Page 3 (1/1)

"What’s she do here?" Briar asked, curious "What’s her na Briar’s eyes "She’s just a street kid," he replied The word for baby goat was slang for a child in Briar’s native Imperial as well as in Chammuri "She polishes some of my pieces, and I throw her a few coppers"

"Then he triples the price and sells thee trade," the shopkeeper across the aisle called, his voice waspish He was seated at a bench as he worked on jewelry "Just because he realized the ones she handles sell quicker"

"I’d pay her hbor "But she won’t handle all the rocks And what does she do, anyway? She polishes theic, Nahi at Briar The boy glanced at the awning overhead: gold embroidered letters read NAHIM ZINEER: CRYSTALS, PRECIOUS, AND SEMIPRECIOUS STONES

"If she’s ain so at the jeweler "She’s just got a hand with cleaning stones, that’s all" To Briar he said, "And I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t frighten her off again"

"At least not until she’s done all the baskets," quipped his neighbor

Briar wandered off, shaking his head It was possible the girl s, waiting for a ht power to call it forth That had been the case with Briar and the three girls who had shared a house with hi Circle temple in Suns of ical power, but all their lives they had been fascinated by particular ordinary things, things they later discovered were ic had drawn hi Circle, under the supervision of four extraordinary irls learned about their unusual ics, and the ways they could be used What if there was no one like Niklaren Goldeye, theCircle, in Chaht never be trained in the use of her power Worse, if it broke away froic often did when its bearer could not control it -- she would find herself in real trouble

Briar was so lost in thought that he didn’t realize he had attracted companions until two youths slid up on either side of him Two more oozed out of the crowds ahead to block his advance If Briar had cared to gamble he would have bet there were two more behind him All of the ones he could see wore the yellow ether without discussion They nudged hi to direct hi what they’d do in so out He saeapons, but that : he carried nine Theirs were probably tucked in the same places that his wereThey were barefoot or in sandals, so at least they had no boot knives, and he did

The ties that kept his wrist knives in their sheaths were twisted he the hilts slip down into his pal and play," he told the youths in heavily accented Cha my own business"

One of them, a short black youth, crossed his arner

"You got " Briar ue fumbled with the unfas they did in the west "I’ Besides, souks are free zones You can’t claim them for territory"

The youth beside the first speaker raised an eyebrow He was tall, lean, brown-skinned, sixteen or seventeen years old His eyes were like stones "If it barks like a dog, eats like a dog, walks like a dog -- it’s a dog," he said lazily "You look like competition to us, eknub And outside these doors, you’re on Viper territory"

Briar scratched his head A rude answer, even if ithim into more trouble, not less "The competition’s all in your h"

The black youththe truth," he cautioned "We don’t like poachers"

"Not at all," the taller boy added

The Vipers faded into the croith the ease of long practice

Briar slid his wrist knives back into their sheaths, and ordered the he and pendantwas, and if they knew the Vipers had claimed the streets around Golden House

Notdown the aisle where chars

It lacked an hour to sunset when he left Golden House and turned his face toward the home he and Rosethorn had rented on the Street of Hares Traffic was heavy now as people caed ca each plant that reached for hiiving them some affection before he ordered the of that street girl