everywhere, mostly fashioned for humans but plenty for other races as well.”
“Good eye, I noticed the same thing, which is good. The question is, what can we do with a hold full of sandals?” Nathan started over to talk to Zantril. “Think about it, we'll talk more later.” Remi followed.
“ Captain Danielsss,” Zantril greeted Nathan as they walked up. “Word is you have some Halifren gemsss you are wisshing to sssell.”
“ That's right, Zantril,” Nathan replied. “Three hundred of them for you, if the price is right.”
The lizard's eyes looked around independently, and his tongue darted out, grabbing an insect between Nathan and Remi's heads. “I'll give you three hundred thousand for the whole ssshipment,” Zantril said.
“Zantril, Zantril,” Nathan shook his head. “Floyd said you were offering the best price, but there is a lizard over there...” Nathan pointed to his left, “about four hundred meters who said he'd give me three ten, plus he was willing to cover the import tariffs. We all know there's a bit of a shortage on. so you've got to do better.”
The lizard mulled it over. “Three forty-five, but you pay the tariffs,” Zantril's tongue lashed out again.
“Three fifty and you've got yourself some gems.” The lizard nodded and the pair made arrangements for the pick up later that evening, after the market had closed.
When they were out of earshot Remi spoke up. “Nathan, the best offer we had was three hundred, 'no tariffs.'”
“Exactly, but the fact that we got the same offer from two merchants other than Zantril meant there was a good chance he wouldn't call my bluff on the three ten price, and if he had, we wouldn't have been any worse off.”
“ But what about Zantril?”
“ Remi, a merchant who has been in business as long as Zantril doesn't pay more than he can afford for anything. The trick is getting them to pay just as much as they can afford.” The pair came to an abrupt halt, as three burly lizards with various weapons blocked their path. Moments later they were surrounded by Ixlar and eleven others.
“ Well, it looks like he delivered at least half of your message.” Remi said conspiratorially.
“ How's that?” Nathan asked.
“ There's more than one stooge with a cheap gun.” Nathan couldn't help but give her a half-smile.
As the pair were led away, no one noticed the shadowy figure that followed them.
* * *
Omany had taken less than an hour to re-provision the ship. With that complete, he decided his duties as Princess Remini's protector required he do more. He took up a position unseen outside the tavern, and waited for Nathan and the Princess to come out. He didn't want the captain to think he wasn't trusted to take care of Remini, so he just waited and waited.
Omany watched as a Rhadasian with a gun and filled with confidence, entered the tavern. He noticed a few minutes later when the same lizard, weaponless and noticeably defeated, scurried out of the tavern and was quickly lost in the crowd.
'That can't be a good thing,' Omany thought.
When Nathan and the Princess finally left the tavern, Omany followed them, keeping his distance and blending into the crowd as much as possible for a human. He facilitated this by thinking and moving like the Rhadasians. That, combined with the fact that Nathan and the Princess were engrossed in the goings on of this marketplace, allowed him to go unnoticed by his quarry.
As he was following the pair, Omany noticed he wasn't the only one. The lizard that had left the tavern humiliated appeared when they were halfway through the market. Watching the movements of the people there, Omany could see that the lizard was directing nearly a dozen others.
By the time the captain and the Princess stopped at the final gem seller’s, it was obvious there was going to be an ambush. It was equally obvious to Omany that there wasn't anything he could do
“Good eye, I noticed the same thing, which is good. The question is, what can we do with a hold full of sandals?” Nathan started over to talk to Zantril. “Think about it, we'll talk more later.” Remi followed.
“ Captain Danielsss,” Zantril greeted Nathan as they walked up. “Word is you have some Halifren gemsss you are wisshing to sssell.”
“ That's right, Zantril,” Nathan replied. “Three hundred of them for you, if the price is right.”
The lizard's eyes looked around independently, and his tongue darted out, grabbing an insect between Nathan and Remi's heads. “I'll give you three hundred thousand for the whole ssshipment,” Zantril said.
“Zantril, Zantril,” Nathan shook his head. “Floyd said you were offering the best price, but there is a lizard over there...” Nathan pointed to his left, “about four hundred meters who said he'd give me three ten, plus he was willing to cover the import tariffs. We all know there's a bit of a shortage on. so you've got to do better.”
The lizard mulled it over. “Three forty-five, but you pay the tariffs,” Zantril's tongue lashed out again.
“Three fifty and you've got yourself some gems.” The lizard nodded and the pair made arrangements for the pick up later that evening, after the market had closed.
When they were out of earshot Remi spoke up. “Nathan, the best offer we had was three hundred, 'no tariffs.'”
“Exactly, but the fact that we got the same offer from two merchants other than Zantril meant there was a good chance he wouldn't call my bluff on the three ten price, and if he had, we wouldn't have been any worse off.”
“ But what about Zantril?”
“ Remi, a merchant who has been in business as long as Zantril doesn't pay more than he can afford for anything. The trick is getting them to pay just as much as they can afford.” The pair came to an abrupt halt, as three burly lizards with various weapons blocked their path. Moments later they were surrounded by Ixlar and eleven others.
“ Well, it looks like he delivered at least half of your message.” Remi said conspiratorially.
“ How's that?” Nathan asked.
“ There's more than one stooge with a cheap gun.” Nathan couldn't help but give her a half-smile.
As the pair were led away, no one noticed the shadowy figure that followed them.
* * *
Omany had taken less than an hour to re-provision the ship. With that complete, he decided his duties as Princess Remini's protector required he do more. He took up a position unseen outside the tavern, and waited for Nathan and the Princess to come out. He didn't want the captain to think he wasn't trusted to take care of Remini, so he just waited and waited.
Omany watched as a Rhadasian with a gun and filled with confidence, entered the tavern. He noticed a few minutes later when the same lizard, weaponless and noticeably defeated, scurried out of the tavern and was quickly lost in the crowd.
'That can't be a good thing,' Omany thought.
When Nathan and the Princess finally left the tavern, Omany followed them, keeping his distance and blending into the crowd as much as possible for a human. He facilitated this by thinking and moving like the Rhadasians. That, combined with the fact that Nathan and the Princess were engrossed in the goings on of this marketplace, allowed him to go unnoticed by his quarry.
As he was following the pair, Omany noticed he wasn't the only one. The lizard that had left the tavern humiliated appeared when they were halfway through the market. Watching the movements of the people there, Omany could see that the lizard was directing nearly a dozen others.
By the time the captain and the Princess stopped at the final gem seller’s, it was obvious there was going to be an ambush. It was equally obvious to Omany that there wasn't anything he could do
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