“My lord?”

“You heard?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“All of it?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Go the Traders Guild and learn where Rolf Fairplay is. If he is out of the City, find out when he will return.”

“Yes, my lord,” Jonah said.

“Do you think she is too beautiful?” Gaius Prospero asked his secretary.

“What is too beautiful, my lord? I thought your instincts were perfect as always. It is not your fault that the minds of others are narrow and unseeing.”

“Do you always say the right thing, Jonah?” the merchant asked.

“I try, my lord, having you as my example,” came the clever reply.

Gaius Prospero laughed. “One of these days I shall have to free you,” he told Jonah, “but only if you agree to remain with me.”

“You will have to free me eventually if I am to realize my goal in life,” Jonah told his master. “And I have the gold to purchase my freedom now.”

“And what is your goal?” Gaius Prospero asked.

“To be Master of the Merchants, my lord,” was the startling answer.

Gaius Prospero laughed heartily, nodding. “Be patient, Jonah,” he counseled his secretary. “You have the right attitude. Now go and find my cousin.” He waved the man away, and hurried from his library to tell his wife of what had transpired.

Vilia was not pleased. “They are fools! Fools!” she cried. “Now I shall not get my new travel cart, and I had already decided upon the one I wanted.”

“You shall have it, my dear,” her husband promised.

“But I wanted it now,” Vilia said, and she began to sob.

“We shall go tomorrow and purchase it, my love,” he said.

“But can we afford it as you have expended so much coin on that worthless girl? I want the one with the soft leather seats, and the crystal lanterns, and flower vases, Gaius. It is very, very expensive. The wheels are hand-painted and gilded. And I wanted new horses to draw it as well. I saw the prettiest pair of black-and-white animals at the horse yards. But then there was also a golden pair with creamy manes. I just can’t make up my mind. They are very expensive, too.” She pouted prettily at him.

“You may have anything your little heart desires, Vilia,” he promised her. After all, Gaius Prospero thought to himself, he couldn’t have anyone thinking that this unfortunate incident with Lara had weakened him financially. Yes! It was absolutely the right thing to go out tomorrow and purchase Vilia her new travel cart, and a pair of lovely horses to draw it. Kissing his wife he told her to go to bed. “I will join you after I have spoken with Jonah, my love. You will want to thank me for my generosity, I am certain.”

“I do not have my new cart and horses yet, Gaius,” she told him. “Have you not taught me never to pay for what I do not possess?”

“We will consider it a down payment, then,” he chuckled, and left her.

He waited for close to two hours for Jonah, and was about to join his wife when the secretary returned with Gaius’ cousin in tow.

While Gaius Prospero was a round-faced man of medium height and comfortable girth whose very appearance exuded prosperity, Rolf Fairplay was tall and rangy with a long narrow face. But his gray eyes were intelligent and alert. Those eyes now looked directly at the Master of the Merchants Guild.

“How may I serve you, cousin?” Rolf asked.

“Jonah, get my cousin some wine, and then join us,” Gaius said.

“No wine,” Rolf replied, “but I appreciate your hospitality, cousin. I must depart in the morning with my caravan, and I need a clear head, you will understand. This is a long trek I have ahead of me. I’ll be going through the Forest and Desert provinces, crossing into a portion of the Outland, and then heading for the coast before I return to the City. I will be gone for almost a full year. You caught me just in time.”

Gaius nodded. His cousin was probably the best trader of them all. He might have even been their leader, but he had turned the opportunity away, preferring to travel with his caravans the length and breadth of the four provinces. “You have heard of the purchase I recently made? Lara, the daughter of Sir John Swiftsword.”

Rolf Fairplay nodded. “She is to be a Pleasure Woman. A most sound investment, cousin. When is the auction?”

“The owners and the Pleasure Mistresses came last night to view her. They were to place their bids between sunrise and sunset today. The auction was to have been held tonight. But no bids were received, and earlier this evening I was visited by the lady Gillian who told me because of the girl’s beauty, and the dissension it was already causing among the house owners, the Pleasure Mistresses, the Pleasure Women and even their patrons, no bids would be offered me. She has, in her position as Head Mistress of the Pleasure Guilds, forbidden the girl’s sale here in the City. She suggested I consign Lara to you for sale in the Coastal Province.”

“What if I can sell her before I reach the coast? ’Tis the last stop on my trek, cousin. It would be better if I could. If word gets out that I am carrying such a valuable piece of merchandise my caravan could be attacked. If I agree to take her I will need at least six more mercenaries, and you must pay for them.”

“Nay, Rolf, you will pay for them, but if you take her I will pay you a quarter of the profit, and not the usual fifteen percent the traders get. I want twenty thousand in gold for her. She is worth more, but unfortunately the market here is closed to me. Think of it, cousin. Five thousand to you for selling her. She cost me ten. I shall have little profit from it as you can see, but as Gillian has pointed out, it is best to cut my losses as quickly as I can.”

“I want an agreement in writing,” Rolf Fairplay said.

“Of course,” Gaius Prospero agreed. “But remember, twenty thousand, cousin, and you get a quarter share. Less, and you will just get fifteen. An additional ten percent should certainly make it worth your while. Are we agreed then?”

“I’ll get you your twenty thousand, Gaius, possibly more if I can,” his cousin promised. “The Shadow Princes like their women fair and young.”

“Jonah,” his master called, “draw up the agreement.”

“Two copies, Jonah,” Rolf Fairplay said smiling at Gaius Prospero. “When can I have the girl? I want to leave at dawn, and everything else is ready.”

“As soon as we sign the agreement you may take her, cousin. She is a virgin, and I need not tell you that her value is not just in her beauty, but in her innocence as well. See that she remains pure and untouched.”

“Of course, cousin,” Rolf answered. “We want your little investment to bring the highest price for us, and she will-I guarantee it.”

The agreement was a standard contract between the Master of the Merchants Guild and a Taubyl Trader, with the exception of the fee. It took an hour for the secretary to draw up the two identical contracts, but finally the parchments were ready to be signed. Carefully he spread them on his master’s desk and handed Gaius Prospero an inked quill. When both contracts had been signed by both men he sanded their signatures, and rolling up the parchments handed one to each man.

“Go to Tania yourself, and have Lara dressed for transport,” Gaius instructed Jonah. “Tell her briefly what has happened, and see the girl has a small pack of necessities for her travels. Nothing elaborate, mind you,” he warned.

“At once, my lord,” Jonah answered, and hurried out. He reached the north wing, knocked, and was admitted by Tania.

“What has happened?” the woman demanded. “He did not send for Lara for the final auction. It has gotten so late I have put her to bed. She was so nervous I gave her some wine with a bit of poppy in it.”

“There will be no auction. There were no bids for her, and tonight the Head Mistress of the Pleasure Guilds came to tell him she had forbidden the girl’s sale to any in the City. They say she is too beautiful. That after last evening’s display the owners and the Pleasure Mistresses began to quarrel over her. Patrons who had seen her at the tourney were threatening the houses if they were not given the girl’s first-night rights. There was too much dissension being caused, and so the lady Gillian called a halt to the proceedings.” He stopped, waiting for her to say something.

Tania shook her head. “What will happen now?” she asked him.

“He is consigning her to his cousin Rolf Fairplay, the Taubyl Trader. He thinks she is good for one of the Coastal Kings, but Rolf says she will appeal to the Shadow Princes. It matters not, Tania. Awaken the girl. She is being put into the trader’s care tonight. His caravan leaves on the morrow at dawn. The master says you are to give her a small pack for her travels. Nothing elaborate.”

“Go back to him, and say because of the poppy juice she will not awaken for several hours. I will make certain she gets to the caravan before Rolf Fairplay leaves, but I cannot awaken her now.”

Jonah left Tania, who began to prepare for Lara’s departure. She was not surprised when Gaius Prospero angrily entered the room several minutes later. She knelt quickly saying, “Forgive me, master, but the girl was becoming unmanageable. When it grew so late I did what I thought best for all concerned.”

He grimaced. “You are certain you can awaken her in time? I do not want the additional expense of sending her along in a separate transport to catch up with the trader. Are you preparing a pack?”

“Yes, master, and I swear I will get her to the caravan on time!”

“You have recently acquired the habit of getting above your station, Tania,” Gaius Prospero said threateningly. “Attempt to curb this habit, or I will have to send you to the country. I know how much you love it there, Tania.” And he laughed nastily as he left her, knowing that Tania hated his country estate. There she would be forced to do farm labor under the eye of his estate manager, Creager, who was not above putting a woman slave on her back to service him. Gaius Prospero overlooked Creager’s lustful nature because he did his job well. And after all, the women were only slaves.

Tania arose from her knees, resentment burning in her breast. She might be a slave, she thought, but she worked hard and was honest. Well, she thought, for once she would not be quite so honest. She would give Lara more than her master wanted, but he would never know. Gaius Prospero had so many possessions he could not remember half of them. And the poor girl should not be penalized for what had happened. Who knew how long and how far her travels would take her? Tania packed two simple gowns with round necks, full long sleeves and long pleated skirts. One of silk was light blue, the other a mixture of tawny orange wool and silk. She packed four white cotton chemises and two pairs of stockings, one a light wool for cold weather. She wrapped all of these items up tightly so Lara’s pack would not look excessive. She put in the pearwood brush with which she had been brushing Lara’s hair, and a small lacquer box of hairpins. She lay out a plain, dark green gown for her travels, another chemise, stockings, a pair of leather boots and a long veil to cover Lara’s hair. Satisfied, she lay down on her mattress and slept for exactly four hours as she had trained herself to do.

Awakening, Tania arose to fetch a basin of warmed water and a small cloth. Then she drew the silvery curtains around Lara’s sleeping place and shook the girl gently but firmly by the shoulder. Lara stirred sleepily. “Wake up, child!” Tania insisted. “It is almost time for you to go.”

Lara’s green eyes opened slowly. Her wits felt dull, and she could scarcely move. “Go where? Is it time for the auction?” She found herself growing stronger, the mists clearing from her brain as she spoke. “Tell me who has bought me? I hope it isn’t the woman who wanted to see my teeth. I thought her rude.”

“No one has purchased you. Get up, Lara, and bathe quickly. I will tell you all,” Tania said. She poured out a goblet of pomegranate juice from a decanter and shoved it into Lara’s hand. “Drink this! It will help.”

Lara drank down the entire portion. She had been very thirsty. Relieving herself, she washed as quickly as she could. While she did, she listened to Tania’s explanations of what had happened, and what was to happen to her.

“I am to leave the City?” She was astounded, and perhaps a bit afraid.

“It could be worse, child,” Tania said.

“How?” Lara asked. She brushed the fuzz from her teeth and tongue, rinsing with minted water. “How could it possibly be worse?”

“Your father could have failed in his attempt to become a Crusader Knight. Or you might have been bought by one of the cruel owners to be used for the pleasures of depraved men and women. All that has happened is that you are considered too beautiful, and that men and women are already fighting over you. The trader who has you in his care is the master’s distant cousin. His reputation is a good one, and he is a kind man. He will see you come to no harm, Lara, and it is in his best interest to see you fetch the highest price, for the higher your price, the greater his profit. His blood runs as cold as that of Gaius Prospero, and like our master, his only goal is for profit. Come now, and dress. I have laid out your clothing. We must reach the caravan before it departs at dawn.”