The woman in front of Jake had long, dark hair which curled sensually around her shoulders. Her eyes and skin were a deep blue and a milk chocolate brown respectively. She wore a light cream dress which clung to her tightly, highlighting her figure. Her lips were thick. A single black beauty spot poised just above the left side of her mouth. Jake was just old enough to notice all of this and to find it very, very arresting.

What was more alarming was that the woman had just caught him in her dining room while breaking into her house.

The woman’s eyes widened in the semi-darkness, but only for a moment. “What are you doing?!” she said with a gasp.

Jake could only stutter in response. “I…I…uh…” He wanted to turn and run and jump back through the broken window he had just come in by, but for some reason he found that he couldn’t. He was transfixed by the woman. Even though he knew he was in danger, in trouble, for some reason he could not tear his gaze away from her. He wanted to look at her for as long as possible.

He braced himself for a scream, a slap, a telling off, or for the woman to run and get help.

To his astonishment she reacted completely differently.

“Why, you’re only a little boy!” said the woman, mirroring what the man he had stolen the book from for his initiation had said.

This time Jake bristled at the words ‘little boy’. Even though he knew it was stupid, and that he should be getting far, far away from here, something in him wanted to impress the woman. He didn’t want her to think of him as ‘only a little boy’. He wanted her to see him as a strong and powerful man, a handsome young rogue, a talented master thief.

“I’m not that ‘little’ really!” he heard himself saying to his own surprise. “I’m 15 next September!”

“Ah yes, not ‘little’ at all then,” said the woman in a voice that dripped with honey. Her taut posture had relaxed completely and she had started to move slowly towards Jake. “Now what are you doing breaking into my house, hmm?” Her tone was no longer accusatory but kindly. “I’ll bet you’ve got yourself mixed up with the wrong sort of crowd, and someone’s put you up to this, have they?”

“Yes… that’s what happened…” said Jake, still mesmerised by the woman, unable to resist her. She put a hand on his cheek and looked him in the eyes.

“Well, we can’t be having that, can we, sweetheart?”

“No…”

“It’s not very nice to break into other people’s houses, is it?”

“No… Miss…”

“Methistema,” said the woman. “My name is Methistema.”

The word slid off her tongue deliciously.

“I’m sorry, Miss Methistema…”

“And so you should be, my dear. But I’m glad that you can see the error of your ways. Are there any more of you?”

“Three of us broke in. And there are about fifteen more waiting outside.” Jake betrayed the other boys in the gang without a second thought.

“Come with me, sweetie,” said Methistema, removing her hand from Jake’s cheek. Jake missed her touch at once.

He followed the woman obediently as she turned back the way she had come and strode deeper into the house. They passed through the corridor and out into a large hall, decorated with immense hanging paintings and various other artefacts. Jake recognised it as the room at the front of the house that the gang had been gazing into when contemplating making their theft. Sure enough, there was the golden sceptre, hung proudly on a wall above the central mantelpiece, and a collection of fragments of glass on the floor next to one of the windows that been smashed.

But neither To’phoro or Yathom were anywhere to be seen. The sound of breaking glass and shouting had completely died away.

“Now, young man—” began Methistema.

Just at that moment a door at the other end of the room burst open and in strode a man who looked like a male version of Methistema: tall, muscular, and handsome, with tanned skin, blue eyes and dark hair, wearing a light coloured shirt and trousers. Jake imagined that he might have an effect on girls similar to the effect which Methistema had had on him. He immediately felt threatened.

Then Jake noticed that the man was carrying something under each arm…not something, but someone! To’phoro and Yathom! Unconscious.

“I caught these two prowling around in the east wing,” the man was saying. “One of them came in through this way; he must have run off when he saw me enter.” He stopped in his tracks when he saw Jake. “Who’s this?”

“What have you done to my friends?!” said Jake. Despite his desire to please Methistema he couldn’t help himself from speaking out.

“I found this one in the west wing dining room,” said Methistema, staying calm. She turned to Jake. “Sweetheart, this is my twin brother, Methistano. He means you no harm.”

Jake was oddly relieved that the man was only her brother. Though he knew it was silly, he had not wanted the man to be Methistema’s boyfriend or husband.

“I’ve just put your friends to sleep for a few moments,” the man called Methistano said to Jake. He laid To’phoro and Yathom down on the carpeted floor and went to light some candles to make the room brighter. “They’ll wake up shortly. Now tell me, what’s a nice young man like you doing breaking into someone’s house in the dead of night?”

“I’m sorry, sir,” said Jake, trying to be as polite as possible. His mind raced. Methistema had been so kind to him, but he still hadn’t explained himself and he knew he could be in serious trouble. He had never been caught this badly on a theft before. He weighed his options. He had already betrayed the gang, telling Methistema that there were more of them outside. The question now was whether he should make something else up to cover them or tell the truth. In the end, he decided to go with the truth, hoping that the strangers would take pity on him.

“It was your golden staff,” said Jake, gesturing towards the sceptre hung on the wall. “It looks valuable, and we wanted to steal it. Please sir, miss, we don’t have any money and we have to steal things just to get by. We live on our own; we don’t have any parents or anything.”

Methistema and Methistano exchanged a meaningful glance. After a moment, Methistema strode over to the curtains, drew them and said “Well done for telling us the truth, sweetheart. That will make things much easier for you.”

There were some groans from the corner. To’phoro and Yathom had started to come round from whatever Methistano had done to put them to sleep momentarily. They sat up slowly one after the other, rubbing the backs of their heads.

“Where am I?” said To’phoro. Then he realised. “Oh c—”

“You are in the house of two people you have just been trying to rob,” said Methistano. “Don’t even think about trying to get away,” he added, seeing To’phoro eying the broken window and the doors. “You will not be able to do so without being caught. So, how do you think we should deal with these little street puppies, sister? Shall we call the city militia?”

“No, please, don’t!” said Yathom. This was not his first time being caught. He had been apprehended and severely beaten by Ubal’s militia, which served as its police, several times before.

“Hold on, brother dear,” said Methistema. “Let’s not be too hasty or harsh.” She spoke now to To’phoro and Yathom. “Boys, your associate here was just telling us that you live on your own without any parents—that you have been left to fend for yourselves.”

“So? What’s it to you?” said To’phoro, defiant even in the face of danger.

“I’ve an idea,” said Methistema. “I have a little offer to make you, boys. My brother and I work as beauty artists—”

“What’s that?” asked Jake. He wanted to know as much about the woman as possible.

“Oh, we design clothing, help ladies with their powdering, that sort of thing. We make people look beautiful. But we also have several other…interests that we like to keep up. Businesses that we invest in. And there is always a need of errands being run. We could use boys like you. We can offer you work, food, and a place to live. At least until you’ve paid off the debt you now owe us for breaking our windows. Maybe even longer. What do you say? Would you like that?”

“Lots!” said Jake. Guaranteed work, food and board sounded like a lot more stable an option for survival than running with To’phoro’s gang. If he could get all those things sorted out, maybe he could concentrate on finding a way to get back home.

To’phoro and Yathom were slower.

“I don’t work for anyone!” said To’phoro.

“And if he doesn’t, then neither do I!” said Yathom.

“Perhaps my sister has not been entirely clear,” said Methistano. “We are not really giving you a choice. You will stay with us as errand boys for the foreseeable future, with your own room and meals. It’s that or we hand you over to the militia.”

To’phoro and Yathom looked at each other for a long time.

“Fine,” said To’phoro. The syllable oozed with resentment.

“Whatever,” said Yathom. They were probably each secretly plotting how soon they would be able to make their escape and steal something in the process, maybe even the sceptre, anyway.

“Then it’s settled!” said Methistema. “Why don’t we go and talk to your friends and see if they are interested too?”

To’phoro turned on Jake at once. “You snitched on the others?!” he said.

All of a sudden there was a knock on the door.