Caidoz

Chapter 16

    I have to bite back a growl it rises in my throat. What in Simeh is she thinking?! I shake her shoulder. "We don't need those. You should keep your dress, your... friends made it for you." Cancer looked at me with a strange look on her face. The shop keeper strokes her chin.
"It is rather different. In a interesting way. I have never in my wildest dreams, very less real life, ever seen anything quite like it." She moved to where Cancer had hanged the dress behind the green curtains. Long, bony fingers with feminine long nails stroked the top, flowing down to the waist. "The stitching is strange. Almost as if it was done by amateurs, but masters at the same time." Sharp eyes lean in. "And the skirt, oh so smooth and billowing... it truly is a work of art in its own name." The old woman turned back to Cancer, her hair whipping. "Where did you receive this?" I briefly wondered what she would say.
"...It was a gift."
"I would most definitely be interesting in meeting the designer."
"How much will you take for it?" She said. The woman again pondered. "Even if I cleaned it up, it would never sell. Who would buy something so odd? However, this dress, this is something unique, I have a feeling that it is truly different, even in where it came from." Cancer and I caught one another's eyes. The shop keeper seemed to have reached a conclusion. "I will not buy the dress. HOWEVER, I will trade for it. Any item you want from my shop." Cancer moved her eyes lovingly over the dress, touched it gently before turning and nodding her head.
"The dress for a custom pair of goggles?" She asked. The elderly woman hesitated. I knew that aviator goggles were extremely expensive objects. They were the only items to clarify the real items from The Quest, but helped against horrible weather conditions, and had many other uses. They were the largest item ln demand, and she was obviously worried about giving away such a durable object. Then she glanced at the dress with a slight greed in her eyes.
"You have yourself a done deal." She said. I shook my head in frustration, and then an idea occurred.
"I can't stop my companion from selling her property, but I will tell you that we both know this dress is very unique." The woman narrowed her eyes slightly and I saw a dangerous flash. I continued. "I'm willing to bet my daggers that the store next door will actually pay for this. I think you should do as they would do, and give us something for this."
"I'll give you three slithvers."
"What! Are you kidding!? This is worth more and you know it!" I exclaimed. Cancer watched quietly. "We don't have to buy anything from you, not even trade, and yet though we chose to do so. I want an exact amount for it. You will at least give that to me." She again examined the dress. The woman scratched the back of her neck. She seemed to already know. "Well?" I asked expectant.
"I cannot define its value, it is truly the meaning of the word priceless. It has been places far, far away, I'm quite sure." She said rather reluctantly.
"I think you are wrong here. How much will you give us?" The shop keeper gave me a disgusted look. I knew her knowledge of the dress was very little, but her knowledge as a designer made up for it.
"Three dyralens. That's my only offer."
" No, this is my only offer. I see that you can't see that. Come on Ali, go change back to that dress, we're going to a place which has intelligible taliors." I sighed with relief as she nodded and shuffled toward the curtains. The shop keeper looked frenzied.
"Please wait! I'm sure we could do another deal!"
"Hurry up in there Ali!" I cried.
"Anything! Whatever you want! What do you want?!" I smiled. I stopped Cancer by the shoulder.
"The dress and her clothes and the Questor's goggles for our exact vaule of the dress." I said calmly. The elderly woman looked scandalized. "You directly asked and I directly answered." I said, catching Cancer's eye. The Princess looked approvingly at me. Then, she ran to the dressing curtains and pulled out her small slippers. I never really examined them very closely. When she held held them up to the light, I saw small flecks of silver embedded to create a shiny surface. Cancer showed them to the shop keeper.
"I expect you would want to buy these as well?" She asked. The woman's eyes again widened. She nodded quickly. "You will add more to our fee for it if you wish to have them too." The old face wrinkled in distaste, furiously scratching the back of her neck. After a moment, she sighed in unhappy defeat.
"...Very well." She snapped.