Web of Deceit

by Richard S. Tuttle

  Finally, up ahead, Rejji could see the beginning of the market area. Some vendors appeared to have permanent locations and were opening their stalls, while others were pushing carts that contained their wares. Hundreds of people were moving swiftly around. Wicado turned to the right as soon as the market began. Rejji stole a glance to the left before following and could see no end to the market. Looking past Wicado proved the same was true in both directions. Several blocks down, the inns started and there were dozens of them.

  Wicado turned and entered the Inn of the Rose. He spoke with the innkeeper while Rejji gazed around the common room. There were patrons having their morning meal but the room was far from full. Wicado reached back and pulled Rejji towards the innkeeper and handed him a room key.

  “This is the lad,” Wicado stated. “He’s a good lad, but help him out if you see him getting mixed up with the wrong the crowd.”

  The innkeeper nodded slightly, stuffed the coins in his pouch and turned away. “I got you a private room, lad,” the Bursar declared. “Sometimes a young lad can be led astray in a strange city. Remember your promise to me and I will see you back here in three days. Come join me for part of the walk and then you can get started on your work.”

  They left the inn and crossed the market. Rejji shook his head as he began to realize how massive the market was. After several blocks of the market, another row of inns appeared. Behind the inns, Rejji saw the first houses. The houses were larger than anything he had seen in Fakara, and as they progressed, the houses got even larger and fancier until he saw houses larger than the mansion at the Pikata estate. Once again he was dazzled by the wealth in Khadora and that was before the houses stopped.

  When the rows of houses did stop, Rejji stepped into a park that was enormous and he stopped.

  “Come along,” the Bursar called.

  Rejji shook his head and ran to catch up. The park was like a paradise with pink stone paths and the finest grass he had ever seen. Tall stately trees dotted the grass and lined the pathways. Finely maintained flowerbeds were everywhere and the air was deliciously sweet. Every forty paces along a path was a stone bench. Morning birds were chirping and singing and squirrels were frolicking from tree to tree.

  When they finally made it across the park, Wicado stopped. Rejji gazed across a broad plaza at the most magnificent structure he had ever seen, more magnificent than anything he could have dreamed of. Rejji craned his head all the way back in an effort to see the top of the palace, but he was already too close to be able to see the top. The palace was made of highly polished white stone and was so wide that he could barely see the ends of it. A black metal fence ran around the building but so far away from it that the front lawn between the fence and the building was many times larger than Rejji’s whole village.

  The Bursar opened his bag and extracted a smaller bag, which he gave to Rejji. “Writing materials for your task,” he explained. “It is quite a sight isn’t it? It is the Imperial Palace. That is where I will be for the next three days. I must go.”

  Rejji watched Wicado cross the street and approach one of the gates in the black fence. Guards dressed in white stopped him and inspected some papers before allowing him to enter. Rejji watched until Wicado mounted the massive steps leading to the palace. He appeared so small and insignificant at that great distance, but he thought he saw Wicado turn and look at him as he entered through the large doors.

  Rejji stood gaping for a few moments and then turned around and entered the park on his was back to the market. Rejji’s mind turned to thoughts of how to organize his task in the market. There appeared to be thousands of shops and he only had three days to finish the task Wicado required of him. Rejji figured he should start at one corner of the market and systematically proceed along the entire row and then loop back on the next row. At least this way he would not miss any shops.

  Rejji reached the first stall and gazed at the merchandise. The stall sold only gold jewelry and most of the pieces were one-of-a-kind. Rejji scratched his head as he wondered how he could possibly record all of the prices of all of the items in three days. To make matters worse, some items had prices on them and some did not. He asked the merchant about that and the merchant laughed at him and told him if he wanted a particular piece the merchant would quote him a price. Rejji sighed and opened the bag Wicado had given him. He was surprised to see the paper already had a list of things on it.

  Rejji walked away from the merchant and sat with his back against the wall of an inn. He reviewed the list Wicado had given to him his spirits soared. Rather than having to record every item at every stall, Rejji only needed to seek out those stalls that sold the items on the list. Most of the items Rejji recognized as things the mansion would need on a continuous basis. Rejji began to understand what Wicado was after. Most things needed for daily operation of the estate were produced on the estate itself. The Bursar shopped for price on items like wax, which was used daily, but not available on the estate.

  Rejji stood and started going down the row, checking each stall for one or more of the listed items. When he found a stall selling the items, he wrote down the row and stall number and the price. Many of the vendors wanted to haggle with him on price, but he told them he was getting the price for someone else and they always stated a price for him to write down. Around the middle of the first row, Rejji halted in front of a small but lavish stall. There were very few items displayed for sale, but one caught Rejji’s eye. It was a petrified shark’s tooth.

  Rejji reached for it and the merchant grabbed his hand. “I don’t believe for a minute that you can afford that, lad,” the merchant said. “What is a Pikata slave doing running free in the market?”

  “I have permission,” retorted Rejji as he pulled his hand free. “I just wanted to see if it was real.”

  “As if you would know,” chuckled the merchant. “Do not take me for a soft touch, lad. I have the most expensive merchandise in the market and I know my customers well. You are not one of them.”

  “How much is it?” Rejji asked.

  “For you I have a special price,” laughed the merchant. “Four hundred gold coins.”

  “Four hundred?” Rejji repeated as his jaw dropped. “You can’t be serious. What is the normal price?”

  “Four hundred,” smiled the merchant.

  “But you said that was a special price,” argued Rejji.

  “All of my prices are special,” grinned the merchant. “Now why don’t you run along before you start to dissuade real customers from coming to my stall. You don’t even know what the item is anyway.”

  “It is a petrified shark’s tooth found only in one location in Fakara,” Rejji stated as he bit his lower lip.

  The merchant’s eyebrows rose as he asked, “How did you know that?”

  “Because I am the supplier,” grinned Rejji, “or I was until recently. I only sold them to Brontos.”

  “My apologies,” nodded the merchant appraisingly. “I would assume that the fact that you are now a slave is the reason Brontos has stated that the supply is exhausted.”

  “Yes,” nodded Rejji. “My village was wiped out. Why do they cost so much?”

  “The price hike is most recent,” acknowledged the merchant, “which is why I sell them now. I would not handle them when they were plentiful. I believe he used to sell them for around twenty gold coins, but he has raised the price since he returned from his last trip.”

  Rejji did some quick numbers in his head and realized why Brontos was willing to travel so far for merchandise. If Rejji sold four hundred teeth and got merchandise worth four hundred gold, then Brontos could sell the teeth for eight thousand gold and probably buy the merchandise for two hundred gold. So Brontos would make forty times his investment Rejji realized.

  “Can you really sell them for that high?” asked Rejji.

  “Oh yes,” smiled the merchant. “I only carry rare items and Brontos is hoarding his last shipment. The ones I have are probably the onl
y ones on the market right now. That makes them worth whatever I choose to charge. When someone wants to purchase something really unique, they come to Wendal. I have a very good reputation.”

  “My name is Rejji,” offered the Pikata slave. “I do not see many people crowding around your stall.”

  “No and you won’t,” chuckled Wendal. “I do not have a lot of traffic to my stall, but I probably make more money than any other merchant here.”

  “I could learn a lot from you,” smiled Rejji. “What would you pay me for one of those teeth if I had one?”

  “Fifty gold if you had one,” stated Wendal. “I would give you more for that pin you are wearing though. Would you care to sell it?”

  “I can’t sell this pin,” Rejji declared. “It is not mine to sell. Fifty gold sounds awfully low considering the price you are selling them for. I would expect that you would be glad to double your money without much effort.”

  “Doubling my money is not sufficient for the risk I would be taking,” Wendal said. “After all, it might not sell and I would be stuck with it. Besides, Brontos only charges one hundred gold for his when he sells them. Why should I pay double that to you?”

  “Ah but you said Brontos was hoarding his,” grinned Rejji. “I think if Brontos was selling, your point would be valid.”

  “Do you have one on you?” frowned Wendal.

  “No,” admitted Rejji. “I was just curious how the game is played.”

  Wendal laughed loudly. “You would make a fine merchant if you weren’t in that tunic,” he said. “So what have your learned?”

  “That if I had one,” smiled Rejji, “I could sell it to you for one hundred gold at least. Does Brontos live in the city? I would love to see him again.”

  “He does have a house in the city,” confirmed Wendal, “but he is seldom here. Last I heard he was going to try setting up a route in Omunga. He said Fakara had become too dangerous.”

  “Yes it has,” frowned Rejji. “I must continue my task. Please tell Brontos I was asking for him and thank you for explaining things to me.”

  “Anytime, Rejji,” smiled Wendal. “If you finish your task, come back and chat. It will give me something to do.”

  Rejji continued down the row and reversed course on the next row. After a while he realized that the ends of the rows had mostly used merchandise and he was able to skip past them rather quickly. He figured the core market was in the center and the size of the market fluctuated depending on how many merchants chose to set up on any given day. By the third row, Rejji was able to move swiftly and spot those merchants that sold the items on his list.

  High sun came and went and Rejji skipped his meal in favor of getting his task done. Suddenly, Rejji felt as if someone was watching him and he twirled around to check, but could not see anyone looking his way. He brushed the feeling off and continued down the row. Rejji got to the last row as the sun started to drop. He hurried past the end stalls with only a passing glance in hopes he could finish the entire market in one day, but the merchants began closing up while he was still in the middle of the last row.

  Rejji retreated and headed for the Inn of the Rose. He entered the common room and the innkeeper came over to him.

  “No refunds for missed meals you know,” the innkeeper frowned.

  “I understand,” Rejji smiled. “I was busy.”

  “Sit at the first table here and I will send the girl out with a plate,” the innkeeper scowled.

  Rejji shook his head and slid along the bench of the first table until he was against the wall. The crowd was larger than it was in the morning, but there were still plenty of empty seats. He figured the innkeeper was displeased with the arrangement Wicado had made and didn’t care to have a slave sitting in the common room. At least, Rejji thought, the service would be quick.

  A man in a dark hooded cloak came in and scanned the room. His eyes locked on Rejji for the briefest moment before the man went to the last table and slid all the way in so he was against the wall and facing Rejji. Rejji tried not to stare at the man, but his skin prickled as if he was being watched again. The man sat with his head down and did not even appear to notice anyone else was in the room, so Rejji sighed and looked elsewhere. A girl arrived with a bowl of stew, some bread, and a glass of ale. Rejji looked around the room and saw that most patrons were being served roast meat. He wondered how Wicado would react if he knew the service the innkeeper was providing for his money.

  Rejji shrugged and started devouring his stew. He realized how hungry he was with the first spoonful, and vowed not to skip the midday meal again tomorrow. Rejji’s skin prickled again and he slyly peeked up to see the man in the black cloak staring at him. The man looked away quickly and Rejji returned to his stew. Rejji swallowed the ale and stuffed the bread in the small bag Wicado had given him and left the table. He went up the stairs and unlocked his door and relocked it after he was inside. He made sure the window was shuttered and then fumbled around for the candle and striker. He lit the candle and sat down on the floor with his bag.

  Rejji removed the bread and started nibbling on it as he retrieved his notes. He studied the different amounts charged for the same commodities and found a wide variance in price. Studying the figures further, he also found out that the prices appeared to be affected by their location, so that there was never a severe change in price in any one location. The further apart physically though, the more opportunity for a larger difference in price. This tended to make Rejji think that competition of neighboring stalls had more of an effect on price than the cost of the item. Rejji saw that the candle had burned down quite a bit while he was working on the numbers and he decided it was time for bed.

  When Rejji woke the sun had already risen. He gathered up his papers and stuffed them in the bag and went down for his morning meal. The innkeeper told him to sit in the same seat and returned to the kitchen, but Rejji intentionally chose another. When the innkeeper came back and saw Rejji sitting elsewhere he scowled and came over to the table.

  “You do not sit here,” he stated. “You sit over there.”

  Rejji looked up at the innkeeper and smiled, “That was a wonderful roast last night. It is a shame I was fed stew from the day before. I can understand that you are not comfortable having a slave stay here, but the gold you took was a fair payment for the services the Bursar requested. I may be a slave, but I am not your slave. If you wish me not to be seen, then serve me what is served others and be quick about it. I will even do you a favor. Send me off with a bag for my midday meal and I will not come back until the evening meal.”

  “Who do you think you are to tell me how to run my business?” growled the innkeeper.

  “I am someone who has finished the task that was supposed to take me three days,” smiled Rejji. “That means I could just spend the next two days sitting here. It is a nice place to rest.”

  The innkeeper huffed and stormed into the kitchen. A girl promptly came out with a large plate of eggs, a slice of wasooki, coffee and a roll.

  “I will have a bag meal ready for you by the time you finish that,” she smiled.

  “Thank you very much,” grinned Rejji.

  He devoured the morning meal and snatched the bag the girl had brought to the table and moved swiftly out the door. He wasn’t sure what had made him defy the innkeeper, but he chuckled to himself as picked up where he had left off in the market.

  Rejji finished the last row and stood at the last stall in the market checking his notes to see if the pattern matched. He smiled inwardly when the new figures matched what he had seen the night before and he stuffed the papers into his small bag. He wandered around the nearest stalls, which were all low-priced used merchandise. He wondered if he could find something cheap that Mistake would like. He checked the pouch that Wicado had given him and saw that it contained five gold coins. Certainly he would have to stick with looking at the ends of the rows, but he might find something that would pick her spirits up a little.

&nb
sp; He browsed the ends of several rows finding nothing suitable that could be purchased for the gold he had. He looked at one stall whose merchandise was in terrible condition. The jewelry was all broken and dirty and not laid out well like the other stalls. He wondered why a merchant would bother setting up a stall and not even take the time to clean the merchandise or lay it out nicely. He was ready to skip over the stall when something caught his eye. He moved quickly back and peered closer at it.

  He looked at the old woman selling the merchandise and she didn’t even bother to get up off her crate when he reached for the necklace. It was a terrible piece of workmanship and made with inferior metal. The chain was broken and the casing was cracked.

  “How much is this?” he asked the woman as he held it up.

  The woman groaned as she got up and waddled over to the stall. She took the necklace and made a great deal out of admiring it.

  “Oh you have good taste,” she smiled toothlessly. “Very expensive piece it is. Twenty gold I think it is,” she stated as she watched for Rejji’s reaction.

  Rejji frowned and closed his eyes and she continued talking.

  “But I think maybe ten is what I was selling it for,” she bargained.

  “The chain is broken,” Rejji pointed out, “and the casing is cracked. Where did you get this?”

  “Oh so it is,” she nodded. “So it is. Got a girl do ya?” she smiled. “Nice gift for a young girl. Give me five gold and it is yours.”