waddled to the hearth, took up the pannikin and began ladling hot water into the tub.
"Well, it's good news for you right enough," she said. "There's two of 'em. They sell fine clothes to rich people, that's what. Clothes the like of that over there."
"Sell fine clothes?" Maia, ceasing for a moment her contemplation of the dress, turned, frowning in puzzlement, and looked at her mother. "I don't understand.
What are they doing here? They can't think to be selling such things to the likes of us. Anyway, where are they?"
"Oh-I reckon they're gone down to the lake for a bit of a cool-off," said Morca. "They'll be back soon, I expect, so you'd best just hurry, hadn't you?"
"Hurry? What d'you mean, hurry?" Then, petulantly, "Why can't you explain so's I c'n understand?"
"Yes, I should do, shouldn't I?" answered Morca. "Well, I said it was good news for you-all depending on whether you fancy it, I suppose. These men have come from Thet-tit, that's where, and their work's selling clothes the like of that to the sort of folk who can afford to buy them- the Governor and his captains and their ladies, I dare say. Seems they were in 'The Safe Moorings' yesterday and Frarnli told them you were near enough the prettiest girl in these parts. So they've just come out this morning to see for themselves, haven't they?"
"Come from Meerzat this morning? I never saw them on the road."
"Very like they might have gone by while you just happened to be
off
the road," replied Morca, putting down the pannikin and looking up at her sharply. Maia bit her lip and made no reply.
"You never heard tell the way fine clothes are sold?" went on her mother. "Dresses like that aren't sold in shops or markets, you know, like the soft of things
we
buy- raisins and pitch and that. Oh dear, no! The merchants who deal in these things take them to rich folks' houses in special covered carts like that one outside, and then show them privately, that's what they do."
"Well, what if they do?" retorted Maia, resentful of this instruction.
"When they go to the rich folks' houses, miss, they take a pretty girl with them, and the way of it is, she puts on the dresses so the rich folks and their wives-or maybe their shearnas, for all I know-can see the way they look when they're on, and whether they fancy them. Well," she added, as Maia stood staring at her with dawning comprehension, "d'you like the idea? There may be good pickings, I dare say. Anyway, they've waited a goodish time now to have a look at you."
"You mean-you mean they want
me
to do that kind of work?"
"Well, I'm telling you, aren't I?" snapped Morca. "That's
if they like the look of you, of course. Do it right and I dare say you might make more money than me or your step-father ever did-that's if you can keep yourself out of trouble. You'd best get stripped off and washed, my girl, that's what; and then into that dress-there's a silk shift goes with it, look, laid on the bed there-and then I'll call them in and you can ask them all your silly questions for yourself."
"But-but would I go on living here, or what? Does Tharrin know? He can't do, else he'd have said something-"
"AH I know is they spoke to Frarnli and then they came out here. If you don't fancy it, don't do it, Miss Particular. I dare say there's plenty of other girls'U jump at the chance; and the money, too." And thereupon Morca, shrugging her shoulders, sat down again, picked up the half-plucked fowl and began pulling out handfuls of feathers with an air of detachment.
Filled with nervous excitement and perplexity, Maia stood looking at the dvess with its pattern of big flowers like open, gazing eyes. In her fancy they became the eyes of the rich lords and their ladies, all staring at her as she paced slowly down the length of some great, stone hall- she'd heard tell of such places-in Thettit or Ikat Yelda-shay. There would be food and drink in plenty, no doubt- admiration-money-how was she to know? How would Tharrin come into
"Well, it's good news for you right enough," she said. "There's two of 'em. They sell fine clothes to rich people, that's what. Clothes the like of that over there."
"Sell fine clothes?" Maia, ceasing for a moment her contemplation of the dress, turned, frowning in puzzlement, and looked at her mother. "I don't understand.
What are they doing here? They can't think to be selling such things to the likes of us. Anyway, where are they?"
"Oh-I reckon they're gone down to the lake for a bit of a cool-off," said Morca. "They'll be back soon, I expect, so you'd best just hurry, hadn't you?"
"Hurry? What d'you mean, hurry?" Then, petulantly, "Why can't you explain so's I c'n understand?"
"Yes, I should do, shouldn't I?" answered Morca. "Well, I said it was good news for you-all depending on whether you fancy it, I suppose. These men have come from Thet-tit, that's where, and their work's selling clothes the like of that to the sort of folk who can afford to buy them- the Governor and his captains and their ladies, I dare say. Seems they were in 'The Safe Moorings' yesterday and Frarnli told them you were near enough the prettiest girl in these parts. So they've just come out this morning to see for themselves, haven't they?"
"Come from Meerzat this morning? I never saw them on the road."
"Very like they might have gone by while you just happened to be
off
the road," replied Morca, putting down the pannikin and looking up at her sharply. Maia bit her lip and made no reply.
"You never heard tell the way fine clothes are sold?" went on her mother. "Dresses like that aren't sold in shops or markets, you know, like the soft of things
we
buy- raisins and pitch and that. Oh dear, no! The merchants who deal in these things take them to rich folks' houses in special covered carts like that one outside, and then show them privately, that's what they do."
"Well, what if they do?" retorted Maia, resentful of this instruction.
"When they go to the rich folks' houses, miss, they take a pretty girl with them, and the way of it is, she puts on the dresses so the rich folks and their wives-or maybe their shearnas, for all I know-can see the way they look when they're on, and whether they fancy them. Well," she added, as Maia stood staring at her with dawning comprehension, "d'you like the idea? There may be good pickings, I dare say. Anyway, they've waited a goodish time now to have a look at you."
"You mean-you mean they want
me
to do that kind of work?"
"Well, I'm telling you, aren't I?" snapped Morca. "That's
if they like the look of you, of course. Do it right and I dare say you might make more money than me or your step-father ever did-that's if you can keep yourself out of trouble. You'd best get stripped off and washed, my girl, that's what; and then into that dress-there's a silk shift goes with it, look, laid on the bed there-and then I'll call them in and you can ask them all your silly questions for yourself."
"But-but would I go on living here, or what? Does Tharrin know? He can't do, else he'd have said something-"
"AH I know is they spoke to Frarnli and then they came out here. If you don't fancy it, don't do it, Miss Particular. I dare say there's plenty of other girls'U jump at the chance; and the money, too." And thereupon Morca, shrugging her shoulders, sat down again, picked up the half-plucked fowl and began pulling out handfuls of feathers with an air of detachment.
Filled with nervous excitement and perplexity, Maia stood looking at the dvess with its pattern of big flowers like open, gazing eyes. In her fancy they became the eyes of the rich lords and their ladies, all staring at her as she paced slowly down the length of some great, stone hall- she'd heard tell of such places-in Thettit or Ikat Yelda-shay. There would be food and drink in plenty, no doubt- admiration-money-how was she to know? How would Tharrin come into
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