a lot harder to come by. He wants to get as much as he can from me, and I want to spend as little as possible. So he’s going to try his best to wring every last cent out of me.”
“And you’re going to do everything you can to make him lower the price?”
Carter nodded. Silvia smiled, turning her eyes back to the clothes in front of her.
It’s a shame, really. Had she been born on the surface, she would have made an incredible trader.
“Okay!” the shop clerk announced, carrying a lump of fabric under each arm. “These two coats should be in a traveling merchant’s price range. Both have been field tested, of course, and are guaranteed to keep you warm on those cold nights.”
Carter walked back to the counter and inspected the coats. They were older, one grey and one black. Slipping on the larger of the two, he tossed the other to Silvia.
“What do you think, Silvia?”
“Sir, did you say it would keep us warm ‘on those cold nights’?”
The clerk smiled at Silvia as if she were a lost puppy. “That’s right, miss,” he said. “I guarantee it.”
“Still, I doubt it would keep me dry, correct?”
The clerk’s smile immediately vanished. Carter, equally surprised, glanced over to his companion. She stared innocently at the pudgy little man, but the clerk looked wounded. Carter noted the man’s trembling hand as he wiped the sweat from his brow.
What is she getting at?
“I’m sorry, miss, I’m not exactly sure what you mean.”
Exaggerating her movements, Silvia moved away from the window, lifting her arm above her head. Pointing to her armpit, she stared at the clerk expectantly.
“Why, sir, there are rips here under the arms, and the patches on the inside are stitched so poorly they will surely come undone soon. Even if the coat itself is waterproof, it will surely leak where it’s ripped. Not only would the person wearing it get drenched to the bone, but their coat would surely mold as well.”
Coming to a rest next to Carter, Silvia pointed to the patch on his shoulder. “This coat is in a similar condition, too, is it not?”
The store clerk stood glued to his spot, utterly speechless. Carter suppressed a snicker. Pulling off his coat, he took Silvia’s and set both on the counter.
When your opponent is weak, go for the kill! No mercy!
“I’m sure it’s just a mistake, Silvia. Isn’t that right, sir?”
The clerk’s eyes flicked between Carter and his discarded wares. No doubt he would lunge at the opportunity to salvage the situation. A store owner’s reputation held more value than a traveling merchant’s. He couldn’t just pack up and leave when his name got sullied.
“A-a mistake? Yes, a mistake!” the man bumbled.
“It’s no matter, sir. Surely, you will rectify the situation.”
“Y-yes of course!” The man practically ran to the back room, looking more like a pig at the slaughter than a store clerk.
Silvia grinned, putting her hands on her hips.
“I’ll admit, I’m impressed,” Carter said. “You have quite the eye.”
“What’s that, a compliment? I thought I was nothing but a hole in your purse.”
The clerk scrambled back into the room, his face burning. Waddling forward, he handed new coats to each of them, bowing slightly. Giving it a once over, Carter slipped his on. It felt firm and stiff, seemingly brand new.
“It’s a nice fit.”
“It’s the best I have, sir.” The clerk wore a smile like a man about to be whipped.
“What do you think, Silvia?” Carter asked.
“Tis a perfect fit. Worthy of any traveler!”
The clerk sighed quietly, mopping the sweat from his forehead. “Shall we proceed to the lass’s clothing next, then?” he asked, glancing between Carter and Silvia.
“Sounds good.”
This time, instead of heading for the back room, the clerk walked to the front of the store and sifted through the piles of scattered clothing. Pulling out a long-sleeved shirt, a pair of black pants, and a sturdy set of traveling
“And you’re going to do everything you can to make him lower the price?”
Carter nodded. Silvia smiled, turning her eyes back to the clothes in front of her.
It’s a shame, really. Had she been born on the surface, she would have made an incredible trader.
“Okay!” the shop clerk announced, carrying a lump of fabric under each arm. “These two coats should be in a traveling merchant’s price range. Both have been field tested, of course, and are guaranteed to keep you warm on those cold nights.”
Carter walked back to the counter and inspected the coats. They were older, one grey and one black. Slipping on the larger of the two, he tossed the other to Silvia.
“What do you think, Silvia?”
“Sir, did you say it would keep us warm ‘on those cold nights’?”
The clerk smiled at Silvia as if she were a lost puppy. “That’s right, miss,” he said. “I guarantee it.”
“Still, I doubt it would keep me dry, correct?”
The clerk’s smile immediately vanished. Carter, equally surprised, glanced over to his companion. She stared innocently at the pudgy little man, but the clerk looked wounded. Carter noted the man’s trembling hand as he wiped the sweat from his brow.
What is she getting at?
“I’m sorry, miss, I’m not exactly sure what you mean.”
Exaggerating her movements, Silvia moved away from the window, lifting her arm above her head. Pointing to her armpit, she stared at the clerk expectantly.
“Why, sir, there are rips here under the arms, and the patches on the inside are stitched so poorly they will surely come undone soon. Even if the coat itself is waterproof, it will surely leak where it’s ripped. Not only would the person wearing it get drenched to the bone, but their coat would surely mold as well.”
Coming to a rest next to Carter, Silvia pointed to the patch on his shoulder. “This coat is in a similar condition, too, is it not?”
The store clerk stood glued to his spot, utterly speechless. Carter suppressed a snicker. Pulling off his coat, he took Silvia’s and set both on the counter.
When your opponent is weak, go for the kill! No mercy!
“I’m sure it’s just a mistake, Silvia. Isn’t that right, sir?”
The clerk’s eyes flicked between Carter and his discarded wares. No doubt he would lunge at the opportunity to salvage the situation. A store owner’s reputation held more value than a traveling merchant’s. He couldn’t just pack up and leave when his name got sullied.
“A-a mistake? Yes, a mistake!” the man bumbled.
“It’s no matter, sir. Surely, you will rectify the situation.”
“Y-yes of course!” The man practically ran to the back room, looking more like a pig at the slaughter than a store clerk.
Silvia grinned, putting her hands on her hips.
“I’ll admit, I’m impressed,” Carter said. “You have quite the eye.”
“What’s that, a compliment? I thought I was nothing but a hole in your purse.”
The clerk scrambled back into the room, his face burning. Waddling forward, he handed new coats to each of them, bowing slightly. Giving it a once over, Carter slipped his on. It felt firm and stiff, seemingly brand new.
“It’s a nice fit.”
“It’s the best I have, sir.” The clerk wore a smile like a man about to be whipped.
“What do you think, Silvia?” Carter asked.
“Tis a perfect fit. Worthy of any traveler!”
The clerk sighed quietly, mopping the sweat from his forehead. “Shall we proceed to the lass’s clothing next, then?” he asked, glancing between Carter and Silvia.
“Sounds good.”
This time, instead of heading for the back room, the clerk walked to the front of the store and sifted through the piles of scattered clothing. Pulling out a long-sleeved shirt, a pair of black pants, and a sturdy set of traveling
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