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THE QUEEN OF HAGGLE

I didn’t know what cities might have looked like before the Athrú Ash, the change back. It had happened over a century ago , when the king and his counsellors concluded that technology was detrimental to our existence. At that point, all traces of it were buried beneath Dragon’s Mountain in the capital city.

The stone and red-mud walls of Sunbasin looked several centuries old, but there were recent structures as well, as if its number of residents had doubled in the past decade or two. Since the sighting of the dragon, the population had likely multiplied again as people from the outlying territories had decided there might be safety in numbers.

Even in the middle of the night, people bumped into one another and seemed surprised that the passages didn’t accommodate everyone as they had a mere eight days before. Finding a safe place to sleep was out of the question, but luckily, I wouldn’t need sleep for another day or two. And the people I needed to find did their work at night…

Apprentices are invisible, Demius told me. Even with my stark colorless hair, most people and magical creatures saw my white robes as a sign that I was not yet worth much, and thus unworthy of their attention. Dusty robes meant I was even less than unworthy. So, Serpent Square was just the place for a nothing like me to skulk around unnoticed.

Wary souls watched me only until I passed, just to be sure I didn't steal something from them. If I robbed the next guy, they wouldn't care. I made eye contact when necessary—to offer assurance that I meant no harm. A nod here and there and I was forgotten.

I was careful not to turn my back on anyone nearby. Rather, I was the one sidling up behind others, listening to conversations, waiting for the mention of Telemond . It was known by many names—Time, Dragonflight, Star-chaser, etc. I knew it wouldn’t be long before I heard one of them. Those who peddled the stuff would be here. Those who purchased the same were fools to look elsewhere.

With the end so near, the thing most sought, after satisfying hungers, would be finding escape from the terror that had been festering in every heart for eight days now.

And that was where I had value.

I came across two men speaking about Time in a round-about way. “Not much time left.”

“Who knows? Maybe we can buy more .”

“What a miracle that would be.”

“Don’t need Moire to tell me how much I have. But the price is dear these days.”

“Show me.”

The two shuffled off to do their business away from prying eyes. I didn’t interrupt, because I needed not one vendor of the stuff, but many. So, of course, I followed. And as I walked, I slipped my arm out of one sleeve, put the strap of my satchel over my shoulder, then replaced my outer robe over it.

The pair turned corner after corner, moving from one alley to the next, through squares progressively smaller than the last, until they came through a close and into a small courtyard filled with a swirling mist that was more smoke than fog. Sitting or sprawled out on the ground were every type of person that had come down my gully through the years. Their eyes closed, their mouths slack, these were the lucky ones who had found their escape.

If the blue dragon appeared above their heads and unleashed all-consuming fire upon them, they would never know it.

Sitting above them, at individual tables along the far wall, smoking pipes of various shapes and sizes and bartering amongst themselves, were the motley overseers I’d been hoping to find. A third faction lounged and posed against the other three walls--body slaves, both male and female, dismissed me after a single glance. Even if I could pass for a man, my clothes told them I had no currency to offer for their services.

One woman, dressed as seductively as the body slaves, held court before a table covered in small parcels and glow stones. Our gazes met. She casually looked me over, but instead of dismissing me, her eyes narrowed.

I gave her a wink, then began walking around the small square, stepping over bodies and listening while I appraised her competitor’s stock. I was surprised these canny peddlers had so little to sell. But judging by their happy clientele, business was booming.

The men I’d followed moved to the woman’s table. An “assistant” casually blocked the “customer’s” view of the competition while he waited for the woman’s attention. Once he was being tended to, the other man headed back to the close, presumably to find another customer.

I found a blank bit of wall and put my back to it. Then, with my arms folded inside my robes, I waited until all those I perceived as customers were either gone or unconscious. Then I turned to the female body slave closest to me, but not too close.

“From Redstone Canyon,” I said. Then louder, “I said I was from Redstone Canyon.”

She looked at me as if I had pulled a giant dragon’s eye out of my cleavage, but she wouldn’t cede her territory.

“Came through a grove of memory trees , as a matter of fact.” I waved my hands, fanning myself. “I’m surprised you didn’t smell them on me. Lovely stuff, isn’t it?”

There were so many things being smoked in that square, no one could smell a sweet tree if it sprouted up from their hairy lips. But the dealers knew what I was talking about. And if I thought the square had grown quiet before, not a conscious soul was breathing now.

I pulled a single leaf out of my pocket and made certain everyone saw it before I began rubbing it on my neck. While they gaped, I rubbed it on the backs of my hands.

The sexily clad dealer practically leapt from her table and hurried to me. Someone else slithered into her empty seat. “I am Lady Edeen.” Solicitously, she took my arm and tried to lure me away from the rest, toward the far corner where yet another alley began. “No need to shout it from the rooftops. I understand what you want.”

Two men stepped in front of us, gave each other a dirty look, then turned smiles on me. “Don’t listen to her,” said one. “She’ll rob you blind.”

I freed myself from her grip and put my arms back into my robes. As the three of them watched my movements closely, I could see them trying to estimate how many more leaves I might be hiding. They were intrigued by the fat bulge of the satchel they couldn’t see.

“My name’s Pan. Most honest soul here. Let’s negotiate?—”

“Don’t listen to them,” the woman said. “Ain’t got two testicles between them. They can barely afford your leaves let alone your dragonspice.”

I summoned mock surprise. “Dragonspice?”

She lowered her voice. “You think I haven’t combed through your precious canyon myself? You wouldn’t have mentioned the canyon if you didn’t have spice to trade.”

Pan and the other man collided in their attempt to move closer. Once again, the woman tried to turn me away from them, but I held my ground. All around the square, vendors looked on, confused, maybe in an altered state from the contents of their pipes. Or maybe they didn’t know that leaves from memory trees were a key ingredient in the product they were selling.

Either way, it looked like three was the maximum number of bidders tonight, and only one likely to understand the scope of what I was offering. Still, I had to bait her.

“Not selling dragonspice,” I told them. “But if you buy my leaves at top price…I’ll draw you a map to find a hidden field of the spice plants. There’s more than you could possibly want. A quick dragon ride from here…”

“Just a minute. Together, we can beat whatever she offers.” Pan gestured to the other man and together, they stepped back to speak privately.

“Now’s our chance,” the woman hissed, then dragged me toward the alley yet again. “We can’t negotiate out in the open…” Again, I held my ground, and she growled at me. “I’ll give you anything you want. If this blue dragon business is a hoax, I intend to still have a business when the panic passes. I have no intention of robbing you of your leaves when I can corner the dragonspice market.”

“ Anything I want?”

“Anything you want. Those two have jewels enough, but I suspect you want something…more.”

I smiled, pleased to have found an astute counterpart—as long as I never gave her the upper hand.

Pan and his friend started for me again, but I stopped them with an upheld hand. Naturally, they protested. “We, too, can give you whatever you ask for!”

“Can you?”

“We swear it!”

“I want to ride dragonback to Ristat. I want an armed escort…and an audience with Moire, the prophetess. Can you give me that?”

“Unreasonable,” Pan murmured. “But I can pay you enough to buy your own dragon.”

“Dragons can’t be bought at any price now, and you know it,” said Lady Edeen.

I faced her. “Can you give me what I ask?”

She smirked. “I’m the only one who can.”