CHAPTER XXVI Abridged
in which Haas gets arrested for drug trafficking and child abduction...
Before they can search for the Weaver, the gang learns that Zojak's window of opportunity for transporting them to Demargo. They make use of his teleport talents then walk their way to Veltin, the capitol of the area. There they meet with Akani as planned. She provides them some wares and fashions half a batch of dragonstones. The other half will take a day to make. In exchange, she wants the Silver Foxes to find out who is threatening her shop and stop them. She gives the group a mental image of the two extortionist. As it happens, the group is also tailed by a group of shifty looking people. They head over to the shifty side of town, track down their tale, and get the location of the man who's paying for intel on them.
Mouse infiltrates this drinking establishment, sells himself as the mercenary sort, and offers to give up Haas and her group. The plan works and the criminal gang finds the Silver Foxes waiting at another bar. Haas stands on a building opposite. Threats are made, but Haas stops them attacking, offering to go with the corrupt guards who charge her with the drug trafficking and child abduction that she actually helped prevent the Heretic from getting away with. Mouse manipulates and out drinks his handler. Then he regroups with the others. After Haas is marched off, the rest of the group confront the criminal gang.
The Silver Foxes make quick work of the criminals with their combination attacks. Ra'jira and Glad take out the head criminal and his chief underlings with electric evocation and an electric arrow. Eierryn confuses some people. And Krom and Mouse round up the stragglers. The criminals are tied up, at which point Glad and Krom interrogate them. They learn that this is an operation belonging to the Heretic, but laugh in the face of the underboss' warnings. They also note that one of the extortionists is present. After their interrogation, an odd man in a ragged cloak walks up from the onlookers and touches the underboss. The underboss dies mysteriously and instantly. The Silver Foxes turn on the intruder but he disappears as the onlooking crowd clears out in a hurry. The rest of the criminals run scared, while Glad scares the extortionist into permanently leaving the city. With no one around, Glad loots the nearby bar they originally drank at and pockets the robe that the teleporting death-touch guy left behind, against everyone's protestations.