“You want to hire me, sir?” Shuai Tiao’s hand paused in lifting the cup of rice wine to his lips, and he stared in disbelief at the very dignified Chinese gentleman who sat across the table from him in the Hostelry of the Noble Grape. Realizing his incredulity might raise doubts in a would-be employer’s mind as to his capabilities, he hastily swallowed the wine and said in a more composed manner, “I might be able to help your clients. May I enquire how many would be in this party that needs to leave Chang’an at such notice, and what the nature of their merchandise might be?”

      Liang Fu smiled and nodded. The results of his discrete enquiries and his own assessment of the young biaoke’s situation and character were correct, or at least, close enough for his purposes, he decided. One could not afford to be too particular in a matter of urgency and some stealth. Shuai Tiao appeared to be desperate enough for work that he would likely ‘overlook’ the lack of travel permits for sufficient payment, and yet his reputation was clean and his manners and appearance not too rough for a man of his profession. Besides, Liang Fu had only undertaken to get certain people out of the city and on their way – he had not guaranteed anything thereafter.

      He beckoned for another flask of wine – grape this time, rather than the cheap rice wine Shuai Tiao had been drinking – and when their cups had been refilled he lowered his voice to answer the young biaoke’s question. “The party consists of two men only, and maybe several servants; neither are merchants so there will be no cargo save their own necessary baggage.”

      Although he badly wanted the work and was reluctant to let Liang Fu’s offer slip through his fingers, Shuai Tiao reluctantly felt he should mention the obvious: “Would your clients not feel safer travelling with a larger caravan?”

      Liang Fu gave a brief shake of his head. “Discretion and speed are of the utmost importance in this instance, and I am authorised to pay you well enough for both, but not to divulge my clients’ reasons, as I’m sure you understand.”

      Shuai Tiao nodded slowly, understanding from what Liang Fu wasn’t saying that his mysterious clients had no travel permits and required spiriting from the city without their departure being noted. Documents and identities would be checked if they travelled with a large trade caravans, but small parties could often slip through the checkpoints with less bureaucratic interest.

      As a member of the biaoju guild Shuai Tiao should rightly refuse this job, but he knew if he did, Liang Fu would have no trouble finding a less scrupulous man to accept it instead. It wouldn’t be such a major infraction of the rules anyway, he decided, eyeing the fat and heavy-looking purse that Liang Fu had slipped from his voluminous silken sleeve to place unobtrusively on the table between them.

      “I believe there is enough in there to cover the cost of your personal silence as well as your professional protection,” Liang Fu purred.

      Shuai Tiao’s hand covered the purse and closed around it. “I’ll need to get a couple of suitable horses for the journey, and some supplies,” he said matter-of-factly. “I presume that is covered also?”

      “Of course,” the official smiled smoothly, watching as the purse vanished inside Shuai Tiao’s jerkin. “So may I inform my clients you will be ready to leave the day after tomorrow?”

      “You may,” Shuai Tiao hoped he wasn’t going to regret this. “Tell them to come to the Hostelry of the Smiling Cat” – a modest establishment on the Markets’ south-eastern fringe where he had been staying – “The day after tomorrow, an hour before the Market opens at noon. I’ll have the horses ready and waiting.”

      “Excellent.” Liang Fu rose in a rustle of silk brocade and bowed with dignified grace. Just as he was leaving, he turned back to add, almost as if it were an afterthought, “I should maybe mention, that neither of my clients are at all versed in the rigours of desert travel or the arts of self-protection. With that in mind, you will also find the payment should cover the hire of a non-guild swordsman, if you wish. I leave that, of course, to your own professional judgement.” But I would recommend it, his subtle smile seemed to delicately imply.