Drake, David - Lord of the Isles 3 by Drake David

Author:Drake, David
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf

Milco slid the pectoral into the water with great care. Sharina stood so that she could look into the vessel with him, though she didn't have the faintest notion of what she should be looking for.

Milco shook his head in pleased amazement. He pointed to where the water rose against the harpy's wings—precisely on the tip of one feather, while halfway between a pair on the other wing.

“Absolutely pure,” he said. “I guessed as much from the greasy feel. I harden my weights with copper. Metal as soft as yours can't be touched without being diminished.”

He set the vessel to one side of the table and sat down, gesturing Sharina onto the stool. “This leaves the question of how you choose to proceed,”

Milco said. “As you clearly surmised, there are elements in our society which would be offended by the object you've brought me. Offended enough to do violence against the owner.”

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SERVANT OF THE DRAGON

With minute grin, Milco added, “At least to attempt violence. I wouldn't choose to be the person who attacked you, milady. But that's only one side of the matter. There are others who might very well pay a considerable sum to gain an object of this sort, regardless of the material of which it was made.”

“Collectors?” Sharina asked. She didn't think Milco meant collectors.

“Of a sort,” Milco replied. “As you noted, the item has religious significance. I could make discreet inquiries if you like; some of them would be within the palace itself. The amount you could realize on the sale would be potentially much greater than the object's bullion value.”

Sharina shrugged in turn. “No thank you,” she said. “I'll sell it to you as a weight of metal.”

Milco nodded. He unhooked the first steelyard and replaced it with another whose counterweight arm was much longer than that for the pan holding the objects being weighed.

The goldsmith would probably advance her something for food, but Sharina didn't have time to wait for him to make cautious inquiries to those with secret interest in demon worship. At least she didn't think she had time. Conceivably she'd have to stay in Valhocca for months or years before the Dragon sent her on the next stage of her journey—or until her friends rescued her. She thought of Cashel, striding toward her through whatever happened to be in his way.

As she waited, Sharina smiled to imagine Valhoccans secretly worshipping the Dragon. He wasn't a God or even a demon—though she wouldn't be surprised to learn that the Dragon had demonic powers.

Sharina doubted prayer would be a very good way to get him to help, though.

“Because you're a stranger,” Milco said as he set the three gold demons in the pan of his counterweight, “I'll mention that we exchange twenty weights of silver for one gold, and twelve copper for one weight of silver.

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Iron is ten to one against copper.”

“What sort of coins do you use here?” Sharina said. She'd seen the little iron wedges tossed to the

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