Past Perfect Home Quicksearch Advanced Search Random Story Upload Story Upload Help FAQ   Past Perfect by Margui Past Perfect Dawn was settling on the streets of Corinth as Autolycus carefully moved down a silent alleyway. Very soon shop owners would unlock their stores and take their assorted wares outside to the open-air kiosks in the village square. The practice was routine, the dark-haired man thought, and by now, he knew the drill well. Walking halfway down the shop-lined street, Autolycus passed the local butcher's shop. Next to the butchery was a bakery. He barely noticed them as his focus was on the store next to the bakery. Stepping up and into the doorway, he looked around suspiciously, first to the left, and then to the right, feeling a growing sense of uneasiness. Still, he had to do what was expected of him. Over time, he had developed a reputation and the people of Corinth would expect nothing less. He pulled his tunic open and reached in to grab the long, thin, metal object from his inside pocket. He pulled it out and studied it in the dimness of the light. He had used the devise too many times, he thought, and the gleaming metal against the rising sun began to show the wear of its frequent use. He sighed. He would have to do something about that, he thought absently to himself. And then, with another heavy sigh, Autolycus carefully inserted the piece of metal into the lock. He pulled on the now open handle, ensuring that he looked around once again. His dark eyes darted from side to side, hoping the wrong people did not see him before he made his way into the darkened store. Once inside, he lit a torch. And then, carefully, he moved to the room in the back; the room he knew was a store room. It was filled with beautiful, artful pieces crafted of gold or silver or carved out of exotic woods. "It is almost a shame to see them leave," he said to himself, as he grabbed two of the art pieces. Leaving the storeroom with the two candlesticks clutched in his arm, he heard the door to the shop open. Nervously, Autolycus looked for a place to hide, but it was too late. He was stopped by the shopkeeper's voice. "You go nowhere with those candlesticks," the oriental man said in his accent-filled broken language. He grabbed the two candlesticks from the startled man's hand. "They no good to buy," Yong Dong Po said. As the oriental man walked to the store room to put the candlesticks away, Yong Dong Po said, "You hear news? More thieves caught in neighborhood." He knew the words about the thieves would alarm the already skittish man. ___________________________________ It had been almost a year since Yong Dong Po found the dark-haired man unconscious, bloodied and laying prostrate in the middle of a dusty, worn path. He feared the man was the victim of a robbery. Other than a grappling hook and a rope lying next to him, the man had nothing of value on his person. Besides, the man's ever-present, anxious demeanor suggested something tragic must have happened to him. But Autolycus couldn't tell him what happened. He didn't remember. He only knew he woke up beside a tangled mass of bushes, not far from a castle wall. His mind was groggy and unfocused, and as he put his hand up, he found the side of his head caked in blood. He had a monstrous headache, to boot. He staggered from the bushes, letting the grappling hook in his hand absently trail behind him. He almost fell over his own set of feet, which felt both heavy and rubbery at the same time. He stopped, looking up at the sky to gage the time, as if the darkness that surrounded him was not clue enough to the time of day. "Whoa, that was the wrong thing to do..." he said. He stopped as a wave of dizziness consumed him. He left the statement hanging in the still air, as if he was supposed to finish it, but did not know quite how to finish it. He had forgotten something, and then to his consternation and horror, he realized what it was. He had forgotten his name. The confused thief could see the dusty, worn path only a few yards away and in panic, he scrambled toward it, hoping to find someone to help him, or at least, tell him who he was. He collapsed on the dusty road moments later. When he woke up, he was in a small, dark room. He saw the wise, slanted eyes of the old man looming above him, looking back at him. "You hurt," Yong Dong Po said and then asked, "What your name?" "I'm um...not completely sure," Autolycus said, rubbing the side of his sore head as if rubbing it would bring back his forgotten memory. Still he was not sure who he was or what had happened to him. The oriental man helped Autolycus to sit up, supporting his now bandaged head. Yong Dong Po had seen these kinds of symptoms before, when a young apprentice was accidentally hit on the head with an iron mallet that was carelessly brandished in the forge. He pointed to Autolycus. "You amnesia," Yong Dong Po said, "I Yong Dong Po. I help you." "Amnesia?" Autolycus questioned. "Amnesia," Yong Dong Po said and nodded. "Thieves bad here. You not careful, you get knocked into next Wednesday." "You mean `the middle of next week'," the dark-haired man said dryly. "No kidding," he finished as he sank back into the bed to think about what the old man had told him. Somehow, some inking in his brain told Autolycus he should trust Yong Dong Po. The old man did seem to know his name, after all. Unfortunately, it was days later that Autolycus realized his name was not Amnesia. After a week of recovery and subsequent boredom, Autolycus decided to leave his sickbed. He walked into the front room that served as the oriental man's showroom. The room, with its many shelves of candles, flambeaus, wicks, candlesticks and other lighting accouterments seemed vaguely familiar to Autolycus. He had been in a store like this before, maybe not one selling candles, but a mercantile nonetheless. He remembered numerous shelves lined with product, but he couldn't remember what the mercantile was selling, or when or where he had been in a store similar to this one. He shook his head in frustration as he stood there staring at the shelves, trying to remember. His face contorted with the effort. A patron came into the store and regarded the strange man staring at the shelves of product. He erroneously thought the man regarding the shelves worked for Yong Dong Po. Oblivious to everything, Autolycus was trying to remember where the memory had come from, and was unaware of the man behind him. The patron began ringing the bell impatiently, demanding service. Finally, a tap on the shoulder brought Autolycus out of his reverie. "You idiot! Didn't you hear me ringing? What kind of merchant are you? I'm reporting you to the owner. What`s your name?" A flash of pain seared through the former King of Thieves' head and he closed his eyes to the pain. Finally, he remembered something: a name. Unfortunately, the only name that he heard scream his muddled thoughts was that of his dead brother; a brother who was tricked out of his land and then killed by the very merchant that tricked him. Autolycus, in retaliation of his brother's murder, robbed the merchant of his goods and the merchant became penniless. "Malycus," Autolycus spoke quietly. "My name must be Malycus." The customer looked dubiously at the dark-haired man behind the counter and thought his statement was an attempt to get out of trouble. "Are you getting smart with me?" he asked. Annoyed with the reprimand, Autolycus impulsively answered, "Am I getting smart with you? How would you know?" "Why you..." the patron sputtered, even more upset than before. Hearing the confrontation, Yong Dong Po quickly came to his customer's aid. Taking the patron to the side, he said, "Excuse Assistant. He not himself." And then, he tried to calm the agitated customer. Since the thief's mind was absent of an identity, Autolycus quickly substituted the identity of a merchant as his own. From that day on, Autolycus knew himself only as Malycus, and he believed himself to be a merchant. Over the year, Autolycus helped Yong Dong Po and worked tirelessly trying to become what he thought he was. And, although not entirely skilled at holding his tongue when required, there was a charming quality to Autolycus and he became proficient at selling Yong Dong Po's goods-in-trade. But soon, Autolycus found himself dissatisfied with the idea of selling candlesticks. He believed there was something else he should be doing with his life, and with each candlestick he sold, and each day gone by, Autolycus became more disheartened and anxious to leave the world of the merchant behind him. Yong Dong Po could see it too. Over the year, the man from the far east could see the growing dissatisfaction in the dark-haired man, and expected it was only a matter of time before his assistant would come to realize he was no merchant. He hoped the man that he knew as Malycus could find his identity before he found the life of a merchant too intolerable. Otherwise, Yong Dong Po feared, the man would drift aimlessly, searching for something he may never find; himself. Still, the wise candlestick maker would miss the man's loyalty, even if he wouldn't miss Malycus' undue impertinence. ______________________________________ Trying to strike up a conversation with his quiet assistant and thinking of the thief recently apprehended by Hercules and Iolaus, Yong Dong Po said, "I bet was King of Thieves." "No, it wasn't the King of Thieves," Autolycus pronounced absently. "How you know?" the old man questioned. When Autolycus woke up with amnesia, he undoubtedly knew a great many things and quickly demonstrated to Yong Dong Po that he was not a simpleton. The statement was just one of those things, Autolycus perceived, that he instinctively knew. How he knew it, he didn't know. He just knew he knew it. "You funny man, Malycus," Yong Dong Po said, dismissing the statement. "Now you get into store room and get wooden candlesticks. They good to buy." As Autolycus left, he heard the bell on the door of the shop ring someone's arrival. Still uncomfortable with others' company, he did not stop to see who it was as he retreated into the storeroom. "Iolaus!" Yong Dong Po said as he saw the partner to Hercules enter the store. He had known Iolaus for some time, but it had been over a year since he had seen the blonde man. "Good to see you. What bring you here?" "An overprotective husband and son," Iolaus said with a smile and then he paused, "Seriously, with all the robberies lately, Jason and Hercules thought it would be a good idea to finish up the fence and add extra lighting around Alcmene's home." Without the King of Thieves to temper the ambition of would-be robbers, crime in Corinth soon became rampant. Each day, there were stories of more robberies in the city. As the year passed, both Iolaus and Hercules tried to remain close to Corinth. And over the year, they had assisted in rounding up many thieves, but still, it didn't seem to assuage the amount of robberies occurring. Yong Dong Po pointed to Iolaus, "You tell mother of Hercules, I say `hello'." And then with a curious glint in his eyes, he asked Iolaus, "Who you think do robberies? King of Thieves?" "Autolycus?" Iolaus said, "No. It's not his style." Iolaus thought of the many victims the King of Thieves had stolen from. Iolaus knew most of the recent victims had been regular citizens of Corinth, and not the well-to-do, and for which the King of Thieves usually counted as his victims. "You have a rare gem, or golden statue...now that's Autolycus' style." The conversation soon triggered Iolaus to think about Autolycus. It had been over a year since he had seen the King of Thieves, or had even heard of his exploits. Neither had Iolaus heard of his demise; so in time, he believed Autolycus had left the area, searching for different kingdoms to rob. To his relief, Iolaus no longer thought of Autolycus as the bane to his existence. In fact, it had been the rash of thefts that became his annoyance. The crime activity in and about Corinth had escalated since the King of Thieves turned up missing. Each thief coveted the title, "King of Thieves" and had to prove they were worthy of such a title. "Some contest," Iolaus said in distaste under his breath. Protecting the city made much more work for the heroes, Hercules and Iolaus, even than when Autolycus had been around. Regrettably, Iolaus had to admit, he missed Autolycus. "How many torches you want?" Yong Dong Po asked. "Ten?" Iolaus said as he dug out some coins from a pouch he had secured to his belt. Yong Dong Po saw him digging into his money belt. "You dinars no good here. You take for free, but must get more," he said as he counted only seven on the shelf. He knew he had more in the storeroom and he turned to call for his assistant. "Malycus! Bring more torches for friend, Iolaus." Autolycus soon came through the door carrying several flambeaus in his arms. He walked in carefully, as his vision was obscured by the torches in front of him. He made his way behind the counter, but before long, his grip on the numerous torches failed him, and he dropped several from the bottom of his load. In a graceful move, Autolycus quickly bent down to pick them up. By then, he was obscured by the counter, so Autolycus placed a handful on the bar to ensure he filled the candle stick maker's order as he picked up the rest. The oriental man retrieved the three promised to Iolaus. "You be stranger no more," Yong Dong Po said. "Thanks," the blond man said amiably and he turned to leave. As Iolaus was leaving, something told the man from the far east that he should introduce Malycus to his blonde friend; however, Autolycus was eager to leave the company of Yong Dong Po and his friend. The elderly man quickly stopped the former thief's escape with a Herculean grip on his collar. "Iolaus, you meet new assistant, Malycus?" Iolaus turned around, eager to meet the candlestick maker's assistant, but his friendly smile quickly vanished. He immediately recognized the former King of Thieves. "Autolycus?" he asked incredulously. Autolycus looked around for the man Iolaus called `Autolycus'. When he saw no one else in the store, and recognized the blonde man's eyes staring at him, he pointed to himself and corrected, "No, Malycus." "No...Autolycus," Iolaus insisted. "I'd recognize those beady, little eyes and sticky fingers anywhere." Autolycus quickly looked at his ten digits and subconsciously checked their stickiness before hiding his hands behind his back. He didn't know why, but the blonde man was beginning to be worrisome to him. "Iolaus, you know man?" Yong Dong Po asked, pleased that he might have an answer to his assistant's identity. "Unfortunately, I do," Iolaus said, as the animosity for Autolycus suddenly returned. He wasn't aware of the King of Thieves loss of memory and was concerned Autolycus was trying to worm his way into the candlestick maker's shop to steal from him. Still, Iolaus thought it strange that the King of Thieves would surface at the candlestick maker's shop after one year with no word of the thief. Somehow, he thought, Autolycus would certainly have found a far more grandiose way of returning to Corinth. Even Iolaus had to admit, Autolycus was better than this. "Your new assistant is Autolycus." Iolaus said, and when he saw the unfamiliarity of the name written on the face of Yong Dong Po, he added, "the King of Thieves, THAT Autolycus." "He, King of Thieves," Yong Dong Po laughed, "You pulling foot. He afraid of his own shadow." "Yeah! Hey!" Autolycus said, realizing the oriental man had just insulted him. Still, he thought the blonde man must be kidding. He was a merchant, not a thief. "King of Thieves. You funny guy, Iolaus." Yong Dong Po said, dismissing the idea. Iolaus turned to Yong Dong Po. "This is Autolycus." Iolaus was still fuming over the idea that Autolycus was conniving to rob the candlestick maker and turned to the thief, "What ever you're thinking, you're not going to get away with it." Abashed, Autolycus took a step back. He was surprised by the vehemence in the blonde man's voice. "Iolaus," Yong Dong Po said, "He not get away with anything. I found Mal...Autolycus on side of road." And then conspiratorially he whispered, "He not know who he is." "What are you saying?" Iolaus said, and then in a softer voice asked, "How long has he been like this?" "One year." Yong Dong Po answered. "That explains a lot," Iolaus said, thinking about the events of the prior year. Suddenly, the baker from the store next door ran into the candlestick maker's shop. "The butcher was just robbed!" she said in a panic. "The thief was brazen, I tell you. Robbed him right in the daylight. Beat him and took the cash box, two loins of pork and a chicken. Wiped him out. " She took a breath, "Told the butcher he was the new King of Thieves, he did." She nodded to Yong Dong Po, Iolaus and then the candlestick maker's assistant. And then the woman looked beseechingly at Iolaus next to her, "This is the third robbery on this street in as many days. I know I'm going to be the next one. First the butcher, then the baker," she looked at Yong Dong Po, "and then the candlestick maker. Iolaus, you have to do something." Iolaus turned to Yong Dong Po. "Sounds like this thief is bound and determined to let everyone know he`s the new King of Thieves, and a dangerous one at that. We've been trying to catch him for more than a month." Panic began building in the thoughts of Autolycus. He had the strange desire to run when he heard about the robbery so close to the store he had been working in for over a year. But then, he remembered what the short man had claimed. Suddenly, and almost boastfully, Autolycus said, "Hey! You said I was the King of Thieves." Pita began sputtering, fearing she was in the midst of the butcher`s assailant. And she would have been quick to finger the dark-haired man. She never particularly liked the morose assistant to Yong Dong Po, and the thefts in and around Corinth had been increasing since the man she knew as Malycus had come to town. Pita was ready to scream for the magistrate, until Iolaus calmed her down. He turned to the distraught woman, "This is not the man who robbed and beat the butcher. But don't worry, Pita. I promise you, Hercules and I will catch him." "Thank you, Iolaus. I feel better already," she said and then she gave Autolycus a caustic look. But with the assurance that Iolaus and Hercules would catch the thief, Pita went back to her bakery. Autolycus reiterated his statement, "So, I'm not the King of Thieves." Autolycus said with some encouragement in his voice. "You are...or at least you were, until your little disappearing act. Now, thanks to you, all of the petty pilferers, pickpockets and purse snatchers are vying for your title of King of Thieves." Autolycus eyed Iolaus critically. He wondered if the blonde man was deliberately trying to bait him, although Autolycus didn't know for what. He couldn't remember the little blonde runt. Yet, something in his brain told him Iolaus was telling him the truth, or at least what Iolaus believed was the truth. "Maybe he is just plain nuts," Autolycus thought, "After all, he thinks he's going to partner with Hercules to catch this thief." "Real mess for Iolaus," Yong Dong Po said to Autolycus. The oriental man had respect and understanding for the recent demands Iolaus had endured rounding up all of the thieves in Corinth. "And I don't know what was worse: a world with Autolycus in it, or one without." Iolaus started thinking about it and weighing the options, "Annoying thief, dangerous thieves, Dangerous thieves, annoying thief." Finally, he made his decision. "What would really help would be if Autolycus would come back and claim his title." "Well, good luck on that one, then," Autolycus said, forgetting momentarily that Iolaus was talking about him. The dark-haired man was not happy being the assistant to a candlestick maker, but the alternative Iolaus suggested seemed far worse. He still could not think of himself as this man named Autolycus, much less, as a petty thief. No, strike that; not just a petty thief: the KING of Thieves. Autolycus knew he wanted nothing to do with the blonde man's scheme of resurrecting his former self. "Well, the pleasure was not mine," Autolycus said sardonically as he turned to leave. The blonde man had suddenly turned his world upside down. He turned and walked back into the storeroom. As Autolycus left, Iolaus turned to Yong Dong Po and said, "What's with him? And he used to be so full of himself." "He very scary man," Yong Dong Po said. "You're telling me," Iolaus responded. "Always jump out of his hide. I don't think he like being Malycus assistant. He want to be Autolycus." "Really?" Iolaus said to Yong Dong Po, imagining what it must be like to live as someone else, with different expectations for an entire year. _______________________________________________________ Iolaus returned to Alcmene's house, eager to tell Hercules what had become of Autolycus. Iolaus told his story as Hercules quickly dug the holes for the torches around the perimeter and leading up to Alcmene's home. Iolaus and Jason installed the torches. "Let me get this right," Hercules said to Iolaus, "you want Autolycus back as the King of Thieves?" "Well, you've got to admit that things were a lot easier for us when he was," Iolaus said. "That is true," Hercules answered, mulling over his current task at hand. As much as he disliked what Autolycus did for a living, he believed he would not have been installing the torches in Alcmene's yard if Autolycus was still the King of Thieves. Things were oddly safer when Autolycus was around. "You said Autolycus is working an honest living. Is it fair to him to lead him back into a life of crime?" Jason asked. "Well, no," Iolaus said, not wanting to concede that he was thinking selfishly about their current predicament. "But you should have seen him, Jason. He was a shell of the pompous, overbearing thief he used to be. There wasn't a hint of the scheming, insulting, and dishonest man we've come to know and despise." "You're right. That doesn't sound like Autolycus," Hercules said. Iolaus shrugged his shoulders and pointed to Hercules as if saying to Jason, "see what I mean?" "But Iolaus," Jason said, "You've forgotten one thing. Autolycus doesn't remember being the King of Thieves. How are you going to fix that?" "I could teach him," Iolaus answered. It took a while for Iolaus to convince both Hercules and Jason that his off-the-cuff idea was going to work. But, with a little creative arguing, Iolaus persuaded the two men that his plan would be in the best interest of Autolycus as well as Corinth and the surrounding areas. "Now to talk to Autolycus," Iolaus said wondering all the while if convincing the thief was going to be any easier than convincing Hercules and Jason. But Iolaus reasoned; he had to try. He made a short detour to the magistrate's office before he went to the candlestick maker's shop to talk to Autolycus. _________________________________________ Alone in the storeroom and separating which candlesticks were ready for sale, Autolycus thought about what the blonde man had said. He knew was not happy being a merchant, and had always felt something else awaited him outside of the candlestick maker's shop. He wasn't sure what it was, but as the year grew longer, Autolycus had been plagued by fits of panic. These panic attacks had always occurred when he thought of all the thefts in the neighborhood, and like the robberies, the panic attacks had been increasing in number. When they hit, he had an overwhelming urge to run, as if running would allow him to escape whatever it was he was afraid of. As Autolycus polished two silver candlesticks and mulled over the idea of being a thief, he suddenly felt at peace with himself. "I am a thief," Autolycus said out loud. _____________________________________ Iolaus walked into the store and Yong Dong Po turned around. "You back for more torches?" he said. "No, I'm here to see Autolycus." "Good. Sad to loose assistant. Glad for Autolycus. He be glad to be himself, maybe not now, but soon." Yong Dong Po said and shuffled over to the store room door. He knocked and then entered. "Iolaus here to see you," he said to the man polishing the candlesticks. "What does he want?" Autolycus asked in annoyance. His day had not been going well. "You go ask," Yong Dong Po encouraged. With determination that was characteristic of the man, he pushed Autolycus out of the room. `What are you doing here?" Autolycus asked when he saw Iolaus. "I wasn't sure you believed me when I said you were the King of Thieves, so, I have something to show you," Iolaus gave Autolycus a rolled-up parchment. Autolycus unrolled the parchment. It was a wanted poster with his likeness on it. He read it aloud, "Wanted! Autolycus: King of Thieves". He studied it critically. Yes, it was his likeness, or either that of his evil twin, which up until a few minutes before he would have argued. He handed the parchment back to Iolaus. "It figures. They didn't even get my good side." "You have a good side?" Iolaus said, feeling some familiarity with the Autolycus he once knew. But the unhappy look on the thief's face told Iolaus that the habitual bantering would have to wait. "Now do you believe me?" he said. It was clear that the man named Iolaus wanted something from Autolycus and from the vehemence the blonde had displayed earlier in the day, Autolycus was concerned whatever he wanted probably would not be to his benefit. Piecing together the two conversations he had with Iolaus, the blonde-man's pronouncement of bringing back the King of Thieves finally made sense. "So, you're here to turn me in," he said. "No! Why would you say that?" "The wanted parchment. No self-respecting man would let someone rot in jail for a crime he didn't commit. You needed to show me proof before you turned me in." He nodded to the wanted poster in Iolaus' hand. "Besides, the way you talk to me. It's clear we have some...history." Okay, it's true you're not my favorite person, but Corinth needs the King of Thieves back: the real King of Thieves, you." "Why? I'm sure you would agree with me, thieves are a menace to society." Autolycus said. "Okay, that's a new one," Iolaus said quietly, never expecting Autolycus would speak so ill of his chosen profession. "You loved being a thief." Autolycus wasn't aware of his cult following in Scyros, or even how much he was respected by both Hercules and Iolaus for the good things he did in the past. Nor, did Autolycus know he relished and was even proud of his title as King of Thieves. He only knew that since his amnesia, he became panicky when subject of thieves came up. He always assumed that it had something to do with his amnesia a year ago, and how Yong Dong Po had found him: bloodied, beaten and penniless. He had long ago thought he had been robbed, and he believed his trepidation at the mere mention of the word `thief' manifested itself from that moment. And now, in the light of what he knew, Autolycus was not so sure. In the heart of the former merchant there was no denying who he really was. Autolycus was a thief: the King of Thieves. Iolaus watched as Autolycus mulled over what he had said. The blonde stood waiting for an answer. There was a palpable silence in the room and Iolaus was beginning to worry that Autolycus might refuse him. "Okay," Autolycus finally said, "How do we start? How do you make me the King of Thieves, again?" Iolaus smiled. His mind raced with a list of things to do, "I guess the first thing you will need to do is learn how to pick a lock." _____________________________________ Iolaus returned to the candlestick makers shop that evening. Autolycus escorted Iolaus into the small room in the back of the store that served as the candlestick maker's bedroom. For the first time, Iolaus began doubting his plan to bring Autolycus back to his earlier way of life. So, reluctantly, he emptied a bag that he had carried with him onto the bed. Inside the bag were several types of locks, from the rudimentary to the more complicated. "So, the first lesson is picking a lock," Iolaus said to Autolycus. Autolycus picked up a lock and turned it over in his hand, "Is it as easy as picking your nose," he said, as he sat down on the bed next to the locks, "because I've got that one locked down." He said and laughed at his play on words. "That's good to know," Iolaus said dubiously, "but not quite the same." Iolaus picked up the first lock. It was the most rudimentary lock he could find. "The big secret of picking a lock is that it is easy." Iolaus said as he put the pick and the torque wrench into the lock and with a quick twist of his wrist, opened the lock. "Oh, great!" Autolycus said, feeling that Iolaus was showing off. Iolaus pulled out a key to the second lock and put it in the keyhole, "The proper key lifts each pin in the lock until the gap between the first pen and the last pin have been pushed up, allowing the lock to open." He turned the key and opened the lock, "but, every lock has a defect," Iolaus dropped the key and engaged the locking mechanism again. He picked up the lock picks and began picking the lock as he explained. He concentrated on the lock, listening to the signs that he was getting close to unlocking it, "by lifting all the pins one at a time with a lock pick, you don't need a key to lift all the pins at the same time." The lock clicked open. Iolaus threw the lock and the lock picks to Autolycus, "Here, you try it." Autolycus looked uncertain, "So much for breaking and entering, as the first lesson" Autolycus said as he picked up the first lock. ___________________________________________________________ Iolaus and Autolycus spent hours working on his lock picking skills, with some success, but it was clear that Autolycus was getting wary of his progress. Clearly, Autolycus felt incompetent with learning the new skill. There was an urgent countenance in the face of Autolycus that Iolaus had never seen before. Autolycus wanted desperately to find something that he could connect to, and was trying to find it through this new skill. But lock picking took practice, and Iolaus could tell that Autolycus was at the moment, too impatient to practice. Iolaus continued to build up the thief`s confidence. "Autolycus, be patient. The ability to open most locks quickly takes practice." "I don't have time to practice..." Autolycus said and then got up. He ran his fingers in frustration through his dark hair and without looking at Iolaus said,"...Oh, I'm wasting everyone's time here." "Autolycus, come on. No one can pick a lock faster than you." "How do..." Autolycus said, wondering how Iolaus knew so much about him. "How do you know me?" he finally asked. Iolaus proceeded to tell Autolycus how they had met on a pathway leading away from Scyros and how he had framed Iolaus for stealing the Dragon's Eye ruby; how the thief was pursued and finally caught by Hercules, and how he ultimately confessed, freeing Iolaus; and finally, how the thief had escaped from Scyros' revolutionary `chopping device`. "Talk about your bad history," Autolycus said, feeling strangely embarrassed about a past he couldn`t remember. "Ancient history," Iolaus lamented, "Now, do you want to practice on this lock?" he said as threw the most complicated lock toward Autolycus. The thief caught it deftly in his hand. He barely examined the lock, as if he had seen a hundred like it before. He turned it over in the palm of his hand and he smiled broadly. Inserting the lock pick and the torque wrench into the lock, Autolycus found the pin binding the most and with the sheer force and the dexterity of a master lock picker, pushed it up. In thirty seconds, Autolycus had the complicated lock picked. "How'd you do that?" Iolaus asked amazed at how quickly Autolycus had picked the lock. "Like I`m supposed to know?" Autolycus answered honestly. And then Autolycus went on to explain, "It's been this way since I woke up a year ago. Some things I just know. I don't know how I know I know, but somehow, I just know. I don't know why. I just knew how to pick this lock." The complicated rationalization made sense to Iolaus. Autolycus had been a thief for most of his life, since Autolycus was 16, as a consequence of his brother`s murder. Autolycus had probably picked hundreds of complicated locks like this in his career, and likely, very few simple locks. Autolycus looked at the befuddled look on Iolaus' face. "What? You couldn't open it?" "It's forged by Hephaestus. Nobody can open it. At least without a key." "Oh," Autolycus answered and then in a voice eerily like himself said, "Well, then, I guess that makes me a somebody and you a nobody." "Okay..." Iolaus said pleased that Autolycus seemed to be coming around. He smiled. "...Now that`s the thief I`ve come to know." After a few moments, Iolaus asked, "Are you tired of practicing?" and then without letting Autolycus answer, the blonde man said, "Let's go, and put that skill of yours to some practical experience". __________________________________________________________________ Autolycus followed the blonde out into the clear, dark night. Iolaus chose a museum to try the thief's knack for lock picking. Iolaus prudently chose the museum because it was full of archaic items too bulky, difficult or well known to try to pawn, just in case the King of Thieves' memory suddenly and conveniently returned. As the two men continued on the path that led toward the museum, Autolycus tried to fill the awkward silence, "What kind of thief was I?" he asked. "What do you mean?" "Was I a pickpocket, pilferer, grafter, purloiner, swindler? Did I steal from little old ladies as they cross the path, rob at sword point or through piracy..." "You certainly know your thieves." Iolaus said and laughed. Autolycus continued with the same amount of determination he displayed while learning to pick locks. "I mean, did I ever kill anyone?" Iolaus thought about how he was going to answer. The thief was known to be somewhat of a coward when his own safety was at risk, but when other people were involved, people he cared about, he was not be above risking his own life. Iolaus had never known Autolycus to harm anyone in commission of a theft. Even after his brother's murder, Autolycus chose to rob the merchant and leave him penniless, a fate probably far worse for the money-hungry scoundrel than killing him outright. "No, Autolycus. You may have sticky fingers, but there is no blood on your hands." "Good," Autolycus said as if some imaginary weight was lifted off his shoulders. Even with amnesia, Iolaus could tell that Autolycus still had no taste for killing. "Do I have a family? A wife? Kids?" Autolycus then asked. Now was not the time to tell Autolycus about his daughter, Iolaus decided, as if the thief's life wasn't complicated enough at the moment. "No, no wife...or kids," Iolaus said. Another weight seemed to be lifted off the thief's shoulders, although it soon returned, as if something else was bothering him. Iolaus wondered if it was the fact that he had no family. Iolaus and Autolycus finally arrived at the museum. "Okay, Autolycus. Show me what you can do. You've got thirty seconds to get in, and then there are eight more locks inside." As Autolycus was working on the lock, Iolaus could see a subtle change in the thief. Autolycus was in his element, and displayed a confidence that he had not shown since his amnesia. Iolaus was sure Autolycus was on his way back. It took the former King of Thieves less than thirty seconds to get into the museum. The entrance of the museum opened up into a large cavernous room full of paintings and sculptures and rare gems. The two men walked into the large room, trying to find another doorway that lead into another museum hall. As he was walking, Autolycus came to a large, green conical gem cemented to the top of a gold base. The base was surrounded by primitive writing. The gem sat on a pedestal and seemed to be illuminated by some invisible light source from above. Autolycus suddenly imagined a blue gem being illuminated by the same inexplicable light source. He stopped and regarded the gleaming, green gem. "Wait. This looks familiar," Autolycus said eying the green object d' art. "It should," Iolaus said, "It's the Chronos stone. You've stolen it enough times." "I have? Funny, I don`t remember it. I wonder what else I`ve stolen." Autolycus said as the two men moved toward the interior of the museum. Suddenly, Iolaus stopped distracted by another object d` art. "Hercules?" he said, when he saw a picture of the demigod hanging on a wall. The picture was a nude and painted by an artist of considerable skill. "Where?" Autolycus said, suddenly frightened, as if the hero had caught him with his hands in the proverbial jewelry vault. Iolaus pointed to the picture. "There." Autolycus walked up to the portrait and studied the beefy demigod critically. "This is Hercules?" he said. The thief's eyes could not help but gravitate toward his most prodigious features. He had remembered Iolaus talking about Hercules when he was explaining how he and Iolaus had met. "How well do you know Hercules?" he asked. "He's my partner," Iolaus said. Eyeing the picture again, Autolycus pointed to it and said incredulously, "I`m impressed. I didn't know you had it in you." "Had what in me?" Iolaus asked. "Oh, never mind," Autolycus answered deciding he may not have known the blonde man enough to make any assumptions. Iolaus had already proven Autolycus wrong as he helped the thief to discover who he was. Autolycus continued toward the back of the room where the second door awaited his nimble fingers. Autolycus had demonstrated his talent for picking locks, and before long all eight locks had been successfully mastered. They left the museum as morning dawned. Autolycus was almost swaggering about his performance. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation of their next lesson. "Ho, ho, ho. Did you see me? Why, I dropped those locks quicker a bad habit." "Well, for you, lock picking is a bad habit," Iolaus said. He momentarily wondered what he was getting himself into. As Autolycus gained more confidence, he was slowly becoming the same over-bearing thief that Iolaus knew and loved to hate. The same feeling of exasperation that the thief evoked in Iolaus came trickling back. "What's next?" Autolycus said enthusiastic for his next challenge. "Well..." Iolaus began, but stopped when a man hurried from the opposite direction and bumped into the two men. The bump was brief, but long enough for Autolycus to find himself deftly reaching into the money belt on the man's side. A year before, it would have been a natural response for the thief to pick the pocket of someone during a random bumping. The Autolycus of old would have dismissed the act as `honing his skills', and suddenly those same inclinations came over the amnesiac when the gentleman rushed past the thief. Autolycus was surprised when he pulled out several coins and a jade ring from the man`s money belt without him noticing. He watched the man continue on his hurried pace before Autolycus showed his prize to Iolaus. "Hey, what do you think? I just stole these from that blunderbuss," he said, proudly displaying his accomplishment. "Well, I guess we'll take pickpocketing off the list." Iolaus answered back, shaking his head in wonder. He continued on his path toward the candlestick maker's shop but Autolycus was not following. He had stopped in the middle of the road. The thief stopped as he turned the intricately carved jade ring between his fingers. "Wait, I know this ring." Iolaus walked back to Autolycus. "What do you mean?" "I've seen it before." Autolycus answered, "Yong Dong Po wears one just like it. His has a notch on the..." Without finishing his sentence, Autolycus abruptly palmed the ring and ran toward the candlestick maker's shop. As Autolycus approached the shop, he could see that the door had been violently pushed open. He stopped briefly, fearful of what he might find inside. The momentary hesitation allowed Iolaus enough time to catch up with the King of Thieves. With Iolaus by his side, Autolycus cautiously went into the darkened store and reached for the torch that was no longer there. He let his eyes adjust to the darkness. and called out the shopkeeper's name. Although the thief's gut told him the store had been robbed, in little time he could see that cheap, everyday items from the shelves had been haphazardly tossed onto the floor in difference to the expensive candlesticks and other wares, now gone from the shop. As Iolaus stepped in, there was the sickening sound of gurgling, followed by a labored, raspy breath coming from behind the counter. Autolycus rushed behind the counter with Iolaus closely behind. On the floor, Yong Dong Po lay beaten, broken and bleeding from a wound to his chest. The ring finger of his right hand was broken and twisted; his bloodied hand rested limply on his chest. It was clear that the oriental man had valiantly tried to stop the rivulet of blood flowing from the wound. The assailant's weapon, a bloody short sword, lay by Yong Dong Po's side. Iolaus kicked the sword toward Autolycus. Iolaus knelt next to the fallen man, gingerly picking up and supporting his head. "What happened?" he said, not expecting Yong Dong Po to answer. Yong Dong Po tried to mouth some words, but the horrific sound of his labored breath and the sucking sound of the chest wound made it almost impossible for Iolaus to hear him. Autolycus scooped up the short sword and stood in front of the horrid scene afraid to approach the dying man. He couldn`t understand why he was so terrified, until he heard his name gravelly spoken from the abused body of the man who treated Autolycus like family. Immediately, the thief closed his eyes trying to ward off the pain of his memories returning. "Iolaus, I remember," he said as the bile crawled up his throat. Suddenly reliving the past, the thief became oblivious to anything else Yong Dong Po may have said. Vivid memories of his brother's murder came back to the thief. Autolycus was sixteen again, and was reliving his brother's murder. He may be the King of Thieves now, but the life of Autolycus did not start off so graciously. His father died before he was born, and his mother died when he was eight. The only thing that kept Autolycus from a life on the streets, or in the orphanage was his older brother, who took him in and tried to raise him. It was not easy for Malycus. Autolycus, bitter about his parents' death and his brother's struggle to eke out a living, Autolycus' youth was spent angry and alone: the `loan wolf`. When his brother could not afford even the basics of necessities, Autolycus often stole them. Then, to ease his guilt, he would make up a story of how he got the money to pay for the item. No matter how believable Autolycus would make the story appear, Malycus knew how he had gotten the merchandise. And to spite his delinquent ways, Malycus loved his brother anyway. He tried to teach Autolycus the morals that his parents would have taught, had they not been taken away from the ill-fated boy so soon. After skipping the last hour of school, ethics class, and shoplifting a pair of pants to replace his old and ill-fitting, tattered ones, Autolycus reluctantly came home. He unexpectedly walked into a bloody scene of murder. His brother was lying on the floor as the vitreous red fluid poured down his lifeless chest. Autolycus stood in front of his brother, then as he stood in front of Yong Dong Po, now. He thought his brother dead, and guilt filled his heart. What if he hadn't lingered after school, afraid to come home and face his brother's lecture on stealing? What if he were home? Would he have run away a coward, or would he have done something to stop his brother`s murder? He'd like to think he cold have stopped it, but regretfully, Autolycus would never know. And as if Malycus could have sensed his brother's torment, he opened his eyes. He had only enough strength to speak two words before he died; his brother's name, and then the name of his killer. "Who did this to you?" Iolaus asked Yong Dong Po. Carefully licking his lips of the dried blood caused by the beating, Yong Dong Po rasped, "New King of Thieves." And then Yong Dong Po let out a deep and cleansing breath before he died. As Autolycus stood in front of Yong Dong Po, he began fingering the ring that was still in his hand and thinking. The thief that called himself the `New King of Thieves' had stolen priceless candlesticks, silver snuffers and other items from Yong Dong Po. But he didn't have them when Iolaus and Autolycus bumped into the thief, which meant he had to fence them. The only fence between the candlestick maker's shop and the museum was a man who sold farm implements in a kiosk at the market`s square. His name was Palisade. Although Autolycus preferred to fence his own stolen articles for money to live off of, he had used this fence on one or two occasions, when he needed a quick turnaround. Each time, Hercules and Iolaus were pursuing him. He would blame them for that later, but without their persistence, Autolycus would never have known of Palisade and would have never known Yong Dong Po's murderer must have used this fence. Suddenly, Autolycus was determined to confront the fence. And then, he would find the thief, make sure he paid, and he would take back the good name of the King of Thieves. __________________________________ Pita could hear the clamor in the candlestick maker's shop from her bakery next door. Afraid to confront the man she knew must have been the thief, she cowered in her home above the shop until the commotion stopped. Several minutes later, she could hear the voice of Iolaus in the candlestick maker's shop. Bolder now, and curious about what the clamor was about, Pita left the confines of her home and ran toward the shop. "The fence!" Autolycus said as he bolted out of the candlestick maker's shop just as Pita made her way in. Autolycus was still holding the bloody sword that was used to murder Yong Dong Po. Pita looked at Iolaus still bending over Yong Dong Po's body and then to the door where Autolycus had just escaped. Pita screamed bloody murder. "Wait, Autolycus," Iolaus said as he ran toward the door Autolycus escaped from. He looked out the door, but Autolycus had already made his escape toward the bustling marketplace at the main square. Iolaus looked back to Pita who after expending all of her breath yelling, had quieted down. "Autolycus did not do this, Pita," he said firmly, "He was with me when this happened." "Well, Where were you?" Pita asked as if admonishing Iolaus for not being able to stop the thief from committing this crime. He thought about answering her, but felt self-incrimination at this point would do Autolycus or Iolaus no good, so he refrained from telling her, "Breaking into a museum." Instead Iolaus commanded her, "Get the magistrate. Tell him what I said, while I...go find Autolycus." Iolaus perceived Autolycus was about to come up with some hare-brained idea. And he knew the thief's ability to strategically plan anything became more reckless as his level of passion increased. He had to find the foolhardy thief before he did anything rash. Autolycus ran toward the market square. The city was beginning to come alive with activity and it was late spring, so Autolycus was certain he would find Palisade manning his kiosk. Then, he realized, he still had the bloody sword in his grip. Autolycus dropped it in the road, wanting nothing to do with the weapon that had killed a man he had considered a friend. Closer to the market, he weaved in and out of the burgeoning crowd, eager to find the kiosk and confront Palisade. Autolycus was able to find the crusty, old man at the edge of the market square. The thief's anger momentarily bristled when he saw Palisade, but then he reminded himself that he was only a fence, and probably had no idea what had transpired earlier in the day. Besides, Autolycus had to put on his charm to get the information he wanted out of Palisade. Autolycus approached the kiosk from the side and laid an elbow on the kiosk's railing. He leaned into the kiosk. Autolycus could see one of Yong Dong Po's silver candlesticks peaking out from under the blanket that used to be on the oriental man's bed. It was one that he had been polishing only hours before. Palisade looked up and noticed the thief. "Remember me?" Autolycus asked. "Autolycus, long time, no see," Palisade said, surprised to see the thief. "I heard that you are out of the business." Autolycus looked at his nails as if unconcerned. "I was taking a short hiatus. Sorry, I guess I forgot to tell you." Palisade thought that Autolycus wanted to fence something, so he added, "Well, I'm fully stocked on my inventory. Can`t take any more." Autolycus patted his vest. The secret pockets that were normally full of items stolen or palmed were empty. "That's okay, I'm a little deplete of appropriated items, anyway. I'm looking information right now, for a thief that stole some candlesticks. Rumor has it, he fenced them through you." The crusty, old man eyed Autolycus critically, "You turn bounty hunter or something? I don't know what you're talking about." Autolycus quickly reached over and grabbed the candlestick from under the blanket. He brought the candlestick up and was tempted to thwack Palisade with it, but that would not give him the answer he wanted. Instead, he controlled his emotion. "Bounty hunter, yeah," Autolycus snorted derisively and said, "Is sarcasm just another service you offer?" knowing that in essence he had become a bounty hunter; no less sanctimonious than Hercules or Iolaus had been when they tried to capture him. He hated comparing himself to the two goody two-shoes. "Come on, Palisade. Don't fence me in. I know you know who sold you this candlestick. Give me his name, or where I can find him, and I'll forget I even had this conversation." "Why do you want to know?" The old man questioned. "Call it a personal matter." Autolycus said. Over the years, Autolycus had gotten enough ribbing at the Thieves' Guild for his pseudo-friendship with Iolaus and Hercules. He didn't want the fence to know he was friends with the candlestick maker and that he was trying to avenge his death; that may well spoil the reputation the self-serving thief had tried to build up for so many years. "Let's just say, this thief has taken my title, `King of Thieves' and I want it back. "Oh," Palisade declared. He had heard of the competition to claim the title of King of Thieves. In the world of thieves, it was quite a prestigious title, and he would expect Autolycus, the man that had held the title for so long would want it back. But the information would cost the former King of Thieves. Palisade held his hand out and rubbed his thumb between his middle and fore figure, signaling he expected to be paid for the information. Autolycus quickly reached in to a pocket on the inside of his waist band, but forgot he had no money. He had been working as a merchant for a year. Yong Dong Po paid him what he could, but neither candlestick maker, nor assistant made much money. "I'll have to owe you. I'm good for it, after all, I am the King of Thieves," Autolycus said in his usual bravado, brushing his mustache with his hand. "Were the King of Thieves." Palisade answered, ostensibly insulted that Autolycus would think he would give any information for free. "Frankly, right now, you're nothing. No, worst than nothing. No more significant than the two heroes you hang around with. What are their names: Hercules and Iolaus?" "Why, you..." Autolycus said as he drew his fist back to punch the mealy-mouth fence. For his life Autolycus had struggled to become somebody. He grew up a poor kid, with no father and mother. His brother's time was spent farming, barely scraping out an existence. And then he was murdered, leaving Autolycus alone, and to fend for himself. As a young adult, Autolycus fought with the magistrate to bring his brother's murderer to justice, but when the authorities did nothing, he stole from the merchant, delivering the only kind of justice he knew. Because of that act, or perhaps in spite of it, he soon became someone: the self-titled King of Thieves. And the exalted title brought Autolycus closer to being a somebody than he had ever been before. One blow to the head suddenly changed the King of Thieves' status and Palisade calling him a nobody finally pushed Autolycus to take action. _______________________ Iolaus traveled in the same direction he saw Autolycus retreating. Concerned that he lost the wily King of Thieves, his hope was soon renewed when he saw the bloody short sword on the ground. Iolaus knew he was traveling in the right direction. He continued to follow the path that led toward the market square, and through the crowd, he saw Autolycus leaning over the kiosk of the local farm implements dealer. Autolycus had a silver candlestick in his hand and looked like he was very much ready to use it on the old man behind the kiosk. The partner to Hercules finally understood why Autolycus suddenly fled the candlestick maker's shop. The King of Thieves must have figured out who had fenced Yong Dong Po's merchandise. Iolaus and Hercules had been pursuing this thief, who seemed to wreck havoc on the cities of Corinth and Thebes, for almost a year. No thief, not even Autolycus, had ever been so proficient at making his escape, and finally, Iolaus understood why. The thief and the fence must have been in collusion with each other, elaborately planning and executing the thefts. Immediately after the robberies, the fence would be ready to acquire the stolen goods, pay the thief a small amount of what the merchandise was worth, and then sell the items for profit. The thief had the stolen items for only minutes before he would unload it. It was the reason Hercules and Iolaus could never catch the thief. But Autolycus could, since he had bumped into the thief and had stolen the one item that would have linked him to the theft of the candlestick maker's shop, and possibly Yong Dong Po's murder - his jade ring. Iolaus quickened his pace when he watched Autolycus grab the old man by his collar, drop the candlestick and close his fist. And then Autolycus pulled the fence toward him and punched his face, before he propelled himself over the kiosk. Iolaus ran into the interior of the kiosk just as Autolycus was about to punch the man again. "Talk about straddling the fence," Iolaus said as he pulled Autolycus off Palisade. "I knew you were in cahoots with Iolaus and Hercules," Palisade said when he saw Iolaus run up. He wiped the blood from his mouth. With the taller man firmly in the shorter man's grip, Autolycus whispered to Iolaus. "Now's not the time to play `good thief/bad thief'. I almost had what I was looking for." "You almost had a black eye. And, I'm not playing, Autolycus." Iolaus said and then he turned to Palisade, "Tell the man what he wants to know or Hercules and I will get involved. And if we do, the purpose of your life will be ONLY to serve as a warning to others." He knew Iolaus would not make an idle treat, "Fine," he said as he got up from the ground. "His name is Clydus. You can find him in Hermes Temple." "Hermes' temple?" Iolaus said as Autolycus picked up the candlestick and then moved away from the kiosk. "A tavern and inn for travelers," Autolycus said to Iolaus. He turned down another path and doggedly continued to the tavern. His stride was long and determined, and Iolaus had a hard time keeping up with him. After minutes of silence, Autolycus broke it by saying, "He didn't have to do this, Iolaus. He didn't have to murder him." Autolycus was fighting the urge to obliterate everything within his path. The pain of his youth and his brother's death were rekindled, and that, paired with the useless murder of a kind, old, friend created a situation where Autolycus felt out of control. He desperately wanted Iolaus to talk some sense into him. "I'm going to find him Iolaus, and when I do..." "You're going to let the law handle it. The right way." "Yeah." Autolycus laughed derisively. "I let the law handle my brother's murder, and look what happened? I don't trust them to do the right thing." "Do you trust Hercules?" Iolaus said. Autolycus gave him a scowl, as if he didn't want to involve Hercules in the current circumstances. Still, Iolaus pressed on, feeling that Hercules could help to bring Yong Dong Po`s killer to the justice Autolycus was seeking. "Why don't we talk to him. It's on the way. He's still staying at Alcmene's. And, I know he'll want to help. Jason, too." Iolaus added in empathy, "He was my friend, too." Desperate to find the man who murdered Yong Dong Po, and to ensure justice came to him, Autolycus acquiesced. Soon, both men were walking up the path to Alcmene's house. Hercules was already outside, repairing the rock wall, so he met Iolaus and Autolycus at the end of the path. "Iolaus," he said as he greeted his partner warmly. Hercules held out his hand to Autolycus for a warrior's handshake. "And you are?" "Don't bother," Iolaus said, "Autolycus has his memory back." "Oh, good." Hercules said suddenly at a loss for words. He withdrew his hand and said, "Well, then, it's good to have you back." Uncharacteristically Autolycus said, "I need a favor," without giving a biting comeback, "What kind of favor," Hercules asked with suspicion. Inside Alcmene's house Iolaus told Hercules and Jason what had transpired in the candlestick maker's shop, and how Autolycus had discovered the murderer's identity. "Well, let's go!" Jason said as he heard the story. If any fight was worth fighting, he felt certain that this was it. And, his concern over Alcmene fueled his desire to help. ______________________________________ The four men soon arrived at the tavern the thieves called Hermes' Temple. Hermes was the patron god to travelers and as well as thieves, and therefore the thieves felt safe within the confines of this tavern, or a safe-house as it was called. But even Hermes frowned upon the nefarious crooks mingling with innocent travelers, so the thieves had a special section of the tavern to hole-up in and a secret password. Autolycus had used the safe-house only once, when he was sixteen, and over the years, he wasn't sure if he would remember the password. As Hercules stepped in to enter the tavern, Autolycus stopped him. "Do you want to blow this operation, Big Guy?" Autolycus admonished. "What do you mean?" "You and Shorty aren't exactly strangers to the thieves, you know." "Oh, yeah," Iolaus said, knowing they had been pursuing all the pickpocketers and pilferers in Corinth for almost a year. "Here's the plan." Autolycus said as if taking command. "You and Hercules go to the back and wait. I'm sure once the punches start to fly, some of the thieves will scatter like rats from a sewer," Autolycus then turned to Jason. "Jason and I will go through the front." Thinking through the rushed plan, Autolycus silently cursed, shaking his head in doubt. It wasn't the first time he wondered how well the plan would work. inviting some of the most recognized people in Corinth to a raid. Under his breath Autolycus muttered, "I'm just hoping none of the thieves will recognize the ex-King of Corinth." Responding, Jason shrugged his shoulders and smiled impishly. Autolycus and Jason walked into the inn as Hercules and Iolaus made their way around the back of the building. Autolycus casually walked to the back and then knocked on a door with a small hinged window in it. A burly man opened the small window. "What's the password?" he said. Autolycus opened his mouth and then closed it again as his memory failed him once more. He turned to Jason. "Let's see. It had something to do with a spice." Autolycus snapped his fingers as if that would help his memory, "`Open Tarragon', no that wasn't it." He thought some more, "`Open Coriander', no..." "Oh please," Jason said in irritation, "You'd think you thieves would have changed the password since the days of Ali Baba." By this time, the burly man had lost patience and had closed the window. Jason knocked on it and he opened it again. "What's the password?" he said to the new face in the window. "Open sesame," Jason said. The window to the door quickly closed, and Jason feared the two men were locked out after giving the wrong password twice. But then he heard the click of the locks from inside and the door opened. The plan had been for Autolycus and Jason to enter the safe-house and discreetly ask for Clydus. However, Jason was as well known to thieves it appeared Hercules and Iolaus was, and as the ex-King of Corinth entered the safe-house, the word `RAID' echoed through the place. As Autolycus expected, some of the thieves ran toward the back exit, where Hercules and Iolaus were waiting. The door exploded open with several thieves, so Iolaus and Hercules fought to stop their escape. Hercules pulled his massive arms up from his sides and allowed the escaping thieves to conveniently to run into them. They connected to the forearms with such force that they were flung backward and into the building wall, taking a few other thieves with them. Iolaus turned as one thief ran by him and then using his leg, swept the man off of his. He bent down as another thief exited the building, allowing him to fall over his back. The second thief then landed on the first, and coins and jewelry spilled out of one of his pockets and onto the ground. Jason downed the first thief inside the safe-house with a quick one/two punch. He was turning around when another thief grabbed him from behind. Fond of wrestling, Jason gripped his hands around the man's forearms, and bent over carrying the thief with him on his back, and then over his back and onto the floor with a thud. Silverware and wrist dials fell onto the floor with him. Autolycus walked inside the room, looking right and left trying to find Clydus. He saw a man fitting the general description of the man he bumped in to earlier in the day. The thief was sneaking his way out of the door in which Autolycus and Jason had just entered. "Clydus," Autolycus yelled and when the man turned around, Autolycus knew he had the right thief. Autolycus immediately ran toward Clydus and was able to catch up with him - almost. The man was already through the door when, in a impulsive attempt to reach Clydus, Autolycus leapt toward the thief and murderer. As Autolycus was falling to the ground, he reached out and found the wrist of Clydus and grabbed it. The movement created a jerking motion; just such a motion needed for the holdout device hidden under Clydus' tunic to enable. A grappling hook fell to the ground and in front of the King of Thieves' surprised face. Autolycus recognized the grappling hook. It was his - stolen about a year ago. "Why you little thief," Autolycus said as he grabbed the grapple, letting Clydus escape. Getting up, Autolycus opened the tines, let the lead rope fall from his hand. Autolycus swung the grappling hook toward Clydus. It caught the inside of the escaping thief's pants, ripping the leather, but holding firm as Autolycus worked to reel the fighting thief toward him. More thieves escaped from the back of the building, but both Hercules and Iolaus were preoccupied with other criminals to do much. His attention distracted by the fleeing thieves, Iolaus turned, allowing the thief he was fighting to head-butt Iolaus in the stomach. But his inattention was not without rewards, Iolaus saw that reinforcements were on their way. Guards, in the colors of Iphicles' army were approaching Hermes Temple from all sides. "How'd they get here?" Iolaus asked. Hercules turned around, "I think they ran," he said. And with the thief he had firmly gripped in his hand, Hercules used him to whack another thief running out of the safe-house. Inside the inn, Iphicles' men were pouring into the room in the back, but not before they carefully stepped over one man in the doorframe hog-tying another man with a grappling hook. Autolycus had Clydus on the ground and was practically sitting on the thief as he searched the thief's tunic for other items he had stolen. In several secret pockets, Autolycus found and pulled out his grappling line and his set of lock picks. When he was satisfied he found all of the items that were his, he allowed one of Iphicles' guards to take possession of Clydus. With the guards taking the matter of apprehending all of the thieves well in hand, Iolaus and Hercules walked in and stood next to Jason. "So Jason, tell me. How'd Iphicles' guards know to come here?" Hercules said. "I thought we might need some backup, so before we left, I asked Alcmene to enlist the help of your brother." "I'm glad you did. Who knew Corinth has so many thieves." "You know, Hercules, with the stolen items we've collected, we can link almost all of the thieves here with a theft." Iolaus said. "Except Autolycus," Hercules added as the three men looked toward the man that had lead them there. In a corner, Autolycus was reclaiming his possessions, placing each in the secret pouch he had long ago designated for them. With all of his items safely tucked away, Autolycus felt like the King of Thieves again. He watched alone as a myriad of thieves were being escorted out of the safe-house, but moved forward when Clydus was being escorted out. "Wait. I'm not done with him, yet." Autolycus said as the man was paraded in front of the King of Thieves. The guards stopped. Autolycus stood in front of Clydus. "Why'd you do it. Why'd you kill the candlestick maker?" "He got in my way...." Clydus spat, "...of everything." Autolycus stepped back, as if he was going to let Clydus go, but before the guards could step forward, Autolycus drew his fist out and punched Clydus in the mouth. Autolycus was angered at the callousness of the statement and the total waste of life it precipitated. It felt good to punch him; however Autolycus did not want the three men watching him to know his real feelings, so Autolycus proclaimed, "And that's for stealing my grappling hook." Iolaus knew better. He knew how much Autolycus cared for Yong Dong Po, and how driven he was to find the killer. He smiled in silence, wanting to punch Clydus himself, but content that Autolycus had the chance to do it. "Well, look at it this way," Jason said, "With all the thieves rounded up, we're giving Autolycus a good chance to regain his title: King of Thieves." "You know what, Jason," Iolaus said, "I don't care. I'd rather have Autolycus as the King of Thieves, any day." The three men walked out of Hermes Temple. After a year of protecting Corinth from the thieves that had plagued it, they knew the city was safer with Autolycus holding the title of King of Thieves. The life of all of them could go forward, as it was, perfect in the past. THE END   Please post a comment on this story.