Harmindon's Finest

Chapter 9 - Attempting The Impossible

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Tired yet triumphant, I stood back the next evening to admire my handiwork.

It looked good. The table had escaped the disaster more or less intact, which was good, and we had spent most of the day risking our necks on rickety makeshift ladders, using rope and rags to tie as many sticks and planks we could salvage from the wreckage together. I was a relatively competent seamstress, but I was no woodworker, and the entire frame had come to grief numerous times before it seemed steady enough.

We had had to work in the marketplace itself as the structure itself was much too heavy for us to carry. The sight of us rebuilding our fragile state was a source of bemusement to most people - we had received offers to help but my temper was running short again and being patronised certainly did not help. We laboured alone, Miarka being little help. She was, after all, only seven years old. After a few longing stares at her friends playing a complicated skipping game with squares chalked onto the ground, I let her go and continued by myself.

But by the time the sun touched the horizon, I was finished. All I wanted to do was toss myself onto a pile of blankets and rest my aching muscles but I still had one task left, namely to make the bright new awnings. I was quite interested in the new project - I already had quite a few ideas for the design, but unfortunately they all needed quite a lot of fabric, more than I had in my meagre supply. I had to buy more.

The sellers were beginning to pack up their wares as dusk fell, and I raced across the square, looking for my usual supplier of cloth. I always had quite a job wrangling bargains from her as she was stingy by nature, but the fabric she sold was of good quality.

"Lady Rewan!" I panted, clutching my side and skidding to a halt in front of her stall. She was a wealthy cloth merchant originally from Abrakhân, but with the help of her sons had expanded her business into the neighbouring towns. It was not often I caught her in person, as she was wealthy and influential. I braced myself for a dose of being looked down on. I never quite knew what the woman had against me - I was a pretty regular customer. Maybe because I was still a child, poor, competition, or all three. She was also an awful gossip.

If actions had no consequences, I would have stuck out my tongue and dropped the lady. Unfortunately, it paid to be polite.

Eyebrows raised, hand placed on her chest in surprise, I thought idly how she was laying it on thicker than usual. She leaned over the counter. "Why, it's little Jeddah! This is rather a surprise, for I had not expected you today, dear. It is rather late for a shopping trip, don't you think?" She smiled and patted my shoulder. I took a deep breath and tried an equally false smile.

"Oh yes, my lady, usually, but I was hoping you might make an exception today? I have rather an emergency purchase to make. Would you be so kind-"

She interrupted me. "My dear, I have already finished for the day. Surely you can wait until tomorrow?" She gestured behind her shoulder, where her youngest was loading large bolts of material onto a cart with a rather bored expression. As if I had not noticed. I tried again, trying desperately to keep my temper. It was as if she was trying to wind me up.

"Oh yes, Lady Rewan, and I would never dream of keeping you for long. But I do need this material dreadfully - I am going to fashion new awnings for my stall, and I would like a large sheet of bright red cotton, please - of about medium size," I gabbled, trying an old trick of Miarka's, biting my lip and widening my eyes, trying to look plaintive.

Lady Rewan was not fooled, and I could tell I was beginning to bother her. "And pray tell me, what would you give me in return for such a large order?" She asked, a hint of steel in her voice. If it was possible, her eyebrows went even higher, until they almost disappeared in her greying but still impressive hair.