Page 71 of Swordheart
“It doesn’t help that you say, ‘Is that your best price?’” like you’re about to beat them over the head,” the Dervish had told him once. “Threats of bodily harm lower the price once. After that, they just make people stubborn.”
Halla, of course, did not threaten anyone with bodily harm. She just asked questions. Very… pointed… questions. And then the questions led to anecdotes.
“Oh, where is this from? And what’s the thread made of? Really! And how long ago was that? I see. This dye is so lovely, but is it waterproof? Are you sure? Because my cousin had a batch almost this color—not as nice, though, yours is better—and the first time she wore it in the rain, she looked like she’d got gangrene. I mean, she did actually get gangrene later when the ox bit her, but that wasn’t related to the fabric. Her forearm got all oozy. It was terrible. The smell, too. The leeches couldn’t do anything. The Temple of the Four-Faced God did their best, but you know how it is when you take off a limb, everything’s very touch and go. She made a full recovery, though! Well, except for the arm. Obviouslythatdidn’t recover. But it hardly slows her down at all. Can’t wear this color at all, though, says it brings back bad memories. Do you have anything like that in brown?”
By the end of this recitation, the shopkeeper was just staring at her with a stunned expression. Sarkis didn’t know how much of a discount Halla got on that deal, but she walked away with a brown gown and a pleased expression.
“Do you evenhavea cousin?” he asked under his breath.
“Only on Alver’s side, and I wouldn’t care if he got gangrene clear up to his nose.”
“You made all that up?”
“Heh. You should see me get a deal on candles. I’ve got a story about a house fire that’ll curl your nose hair.”
“Does that work?”
“Only on people who haven’t heard it before. Most of the people in Rutger’s Howe know me, of course. I had to save it for traveling merchants.” She smiled slyly, an expression that he wouldn’t have thought Halla could manage. “Not that I didn’t pull it out occasionally back home, mind you.”
Sarkis shook his head, remembering what Halla had said when they met the priests of the Hanged Mother.Nobody kills stupid women, they just kick them out of the way.
His own survival strategies had mostly involved putting a sword into the enemy before the enemy put one in him, but if you didn’t have that option, presumably you learned to adapt.
Halla certainly held her own with the merchants. The man who sold socks even tried to flirt with her. Sarkis was fairly certain that Halla didn’t realize this, but it was hard to tell how much was an act and how much was just… well…Halla.
After the third or fourth statement about how a well-turned ankle deserved a well-turned heel, Sarkis stepped forward and looked at the man very hard. The man turned slightly gray, pressed the socks into Halla’s hands, and finished his business with admirable speed.
“That was odd,” murmured Halla, as they walked away. “Do you think I did something to upset him?”
Sarkis grunted. “Don’t know. Do you have anything else you need to purchase?”
“No, this should cover everything for the trip back.” She looked over at him. “Doyouneed anything?”
“I have not needed anything for hundreds of years.”
“Well, fine, have youwantedanything?”
Sarkis knew she meant equipment for the road—extra socks or scissors or spices, something of the sort that people carried when they travel—but it still took him a moment to quell his immediate thought.
“Nothing they sell at the market,” he said. Halla nodded, apparently taking that statement at face value, and he wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed.
CHAPTER 23
They stayed at a hostel near the temple. The accommodations were minimalist and Sarkis did not care for the lack of security, but it was free to petitioners of the Rat waiting on the Temple’s response.And as we are all staying ten to a room, even if I do begin to have foolish thoughts, I certainly cannot act on them.
There was some slight difficulty as the hostelkeeper wished to put Halla in the women’s wing and Sarkis in the men’s. Sarkis folded his arms and glared at the woman. She was a nun, so she folded her arms and glared right back.
They might have stood there until the air ignited from the force of the glaring, but Halla said, “Look, I’ll sleep with the sword right next to me,” and elbowed Sarkis in the ribs.
He grumbled. “You will use it at the first sign of trouble.”
“I promise.”
He suffered the nun to lead him away.
I truly hope she does not decide to go to a nunnery when all this is over. I will probably get her thrown out for arguing with the nuns, if she does not get herself thrown out for questioning them.
Also, it would be a terrible waste of good breas—
