked at me with complete surprise, not realizing just how close I had come to him.

As I stayed there a moment, I started getting very dizzy. I then gave up my successful thief pose, and walked over to my chair and sat down.

"Hmmmm... you still need to get some strength back. We'll work on that tomorrow. Make no doubt about it, you are going to be in training all day, as much as you can handle. For now, go to bed, relax. You've done well. I'm most pleased with your talents. Good night, my Mishkal. Sleep well."

I then gathered my strength and stood up. I still had to walk with one hand against the wall, but I managed to make it back to my room. Then I realized I still had my gear on... groaning I took it off and stashed it underneath my bed. I was quite elated that I had done so well, but a sort of resentment was brewing in my mind as well. What business did I have straining myself late at night creeping around in a little game my master had constructed, having to hide my clothes underneath my bed? The thrill and the challenge of thievery was still there and tempting me... I started to wonder what feats I might pull when I have learned all I can from him. At the same time, I hated him for sending me out on that delivery, for ever finding out that I had this talent. As I settled into bed, I subscribed my anger to my just being overtired and cranky. I resigned simply to see where this path led me as I drifted off to sleep.