"...Judgment and Absolution."
The audience murmured some more. The lady at the podium cleared her throat and rapped on the podium until they stopped.
"The opening bid is one thousand dinars."
The murmuring resumed. Ash winced. That was much, much more than she'd expected. Certainly more money than the posse had between them. If she somehow had the bounty on Stitch-Eyes and every member of his gang right then, it would barely be enough.
Some of the more affluently-dressed people in the room raised their paddles. After a couple rounds, the dust magnate took the prize.
"Thank you, Master Tei Leng. Sold, for one thousand, two hundred!"
The large man lowered his paddle, looking very pleased with himself. The auctioneer moved on to lot thirty-eight - a pair of hide gloves that had beast horns over the knuckles.
Ash thought and fumed. Without thinking she got up from her seat, carefully maneuvered past the other auction-goers on the bench, and walked to the front of the hall. She stepped through the open doors of the part-time church. Outside, the sun was getting higher, brighter, and hotter. She found Serge lounging in the shade of the doorway.
"You get what we came for?" he said, stifling a yawn.
Ash shook her head. "Nope. We need another plan." She sucked air through her teeth and looked away from Serge, staring at nothing.
Seres came out, hopping down the front steps. She looked confused, concerned. "Ash, are we quittin'?" she asked.
"I believe it's time to re-evaluate our situation," Lans answered for Ash. He came out the doors on Seres' heels, joining the other three outside.
Ash looked at each of them, then stepped into the shade beside Serge. She gestured for the others to come closer. They huddled together close enough that the brims of their hats nearly touched. "I could've guessed this would happen," she said, quietly. "Nobody was gonna sell real, workin' relics at a price we could afford. Unless you've got a fortune you haven't told me about, Damon." She nodded at Lans, only half-joking. Lans gave a sad chuckle and shook his head.
Ash nodded and went on. "Well, then, that's that. We ain't gonna buy 'em, so where does that leave us?"
"Could just grab 'em," said Seres, impatiently. All eyes went to her. "What? Don't act like you weren't thinkin' it. I could run in there right now and snatch 'em up, nobody's fast enough to stop me."
"Let us not act too rashly, young lady." Somehow Lans managed to say the words without sounding condescending. "As it happens, Tei Leng is an old acquaintance of mine. We had business interests in common, back in the day. He might be willing to loan us Judgement and Absolution, and other equipment besides." He tilted his head. "It doesn't hurt to ask."
"Or we could do without." Serge also sounded impatient, but it was impatience from boredom rather than irritation. "We fought the Lost Souls once. Beat them without any magic... besides what we've already got. Why waste time on this when we could be chasing them?"
Ash wondered what Gaze would add to the conversation. She wondered where Gaze was. Probably she'd say something about how if Tei Leng or anyone else couldn't protect their material possessions, they didn't deserve to keep them. Or that material possessions were fleeting and worthless, like the idea of a permanent home.
The audience murmured some more. The lady at the podium cleared her throat and rapped on the podium until they stopped.
"The opening bid is one thousand dinars."
The murmuring resumed. Ash winced. That was much, much more than she'd expected. Certainly more money than the posse had between them. If she somehow had the bounty on Stitch-Eyes and every member of his gang right then, it would barely be enough.
Some of the more affluently-dressed people in the room raised their paddles. After a couple rounds, the dust magnate took the prize.
"Thank you, Master Tei Leng. Sold, for one thousand, two hundred!"
The large man lowered his paddle, looking very pleased with himself. The auctioneer moved on to lot thirty-eight - a pair of hide gloves that had beast horns over the knuckles.
Ash thought and fumed. Without thinking she got up from her seat, carefully maneuvered past the other auction-goers on the bench, and walked to the front of the hall. She stepped through the open doors of the part-time church. Outside, the sun was getting higher, brighter, and hotter. She found Serge lounging in the shade of the doorway.
"You get what we came for?" he said, stifling a yawn.
Ash shook her head. "Nope. We need another plan." She sucked air through her teeth and looked away from Serge, staring at nothing.
Seres came out, hopping down the front steps. She looked confused, concerned. "Ash, are we quittin'?" she asked.
"I believe it's time to re-evaluate our situation," Lans answered for Ash. He came out the doors on Seres' heels, joining the other three outside.
Ash looked at each of them, then stepped into the shade beside Serge. She gestured for the others to come closer. They huddled together close enough that the brims of their hats nearly touched. "I could've guessed this would happen," she said, quietly. "Nobody was gonna sell real, workin' relics at a price we could afford. Unless you've got a fortune you haven't told me about, Damon." She nodded at Lans, only half-joking. Lans gave a sad chuckle and shook his head.
Ash nodded and went on. "Well, then, that's that. We ain't gonna buy 'em, so where does that leave us?"
"Could just grab 'em," said Seres, impatiently. All eyes went to her. "What? Don't act like you weren't thinkin' it. I could run in there right now and snatch 'em up, nobody's fast enough to stop me."
"Let us not act too rashly, young lady." Somehow Lans managed to say the words without sounding condescending. "As it happens, Tei Leng is an old acquaintance of mine. We had business interests in common, back in the day. He might be willing to loan us Judgement and Absolution, and other equipment besides." He tilted his head. "It doesn't hurt to ask."
"Or we could do without." Serge also sounded impatient, but it was impatience from boredom rather than irritation. "We fought the Lost Souls once. Beat them without any magic... besides what we've already got. Why waste time on this when we could be chasing them?"
Ash wondered what Gaze would add to the conversation. She wondered where Gaze was. Probably she'd say something about how if Tei Leng or anyone else couldn't protect their material possessions, they didn't deserve to keep them. Or that material possessions were fleeting and worthless, like the idea of a permanent home.
- "I don't much like the idea of stealin', but I don't see we have much choice."
- "We should try talkin' to Leng. Maybe he needs a favor."
- "You know what, Serge? You're right. We got better things to do."
- Something else?
Ten Characters
Comment