Lacuna looked at Fresse Rosigno's pasty face and gritted her teeth; the urge to stab the arrrogant Matis in the face, repeately, was almost overpowering. They were in the Matis's storeroom and Lacuna was finding the closed environment, combined with the sickly smell of the trader's perfume, nauseating.
'So this is your topline heal amp?' Lacuna raised an eyebrow and could not keep the sneer from her mouth. The amp was all style and no substance. The crafter obviously thought throwing as much supreme amber as possible into an amp was the secret of the craft. The quality of Fresse's stock was shocking. Something needed to be done about this and soon - homines were crying out for vermin removal devices. 'How much again are you asking for this?'
'140,000 dappers. It is well worth the expense; just look at the detail that has went into the decoration! And the focus is pure supreme pha' The Matis simpered. Though Lacuna noticed that he was now starting to sweat. For some reason, Lacuna's smiles always seemed to make homins nervous.
'And how much of that goes to the crafter?' Lacuna smiled one of her most innocent smiles.
Fresse coughed, 'I could offer you 15%. There are substantial risks involved in dealing with you. Bribes must be made, palms greased, so to speak. You are not the most popular homine in Yrkanis.'
Lacuna wanted to laugh. The Matis was looking more pasty by the minute.
'Yes, but...' Lacuna moved across to the storeroom door and locked it. 'I am sure you can offer a better rate for a poor, innocent refugee whose only crime has been to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's not like I deliberately started that fire, and those guards accidently stabbed themselves, I can assure you!'
'In the back... with an axe!' Fresse was starting to panic. 'Look, I think it is better that we forget the whole thing. Please go!'
'Fresse, darling, you don't, honestly, believe all those lurid stories about myself and my sweet sisters? Of course, Marichia does have a temper if she runs out of lasange, but the rest of us wouldn't hurt a fly!'
'Ummmmmm... I am sorry, but you must go now. I have an important meeting to attend and I will be missed if I don't appear. People will come looking, I assure you.'
'Nonsense, we were just getting to the bit where I am going to make you an offer you can't refuse! Let me show you my dagger collection. I am sure I have just the one to seal the deal!'
'So this is your topline heal amp?' Lacuna raised an eyebrow and could not keep the sneer from her mouth. The amp was all style and no substance. The crafter obviously thought throwing as much supreme amber as possible into an amp was the secret of the craft. The quality of Fresse's stock was shocking. Something needed to be done about this and soon - homines were crying out for vermin removal devices. 'How much again are you asking for this?'
'140,000 dappers. It is well worth the expense; just look at the detail that has went into the decoration! And the focus is pure supreme pha' The Matis simpered. Though Lacuna noticed that he was now starting to sweat. For some reason, Lacuna's smiles always seemed to make homins nervous.
'And how much of that goes to the crafter?' Lacuna smiled one of her most innocent smiles.
Fresse coughed, 'I could offer you 15%. There are substantial risks involved in dealing with you. Bribes must be made, palms greased, so to speak. You are not the most popular homine in Yrkanis.'
Lacuna wanted to laugh. The Matis was looking more pasty by the minute.
'Yes, but...' Lacuna moved across to the storeroom door and locked it. 'I am sure you can offer a better rate for a poor, innocent refugee whose only crime has been to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's not like I deliberately started that fire, and those guards accidently stabbed themselves, I can assure you!'
'In the back... with an axe!' Fresse was starting to panic. 'Look, I think it is better that we forget the whole thing. Please go!'
'Fresse, darling, you don't, honestly, believe all those lurid stories about myself and my sweet sisters? Of course, Marichia does have a temper if she runs out of lasange, but the rest of us wouldn't hurt a fly!'
'Ummmmmm... I am sorry, but you must go now. I have an important meeting to attend and I will be missed if I don't appear. People will come looking, I assure you.'
'Nonsense, we were just getting to the bit where I am going to make you an offer you can't refuse! Let me show you my dagger collection. I am sure I have just the one to seal the deal!'
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