phrase 'anxiety and discomfort,' knowing well it was the standard Common translation of a T'cherian phrase that signified the mental and emotional upset that preceded severe physical damage.
'No!' the T'cherian cried out. Vandien felt it actually touch his hand with its pincers. 'Take away this family token of yours, Human. Your willingness to offer it is enough! I will not require it of you! You may rent my team from me. Your display of integrity has touched me. I shall not ask advance coin of you.'
Vandien stared at the T'cherian, and quickly replaced his ring on his finger. He struck a new pose. Crossing his arms over his chest approximated a humbled T'cherian. 'You overwhelm me, sir! I cannot accept this generosity. I see that those who do business with you must protect you from your own courtesy. I have little to offer you, but some token of mine you must keep. I demand that you ask something of me! Anything!'
'Anything?' the T'cherian repeated, as if in wonder.
Vandien leaped gladly into the trap. Anything! I promise to entrust you with it.'
'I hesitate to ask it.'
'I demand that you ask it!'
'Your crystal, Human. Entrust it to me as I entrust my team to you.'
A look of dismay crept over Vandien's face. He clutched at the crystal hidden in his sash. His shoulders slumped as he let his hands fall to the sides of his body. 'I told you to ask,' he said, speaking so softly that the T'cherian swayed closer to hear. Vandien gave a soft laugh, and shook his head over his own simplicity. 'Well is it said, The courtesy of a T'cherian is matched only by his shrewdness. I demanded that you ask, and you have. Never did I consider that this would be your request. My peace, my sanctuary from the insanity of this world. And yet...' Vandien reached into his sash and slowly withdrew the grey-wrapped crystal. 'I am a being of my word.'
He extended the wrapped crystal to the T'cherian, whose pincers instantly closed on it. Web Shell unwrapped it swiftly while Vandien marvelled at his dexterity. Quivering mandibles closed on the crystal. Slender cilia appeared and caressed the crystal, ascertaining its quality. The T'cherian's eye stalks began to sag gently. Vandien smiled. It was an excellent crystal. An itinerant trader he met near Kelso had offered it in exchange for three measures of salt. Kelso had no T'cherian population. As trade goods, the crystals had value only to a T'cherian. None of the other sentient populations had any use for them. But no T'cherian believed that.
Quickly Vandien began to ask pertinent questions about what commands this team responded to. He made arrangements for the time and place of their return. The T'cherian gave dreamy replies. By the time Vandien picked up a slender prod and moved the team off, the T'cherian was swaying softly to the silent music of his own harmonious visions. His cilia vibrated around the crystal in his mandibles.
One of his small coins brought Vandien a large dark loaf at the pastry stall. He would have preferred the greenish T'cherian bread, but knew that he would travel farther on the grain one. The large flat feet of his team stirred up great poufs of dust as they moved down the street. After a few efforts at stirring them to greater speed, Vandien became resigned to a leisurely stroll. He slackened his pace and turned his thoughts to False Harbor. Even at this speed it was no more than four days away. He would be there in plenty of time to try.
And if he succeeded? Fear and hope swirled in him. He rubbed irritably at the scar on his face. It was stiff and numb under his fingers. Was it only vanity to wish it was gone? Was he a fool to believe Srolan? Yes, and yes, his fear nagged him. And that was why he had not told Ki what he'd been offered. Because his own eagerness shamed him. He hated to imagine how Ki would perceive it; Ki, for whose sake he had taken the scar. He brooded on it, trudging along behind the dawdling skeel.
And yet... his quick nature flipped his
'No!' the T'cherian cried out. Vandien felt it actually touch his hand with its pincers. 'Take away this family token of yours, Human. Your willingness to offer it is enough! I will not require it of you! You may rent my team from me. Your display of integrity has touched me. I shall not ask advance coin of you.'
Vandien stared at the T'cherian, and quickly replaced his ring on his finger. He struck a new pose. Crossing his arms over his chest approximated a humbled T'cherian. 'You overwhelm me, sir! I cannot accept this generosity. I see that those who do business with you must protect you from your own courtesy. I have little to offer you, but some token of mine you must keep. I demand that you ask something of me! Anything!'
'Anything?' the T'cherian repeated, as if in wonder.
Vandien leaped gladly into the trap. Anything! I promise to entrust you with it.'
'I hesitate to ask it.'
'I demand that you ask it!'
'Your crystal, Human. Entrust it to me as I entrust my team to you.'
A look of dismay crept over Vandien's face. He clutched at the crystal hidden in his sash. His shoulders slumped as he let his hands fall to the sides of his body. 'I told you to ask,' he said, speaking so softly that the T'cherian swayed closer to hear. Vandien gave a soft laugh, and shook his head over his own simplicity. 'Well is it said, The courtesy of a T'cherian is matched only by his shrewdness. I demanded that you ask, and you have. Never did I consider that this would be your request. My peace, my sanctuary from the insanity of this world. And yet...' Vandien reached into his sash and slowly withdrew the grey-wrapped crystal. 'I am a being of my word.'
He extended the wrapped crystal to the T'cherian, whose pincers instantly closed on it. Web Shell unwrapped it swiftly while Vandien marvelled at his dexterity. Quivering mandibles closed on the crystal. Slender cilia appeared and caressed the crystal, ascertaining its quality. The T'cherian's eye stalks began to sag gently. Vandien smiled. It was an excellent crystal. An itinerant trader he met near Kelso had offered it in exchange for three measures of salt. Kelso had no T'cherian population. As trade goods, the crystals had value only to a T'cherian. None of the other sentient populations had any use for them. But no T'cherian believed that.
Quickly Vandien began to ask pertinent questions about what commands this team responded to. He made arrangements for the time and place of their return. The T'cherian gave dreamy replies. By the time Vandien picked up a slender prod and moved the team off, the T'cherian was swaying softly to the silent music of his own harmonious visions. His cilia vibrated around the crystal in his mandibles.
One of his small coins brought Vandien a large dark loaf at the pastry stall. He would have preferred the greenish T'cherian bread, but knew that he would travel farther on the grain one. The large flat feet of his team stirred up great poufs of dust as they moved down the street. After a few efforts at stirring them to greater speed, Vandien became resigned to a leisurely stroll. He slackened his pace and turned his thoughts to False Harbor. Even at this speed it was no more than four days away. He would be there in plenty of time to try.
And if he succeeded? Fear and hope swirled in him. He rubbed irritably at the scar on his face. It was stiff and numb under his fingers. Was it only vanity to wish it was gone? Was he a fool to believe Srolan? Yes, and yes, his fear nagged him. And that was why he had not told Ki what he'd been offered. Because his own eagerness shamed him. He hated to imagine how Ki would perceive it; Ki, for whose sake he had taken the scar. He brooded on it, trudging along behind the dawdling skeel.
And yet... his quick nature flipped his
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