Character Analysis
Mr. Nice Guy?
Skeit first meets Las Bombas (claiming to be an alchemist named Mynheer Bloomsa), Mickle, and Theo in the town of Kessel. He passes himself off as an honest guy, returning a gold coin that Las Bombas drops and acting impressed by LB's pretentiousness. Check it out:
"Permit me"—the traveler popped his watery, pink-rimmed eyes at the count—"permit me to remark: I would hardly call gold of no account. My name is Skeit, alderman and corn merchant, and I assure you, sir, in my occupation I know the value of money."
"I, too," replied Las Bombas, with an appraising glance at the quality of the alderman's garb and the weight of the gold chain he wore as ornament. "To me, its value is precisely nothing."
"My good Mynheer," cried the alderman. "Bloomsa, was that the name I overheard? You amaze me." (6.8-12)
Las Bombas assumes Skeit is pretty dumb, so he tries to trick the alderman out of moolah—but the joke's on Las Bombas. Skeit is much smarter than he appears to be.
Smart Aleck
As it turns out, Skeit plays the player. When Las Bombas conducts an "experiment" designed to trick Skeit of his money, the clever alderman winds up with all the money (instead of LB), effectively fooling Las Bombas.
Skeit pops back in later in the book when it's revealed that he is a spy for Cabbarus. In fact, he realizes that Mickle—who resembles Princess Augusta in a sketch Theo leaves behind—could aid Cabbarus's schemes. Thinking she might be useful to Cabbarus, the ever-crafty Skeit brings the sketch to him. He's one observant guy, as you can see below:
"It's a matter of nose, sir," continued the self-styled alderman, tapping his own. "My nose told me there might be something of interest, though I didn't know what. I trust my nose, sir, and always follow it. This time, I fear it disappointed me. There was nothing worth mention. Except one thing. I took it along. Again I don't know why. The nose advised me, very likely." (19.46)
Using his authority from the evil Cabby, he has Las Bombas arrested with Mickle, Musket, and Theo, and brought to Cabby. But this time Las Bombas has the last laugh, since Mickle really is the princess. Ha.