“Many thanks, many thanks.” Keelah bowed her head and got out a Saurian coin. It was about as big as a silver dollar and it had been stamped in such a way that the coin had long, shallow grooves in its surface that divided the dull gray metal into five triangles, like pieces of a pie. This, as she had explained to Bobbi, was a “fiver piece”.
Bobbi wasn’t sure what kind of metal the coin was made out of, but whatever it was, it was extremely malleable. Keelah wiggled it for a minute, working it along the grooves, until she had broken the coin into five equal sized triangles. She gave three of these to the stall owner and took the candied meat strip with a nod of thanks.
The whole display had been fascinating, Bobbi thought. Especially the way both of the women had made that odd “Ah-hmm” noise in their throats.
“What was that noise you were both making while you bargained?” she asked, as they continued walking and Keelah munched on her candied meat. “That ‘Ah-hmm’ sound?”
“Oh, that?” Keelah shrugged. “I don’t know—I guess it’s just the noise someone makes when they’re ready to bargain. If a seller doesn’t make that sound, you know they don’t want to sell to you.”
“So I guess I’d better learn to make it myself if I want to make deals in the Market,” Bobbi said thoughtfully. She deepened her voice and tried to speak from the back of her throat. “Ah-hmm. Ah-hmmm.”
Keelah giggled.
“You sound like you’re just clearing your throat. You have to be louder than that if you want people to believe you’re serious about bargaining! Here—want some?” She offered Bobbi some of the meat strip.
“I’ll try a little, thanks.” Bobbi broke off a shard and popped it in her mouth. It tasted like sweet, crispy bacon, but a bit gamier she decided. Not awful but not her favorite thing either.
“You like it?” Keelah asked.
“It’s very nice.” Bobbi smiled, not wanting to hurt her friend’s feelings.
“I remember getting it at the summer fair when I was little.” Keelah’s eyes turned suddenly sad with longing. “My Sire would buy us all a meatie to eat and then my brothers and sisters and I would run around all the booths, laughing and playing catch-me…” She shook her head and Bobbi thought that if Saurians could cry, there would have been tears in her yellow eyes. “It reminds me so much of home,” she whispered, looking at the remains of the meat strip. “I wonder if I’ll ever get back again?”
“You will,” Bobbi said strongly, trying to comfort her. “I’m sure you will, Keelah!” She wanted to tell the other girl about the Kindred of the Mother Ship and how they would hopefully be looking for her soon…but she didn’t want to get Keelah’s hopes up when things were so uncertain.
There were still a little less than two weeks before the Kindred were supposed to send a scout ship to look in on her on Avria Pentaura and after that, they still had to search for her on Saurous. And unfortunately, a lot could happen in that amount of time. They both knew that Zerlix could decide he was tired of Keelah and send her to another Clan or sell her back to her original pimp any time he wanted.
But if she’s still here when they come for me, I’m taking her with me, Bobbi vowed to herself. And if she’s not, I’ll go looking for her! I won’t give up until I see her safely home with her family.
She was determined to do right by her friend and somehow get Keelah back to her family on the Northern Continent…though she wasn’t exactly sure how she would manage it. But something would come to her, she was certain.
She had thought about asking Dragon to take the other girl home—he was genuinely fond of Bobbi and would probably have done anything for her—except set her free, Bobbi thought, a bit grimly. But he couldn’t do anything for Keelah as long as she belonged to Zerlix—that was very clearly the Saurian way. Now, if Zerlix would decide to get rid of Keelah and then Dragon bought her, that might solve the problem…
She was so deep in thought that she almost walked right through the end of the Market.
“Bobbi, stop!” Keelah put a hand on her arm, just as she was about to pass the last stall. Beyond it was a long, narrow street closely lined on either side with sagging houses that seemed to lean on each other like drunks at a bar.
“Oh, is this the end of the Market?” Bobbi looked up, frowning. “Sorry, I didn’t realize. Isn’t it safe to go any further?”
“It’s probably safe in the daylight,” Keelah murmured. “But you wouldn’t want to go at night—not unless you want to get snatched up by a whoremaster or a pimp and sold.”