Edgedancer

Lift had never robbed a palace before, seemed like a dangerous thing to try. Not because she might get caught, but because once you robbed a starving palace, where did you go next? She climbed up onto the outer wall and looked in at the grounds. Everything inside—trees, rocks, buildings—reflected the starlight in an odd way. A bulbous-looking building stuck up in the middle of it all, like a bubble on a pond. In fact, most of the buildings were that same round shape, often with small protrusions sprouting out of the top. There wasn't a straight line in the whole starvin' place—just lots and lots of curves. Lift's companions climbed up to peek over the top of the wall. A scuffling, scrambling, rowdy mess they were. Six men—supposedly master thieves—they couldn't even climb a wall properly. The Bronze Palace itself, Hooken breathed. Bronze? Is that what everything is made of? Lift asked, sitting on the wall with one leg over the side. Looks like a bunch of breasts. The men looked at her, aghast. They were all azish, with dark skin and hair. She was Reshi, from the islands up north. Her mother had told her that, though Lift had never seen the place. What? Hooken demanded. Breasts, Lift said, pointing. See? Like a lady layin' on her back. Those points on the tops are nipples. Who built this place must have been single for a long time. Hooken turned to one of his companions. Using their ropes, they scuttled back down the outside of the wall to hold a whispered conference.