Editing Malachi Rip (section)

=='''Background'''==
For as long as he could remember, Mal had been living by his wits on the streets. He never knew his parents, never felt that he needed any. He made friends easily - one needed all the allies one could get fighting for the scraps in the city gutter. When he got alittle older, he was recruited (pressed into service really) into a local gang that ran thievery, smuggling, and con rackets throughout the city. Here was where the young man picked up the skills any self-respecting thief or ruffian possessed. He continued running with the pack until they were wiped out one day in a all-out war with a rival gang. The moment came when Mal decided he would seek a livelihood that bequeathed more self-respect than that of a ruffian. Gathering together his meagre belongings, he set out for a life of adventure.