Anton paused in his preparations long enough to look up. "I have," he said, "but unfortunately all of them have learned rather quickly that I do not injure others for personal reasons. Some of them know something, no doubt, and would rather pretend ignorance than send me after someone whom I might well injure to recover my property."

It was frustrating and somehow unexpected. The Hotel's integrity was built upon Anton's reputation and while the gangs were a quick and effective means of establishing that reputation here in Keeliai, Keeliai still did not have the foundation of the reputation built during the war. Anton couldn't bluff or intimidate hardened gang-members into telling him what he wanted to know when they knew the nature of his honour untainted by knowledge of the gist.

Kedan were family-oriented. Not even the gangs wanted to give someone like Anton reason to do harm to them. Not when they knew he wouldn't harm them for choosing to protect their own.