to intrude," he said, "but by any chance, do you know the fellow sitting over there by the fire?"
"Why, yes," I said. "He is Mincon, a wagoner."
"Not him," said the fellow. "The other one."
"What other one?" I asked.
"The only other one," he said, "the big fellow, with yellow, braided hair, and the mustache."
"That one," I said.
"Yes," said he.
"He is called Hurtha," I said.
"Are you traveling with him?" he asked.
"I may have been," I speculated. "One sees many folks on the road. You know how it is."
"Are you responsible for him?" he asked.
"I hope not," I said. "Why?"
"Not an ahn ago," he said, "he leaped out at me from (pg. 84) behind a wagon in the darkness, brandishing an ax. "The Alars, at least one, are upon you!' he cried."
"That sounds like Hurtha," I admitted.
"It was he," averred the fellow.
"You might be mistaken," I said.
"There are not many like him with the wagons," said the fellow.
"Perhaps there is at least one other," I said.
"It was he," said the fellow.
"You can't be sure," I said.
"I am sure," he said.
"Oh," I said.
"He then, brandishing his ax, importuned me for a loan. I was speechless with terror. I feared he might mistake my reticence for hesitation."
"I understand," I said, sympathetically.
" 'Take it,' " I cried. " 'Take my purse, my gold, all of it!' "
" 'As a gift,' he asked, seemingly delighted, though perhaps somewhat puzzled. 'Yes,' I cried. 'Yes!' "
"I see," I said. To be sure, when Hurtha had seen this fellow a few moments ago, he had referred to him not as his "creditor," but rather, now that I recalled it, warmly, as his "benefactor."
"Shall I summon guardsmen from down the road?" he asked.
"I do not think that will be necessary," I said.
"In that purse," he said, "there were eighteen golden staters, from Tyros, three golden tarn disks, one from Port Kar, and two from Ar, sixteen silver tarsks from Tabor, twenty copper tarsks, and some fifteen tarsk bits."
"You keep very careful records," I said.
"I am from Tabor," he said.
"Probably you are a merchant, too," I said.
"Yes," he said.
I had feared as much. The merchants of Tabor are famed for the accuracy of their accounts.
(pg. 85) "Well?" he said.
"Would you care to join us?" I asked.
"No," he said.
"There is plenty to eat," I said.
"I am not surprised," he said.
"It is not my fault," I said, "if you, of your own free will, decided to make my friend a generous gift."
"Shall I summon guardsmen?" he asked.
"No," I said.
"Well?" said he.
"Do you have a witnessed, certified document attesting to the alleged contents of your purse?" I asked. "Too, was the purse closed with an imprinted seal, its number corresponding to the registration number of the certification document?"
"Yes," he said.
"Oh," I said.
"Here," he said. "I think you will find everything in order."
I had forgotten the fellow was from Tabor.
"This document seems a bit old," I said. "Doubtless it is no longer current, no longer an effective legal instrument. As you can see, it is dated two weeks ago. Where are you going?"
"To fetch guardsmen," he said.
"It will do," I said.
I then, without great pleasure, restored to the determined, inflexible fellow the amount in full which he had earlier, and of his own free will, as I did not fail to remind him, bestowed on my friend, Hurtha.
"I would also like something for my trouble," he said.
"A silver tarsk will be sufficient."
"Of course," I said. He then, now seemingly content, left. How little it takes to please some people. I decided I must speak with Hurtha. I returned to the campfire.
"I will take some of the spiced verr cubes," I said.
"Alas," said Hurtha, "we have finished them. You should have invited my friend to sup with us."
"I did," I said. "But he did not agree to do so."
(pg. 86) "It is perhaps just as well," said Hurtha, "as there is not much left. What did he want?"
"Oh, nothing," I said.
"Interesting," mused Hurtha.
"He just wanted to make certain that you were
"Why, yes," I said. "He is Mincon, a wagoner."
"Not him," said the fellow. "The other one."
"What other one?" I asked.
"The only other one," he said, "the big fellow, with yellow, braided hair, and the mustache."
"That one," I said.
"Yes," said he.
"He is called Hurtha," I said.
"Are you traveling with him?" he asked.
"I may have been," I speculated. "One sees many folks on the road. You know how it is."
"Are you responsible for him?" he asked.
"I hope not," I said. "Why?"
"Not an ahn ago," he said, "he leaped out at me from (pg. 84) behind a wagon in the darkness, brandishing an ax. "The Alars, at least one, are upon you!' he cried."
"That sounds like Hurtha," I admitted.
"It was he," averred the fellow.
"You might be mistaken," I said.
"There are not many like him with the wagons," said the fellow.
"Perhaps there is at least one other," I said.
"It was he," said the fellow.
"You can't be sure," I said.
"I am sure," he said.
"Oh," I said.
"He then, brandishing his ax, importuned me for a loan. I was speechless with terror. I feared he might mistake my reticence for hesitation."
"I understand," I said, sympathetically.
" 'Take it,' " I cried. " 'Take my purse, my gold, all of it!' "
" 'As a gift,' he asked, seemingly delighted, though perhaps somewhat puzzled. 'Yes,' I cried. 'Yes!' "
"I see," I said. To be sure, when Hurtha had seen this fellow a few moments ago, he had referred to him not as his "creditor," but rather, now that I recalled it, warmly, as his "benefactor."
"Shall I summon guardsmen from down the road?" he asked.
"I do not think that will be necessary," I said.
"In that purse," he said, "there were eighteen golden staters, from Tyros, three golden tarn disks, one from Port Kar, and two from Ar, sixteen silver tarsks from Tabor, twenty copper tarsks, and some fifteen tarsk bits."
"You keep very careful records," I said.
"I am from Tabor," he said.
"Probably you are a merchant, too," I said.
"Yes," he said.
I had feared as much. The merchants of Tabor are famed for the accuracy of their accounts.
(pg. 85) "Well?" he said.
"Would you care to join us?" I asked.
"No," he said.
"There is plenty to eat," I said.
"I am not surprised," he said.
"It is not my fault," I said, "if you, of your own free will, decided to make my friend a generous gift."
"Shall I summon guardsmen?" he asked.
"No," I said.
"Well?" said he.
"Do you have a witnessed, certified document attesting to the alleged contents of your purse?" I asked. "Too, was the purse closed with an imprinted seal, its number corresponding to the registration number of the certification document?"
"Yes," he said.
"Oh," I said.
"Here," he said. "I think you will find everything in order."
I had forgotten the fellow was from Tabor.
"This document seems a bit old," I said. "Doubtless it is no longer current, no longer an effective legal instrument. As you can see, it is dated two weeks ago. Where are you going?"
"To fetch guardsmen," he said.
"It will do," I said.
I then, without great pleasure, restored to the determined, inflexible fellow the amount in full which he had earlier, and of his own free will, as I did not fail to remind him, bestowed on my friend, Hurtha.
"I would also like something for my trouble," he said.
"A silver tarsk will be sufficient."
"Of course," I said. He then, now seemingly content, left. How little it takes to please some people. I decided I must speak with Hurtha. I returned to the campfire.
"I will take some of the spiced verr cubes," I said.
"Alas," said Hurtha, "we have finished them. You should have invited my friend to sup with us."
"I did," I said. "But he did not agree to do so."
(pg. 86) "It is perhaps just as well," said Hurtha, "as there is not much left. What did he want?"
"Oh, nothing," I said.
"Interesting," mused Hurtha.
"He just wanted to make certain that you were
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