Earlier at the Oasis...
"Kilala mo ba 'yang kriminal na 'yan?"
Dave shrugged and waved his hand, as if dismissing the topic.
"No, but what a shame," Dave replied. "Such a waste of a pretty face for a petty criminal."
Natawa ang mangangalakal.
Dave retained the poker face. Kahit na masyadong malapit ang mangangalakal sa mukha niya, konti na lang maamoy na niya ang hininga nito.
"Gaano katagal ang parusa ng kriminal na 'yan?" He asked, acting like he has no idea, absently stirring his bottle of beer. Wala siyang balak uminom, pero kung gusto niyang kumbinsihin ang kausap niya, he might as well play along.
Umismid naman ang mangangalakal at humalukipkip. "Tatlong taon! Kulang pa nga ang parusang 'yan. Alam niya ba kung gaano kalaking halaga ang nasira niyang gem kanina?"
Dave knew it. Sa kabila ng pagkakaiba ng dimensyon, nananatili pa rin ang mga batas ng Oasis. Even in the Land of Dreams, they would often punish so-called "criminals" by public humiliation. Isa sa mga paboriting gawin ng Golems ang itali ang kriminal at i-display sa plaza. As a warning and as a reminder of what happens to those who try to "cause trouble" in the Oasis.
He resisted the urge to look at Cornelia, kahit na alam niyang kanina pa siya nito tinitingnan nang masama.
At kung pareho lang ang batas ng Oasis dito, malaki ang posibilidad na pareho lang din ang proseso ng pagpapalaya sa mga kriminal...
"Magkano mo siya ibebenta?"
Nag-angat ng tingin ang mangangalakal, para bang kuminang ang mga mata nang marinig ang sinabi ni Dave. Humagalpak ito ng tawa at inakbayan siya, acting as if they were already friends.
"A salesman, eh? Ayan ang mga gusto ko! HAHAHA! Pero hindi ko alam kung bakit mo naman pagkaka-interesan ang babaeng 'yon." Naningkit ang mga mata nito, pilit siyang hinuhuli.
Dave knew the game he was playing.
Kaya imbes na magbigay ng anumang indikasyong kakilala niya si Cornelia, he shrugged and started eyeing the stones on the mat. "Kamamatay lang ng tagalinis namin sa palasyo. I'd be more than happy to take that girl at a cheap price, even though she does look a bit too frail for my taste."
Tumawa nang malakas ang merchant.
"Alipin palang hanap mo! You must be a wealthy man, eh?" Ngumisi nang nakakaloko ang mangangalakal. Noon lang napansin ni Dave ang matatalas nitong mga ngipin at ang kakaibang kinang sa mga mata nito. Indeed, he wasn't human. But he has no time to decipher what kind of creature the merchant is.
"Is this is part where you tell me her price?"
He has a bad feeling about it.
"Hmm... Dahil mamahaling bato ang nabasag niya kanina, I'll make you a deal. Five hundred silver coins and you can take the girl and anything laid in front of you now."
Iminuwestra nito ang kanyang mga paninda. Sa 49 years nang Dreamcaster ni Dave, he can easily spot the values of every dream stone known in the Land of Dreams. Nakatulong ang araw-araw niyang practical exams kay Sandman para ma-identify ang mga klase ng dream stones.
"Identifying these stones are just as important as manipulating a person's Dreamscape, Dave. Kailangan mong makita kung anong panaginip ang naaayon sa iba't ibang klase ng tao," his mentor explained, leaning on the desk with several dream stones displayed.
"May iba't ibang klase din ng tao? Why can't I just put the same dream in every human's Dreamscape?"
"Son, some dreams work and some dreams don't. You can put a spider in a spider-obsessed child's dream, but another child with arachnophobia will view it as a nightmare. Iba-iba ang kagustuhan ng tao, kaya iba-ibang panaginip ang kailangan nating ihulma para sa kanila."
The younger Dave nodded, suddenly understanding why he can't just do things the easy way. Trabaho ito ng isang Dreamcaster, at kung gusto niyang maging kasing-galing ni Sandman balang-araw, he needs to work hard to be the person he'll be proud of.
Dave eyed the stones again.
Naghihintay na sa desisyon niya ang mangangalakal.
Sinipat niya isa-isa ang mga bato, some are authentic and some are clearly fake. Pero sa huli, hindi 'yon ang nakapukaw sa kanyang atensyon kundi ang carpet na pinaglalatangan ng mga ito.
'This looks familiar.'
Dave briskly pushed aside the stones and studied the woven pattern. Napangiti na lang siya nang makitang nakahabi rito ang mapa ng Land of Nightmares. Tulad ng inaasahan niya, kahawig lang ng landscape ang Land of Dreams, but some places are altered to their more sinister forms.
Even though he was sure he can navigate this place with the knowledge he knew, it's best to have an actual map of this parallel realm.
"I'll buy the girl and take the carpet."
Nagulat man sa kanyang desisyon, agad ding itinikom ng mangangalakal ang kanyang bibig nang inabot ni Dave ang isang silk pouch na naglalaman ng bayad nito.
"Deal!"
Napangisi na lang si Dave.
'Before he can discover that these coins are fake, we'd already be far away.'
---
BINABASA MO ANG
✔ Dreamcaster
Fantasy"I am a Dreamcaster." "But you don't have any dreams?" "Does it matter?" He challenged. She glared back. "It does." After his mentor's retirement, tuluyan nang pinandigan ni Dave ang kanyang mga responsibilidad bilang isang Dreamcaster. As someone w...
