The Steel Harvest (6 page)

“So, what did you have in mind, miss?”

“Well…” To Carter’s relief, Silvia looked up at him. Her eyes searched his pointedly. Grasping the opportunity, he put his arm in front of his companion and cleared his throat.

“She’s going to need two full sets of clothing and a coat. I will also need a coat, but something a little more suited for a trader.”

The clerk looked down, rubbing his chin. After a moment, his smile returned. “Let’s start with the coats, aye?” he said. “I’ve got them in the back, so it won’t be but a moment.”

Carter nodded, and the clerk rushed off, leaving Carter and Silvia alone in the room together. The noisy streets outside were muffled by the shop walls, making the room seem quiet.

“You have that look in your eye,” Silvia muttered, walking across the room.

“Hmm?”

“That look. My father used to get it when he was negotiating a business deal. What are you up to?”

Carter glanced over at his companion. Silvia busied herself, examining a set of clothes in the front window.

“What does your father do exactly, anyhow?” Carter asked.

“He deals with part replacement on The Shell.”

“Does he ever deal with people from the surface?”

“Sometimes. He buys scrap metal and uses it to make replacement panels for circuit boards.”

Carter whistled. “Well, that’s just the look a tradesman gets when he’s in battle.”

“
In battle?
”

“Yeah, so to speak. When two traders negotiate, it’s like a battle of words. The quickest thinker with the sharpest tongue comes out on top and makes a profit. The loser, on the other hand, takes a loss.”

“But in this case, we are buying from that man, not negotiating. Won’t he profit no matter what?”

“Yes, but here on the surface, money is a lot harder to come by. He wants to get as much as he can from me, and I want to spend as little as possible. So he’s going to try his best to wring every last cent out of me.”

“And you’re going to do everything you can to make him lower the price?”

Carter nodded. Silvia smiled, turning her eyes back to the clothes in front of her.

It’s a shame, really. Had she been born on the surface, she would have made an incredible trader.

“Okay!” the shop clerk announced, carrying a lump of fabric under each arm. “These two coats should be in a traveling merchant’s price range. Both have been field tested, of course, and are guaranteed to keep you warm on those cold nights.”

Carter walked back to the counter and inspected the coats. They were older, one grey and one black. Slipping on the larger of the two, he tossed the other to Silvia.

“What do you think, Silvia?”

“Sir, did you say it would keep us warm ‘on those cold nights’?”

The clerk smiled at Silvia as if she were a lost puppy. “That’s right, miss,” he said. “I guarantee it.”

“Still, I doubt it would keep me dry, correct?”

The clerk’s smile immediately vanished. Carter, equally surprised, glanced over to his companion. She stared innocently at the pudgy little man, but the clerk looked wounded. Carter noted the man’s trembling hand as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

What is she getting at?

“I’m sorry, miss, I’m not exactly sure what you mean.”

Exaggerating her movements, Silvia moved away from the window, lifting her arm above her head. Pointing to her armpit, she stared at the clerk expectantly.

“Why, sir, there are rips here under the arms, and the patches on the inside are stitched so poorly they will surely come undone soon. Even if the coat itself is waterproof, it will surely leak where it’s ripped. Not only would the person wearing it get drenched to the bone, but their coat would surely mold as well.”

Coming to a rest next to Carter, Silvia pointed to the patch on his shoulder. “This coat is in a similar condition, too, is it not?”

The store clerk stood glued to his spot, utterly speechless. Carter suppressed a snicker. Pulling off his coat, he took Silvia’s and set both on the counter.

When your opponent is weak, go for the kill! No mercy!

“I’m sure it’s just a mistake, Silvia. Isn’t that right, sir?”

The clerk’s eyes flicked between Carter and his discarded wares. No doubt he would lunge at the opportunity to salvage the situation. A store owner’s reputation held more value than a traveling merchant’s. He couldn’t just pack up and leave when his name got sullied.

“A-a mistake? Yes, a mistake!” the man bumbled.

“It’s no matter, sir. Surely, you will rectify the situation.”

“Y-yes of course!” The man practically ran to the back room, looking more like a pig at the slaughter than a store clerk.

Silvia grinned, putting her hands on her hips.

“I’ll admit, I’m impressed,” Carter said. “You have quite the eye.”

“What’s that, a compliment? I thought I was nothing but a hole in your purse.”

The clerk scrambled back into the room, his face burning. Waddling forward, he handed new coats to each of them, bowing slightly. Giving it a once over, Carter slipped his on. It felt firm and stiff, seemingly brand new.

“It’s a nice fit.”

“It’s the best I have, sir.” The clerk wore a smile like a man about to be whipped.

“What do you think, Silvia?” Carter asked.

“Tis a perfect fit. Worthy of any traveler!”

The clerk sighed quietly, mopping the sweat from his forehead. “Shall we proceed to the lass’s clothing next, then?” he asked, glancing between Carter and Silvia.

“Sounds good.”

This time, instead of heading for the back room, the clerk walked to the front of the store and sifted through the piles of scattered clothing. Pulling out a long-sleeved shirt, a pair of black pants, and a sturdy set of traveling moccasins, he offered them to Silvia. She took them tentatively, as if appraising them.

“They
seem
nice enough,” she muttered, glancing up quizzically.

“You can try them on in the back, if you’d like, miss. I assure you, they are of the upmost quality.”

Silvia immediately scampered off with the clothes. Carter eyed the store clerk curiously.

Is he going to try pulling anything else?

“While your friend changes, why don’t we talk about price?”

Carter shot the clerk a grin. “Sure. You have another set like that? We need two of everything for her.”

“Certainly.” The clerk quickly gathered a second set of clothes, setting it on the counter. “For two full sets of clothing, plus the two jackets, it will cost you fifteen silver rugbas.”

Carter resisted the urge to furrow his brow.

That’s too high. A gold rugba is worth twenty-one silver at the current market price. There’s no way I can afford nearly an entire gold piece, especially after buying Dullahan and the cart.

“That’s unfortunate,” Carter sighed, smiling faintly. “I’ll have to shop elsewhere for my companion’s clothes then.”

“B-but
!
”

“I would love it if I didn’t have to travel all over the market today. After all, wouldn’t it be a shame if I had to explain why such a premier shop as yours couldn’t help me?”

“Sir, there’s no need to be hasty.”

“After what happened with the coats, I’d be pressed to
—
”

“Eleven!”

Carter smiled.

Bingo.

“What was that?” Carter asked, pulling out his coin purse.

“E-eleven rugbas. I’ll give you all of it for eleven rugbas.”

“Hmm.” Carter pretended to mull it over, savoring the moment. “Drop it to eight, and you have a deal.”

The clerk’s eyes glazed over, his mouth hanging half open.

“Eight? A-are you serious? I’m already losing money on this deal!”

“Well, you could stand to lose a lot more. Consider the extra discount incentive to return some day. You do value loyal customers, do you not?”

The shopkeeper’s eyes narrowed, his scowl unbecoming of his profession. Grabbing a long, wool scarf from behind the counter, he set it on top of the coats.

“Ten,” he muttered, “and I’ll throw in the scarf for the lass. Don’t want her catching a cold when the winds pick up for the season.”

Carter grinned. Taking ten silver coins from his coin purse, he counted them out onto the counter and shook the clerk’s hand.

“Deal. Nice doing business with you.”

The shopkeeper mumbled, scooping the coins up as he resumed his position behind the counter. Carter picked up his purchase, and the door at the back of the room swung open. Carter looked up, his jaw involuntarily dropping. Silvia’s new wardrobe fit snugly against her slender body. Carter swallowed, forcing his mouth shut.

“Well? How do I look?” Silvia asked, striking a pose.

Carter was speechless.

“That good, huh?”

Carter scowled, his cheeks burning. Picking up the scarf, he threw it at her, diffusing the sudden tension. Snatching it out of the air, Silvia wrapped it around her neck. Hiding her mouth, she gave Carter a devious stare.

“Good thing I have you to protect me from all of those lustrous suitors, aye sir knight?”

Carter groaned. “God. Come on, let’s get out of here.” Striding across the room, he stepped back onto the street. Silvia followed close behind him, pulling her coat over her as the wind picked up.

“That was quiet a show we put on for that man, eh?” Silvia asked, coming up next to Carter as she gazed around the market.

“Yeah,” he admitted, grinning. “He’ll be okay though. Traders are resilient. He’ll be back to his old self by the time his shop opens tomorrow.”

“No doubt. Still, that was rather fun.”

“Just don’t let it go to your head. Remember, we could easily end up on the other side of the same coin one day.”

Silvia puffed her cheeks, looking at him like a pouting child. “There’s
always
a downside with you, isn’t there?”

Carter snickered at his companion, patting her on the head. “It’s a knight’s job to think through all the possibilities, isn’t it, milady?”

“Ugh. Whatever. How dare you try to use my own tricks against me.”

“Oh, hey, I almost forgot.” Carter stopped, eyeing Silvia.

“Eh?” Silvia halted as well, glancing back at her companion.

“You’ve got a very keen eye for quality,” Carter said, rubbing his stubbly chin.

Silvia grinned faintly. “You mentioned that already, you dunce.”

“I’m serious, though. I didn’t even think to check the stitching in the coat. I always just check the fabric itself.”

“Well, it comes naturally to me, I guess. It seemed like nothing when I would watch my dad do it anyhow. It just made sense.”

“Do you think you could do the same thing with more than just clothes?”

Silvia peered at Carter curiously. “I suppose so. Why?”

Carter took a deep breath.

Here we go.

“I have a proposal to make.”

“Okay, what?”

“Well, how would you feel about being my business partner?”

Silvia’s eyes widened. She stared at Carter for a while, stock-still as people rushed all around them. “Your business partner?”

“Yeah. See, this trip of ours is going to cost me quite a bit of money. I wasn’t going to ask you for payment; that’s not why I’m helping you. But I figured if you have that good an eye, we could help each other. You travel with me as my trading partner, helping me drive prices in our favor, and in return I can teach you more of the basics to trading. Then, when we reach Montar, you can go home, and we will part ways better off than we started.”

Chuckling at some private joke, Silvia crossed her arms, mimicking Carter’s grin perfectly. “Figures that a man like you would need my help,” she joked, drawing her face uncomfortably close to his. “After all, you’re too busy acting tough to think straight!”

“That does seem to be my M.O. lately, yeah.”

“Well, I guess I have no choice but to accept, aye
partner
?”

“It would be a shame if you didn’t. Who else would partner up with a pushover like me?”

“You have a point. Maybe I’m the fool after all.”

Carter laughed. He resumed walking, Silvia by his side. Up ahead, the inn stood tall, waiting for them. Silvia quickened her pace, running ahead of him. Carter grinned, watching her go.

“You coming?”

“Yup, right behind you.”

“It’s cold in here. Can we please use the fireplace?”

“No, we are leaving in a few minutes. Just put your coat back on.”

Silvia puffed out her cheeks, frowning at Carter. He ignored her, pulling on his spare T-shirt. A blanket lay draped over the window to help with the draft, but the gradual leak of air left the room rather frigid.

“If I put on my coat, how will I get ready?” Silvia asked, draping her outerwear over her shoulders.

“Well, it’s up to you,” Carter said, “but either way I’m not wasting money on extra firewood.”

“Miser.”

“Wow. Cheap blow.”

Silvia didn’t respond, quaking exaggeratedly and blinking her eyes as if she might cry at any moment. Carter sighed.

She’s going to drive me into my grave.

“Trust me,” he muttered. “You’ll thank this miser when we have firewood to keep us warm on the road.”

“Too bad that doesn’t help me
now
.”

Picking up a blanket from the pile on the floor, Carter wrapped it around Silvia’s shoulders. The Shell dweller glanced up, shooting him a wry grin.

“You don’t give in easy, do you?”

“Nope. You’d have better luck asking the firewood for help.”

Sitting opposite his companion, Carter opened his bag. Sifting through its contents, he made sure everything sat in its proper place.

Can’t afford to turn back once we leave tomorrow morning. With the Covenant no doubt on our heels, returning to Boston won’t be an option. Not for a while anyway.

Lastly, Carter pulled his pistol out, laying it in his lap while he dropped his bag beside him. He lifted the small firearm, running his hands over the cool silver surface.

“You don’t think it will come down to that, do you?” Silvia asked, her eyes resting on the pistol.

Carter said nothing. Suddenly sick of the thing, he tucked the gun safely into his coat’s breast pocket.

“No,” he managed after a moment. “No, I think…I think everything will turn out all right.”

“And if it comes down to it?”

“Then I’ll do what I have to.”

Silvia nodded. Carter looked down, avoiding her gaze.

I’ve never fired my pistol. I’ve never killed a man. But if I have to?

Carter steeled himself. If the moment arose, he would keep Silvia safe. The details were irrelevant.

“Anyway.” Silvia coughed, shooting Carter a weak smile. “Let’s get going. It’s nearly time, is it not?”

Carter grinned, the tension diffused. “Why, hungry much?”

“It’s not
my
fault I’ve gone from three meals a day to a meager two.”

Carter sighed.

Better not make her wait much longer, unless I want her playing me for the fool in front of Ramus.

“Yes, I do suppose now is as good a time as any,” he said, standing. “Ramus should be prepared by now.”

Silvia broke into an excited grin. Jumping up, she pulled her scarf around her neck. Then, arranging her hair so it partially hid her eyes, she bolted out the door. Carter watched her go. After blowing out the candle next to the door, he followed her into the hall. Her light footfalls could be heard echoing down the hall as she ran downstairs.

My god, she’s a handful.

Stepping down lazily toward the ground floor, Carter couldn’t help but grin.

Did I really forget what it’s like to be that energetic? To be that excited over my next meal?

Downstairs, the crowd backed up out the door, the dinner rush in full swing. Festive cheers bounced around the room, signaling the end of the week. Entering the rabble, Carter scanned the room, taking everything in.

Silvia stood propped against the wall. Her scarlet eyes darted back and forth underneath her bangs, as if absorbing as much as they could. Her mouth hung half open.

“Pubs are quite the sight to see in the evenings, aren’t they?” she muttered, refusing to look away from the crowd.

“Indeed,” Carter agreed. “Ramus has made quite a name for himself here, too.”

“There’s nothing like this on The Shell.”

“Oh?” Carter turned to Silvia.

She smiled. “Life down here is so much more…personal.”

Carter nodded, watching his companion.

Silvia chuckled to herself, her eyes far away on some distant memory. “When I was little, my father would take us to an observation platform,” she muttered. “I would use telescopes to look down at the villages sprinkled around the world and wonder what it was like down here.”

“Well, is it all you hoped it would be?”

“The jury’s still out. But, I mean, at least it’s never boring down here.”

Silvia’s gaze finally broke away from the sea of people, locking with Carter’s. He swallowed, refusing to look away. She smiled, a tinge of pain muddying her grin.

Still. There’s no place like home.

“Hey! Carter! Silvia!”

Their heads turned in perfect unison. Ramus stood at the other end of the bar, waving from the small door at the back of the pub. Silvia waved timidly, playing the part of a shy town lass. Watching her, Carter scowled slightly.

“Don’t break his heart too badly,” he murmured. “Ramus has grown rather fragile from his time as innkeeper.”

“Oh?” Silvia smirked over her shoulder. “This should be quite fun, then.”

Without hesitation, she stepped forward, making her way through the crowded bar. Carter followed, noting several patrons who turned to watch her pass.

She really is charming when she wants to be.

Unfortunately, Silvia seemed to know this. Glancing at her admirers, she feigned bashfulness, pulling her scarf up over her nose and mouth in a fluster. Carter snickered to himself. If they only knew how quickly that smile could eat them out of house and home.

“Hello again, Miss Silvia,” Ramus said, bowing slightly.

“Good evening, Ramus.” Silvia’s tone wavered evenly between serious and friendly.

“I’m sorry we got to speak so little last night. I trust the room is to your liking?”

“Yes, it is very cozy. I’m sure I will miss it once we leave.”

“She has no idea,” Carter interjected, walking up next to Silvia. “Just wait until your first night under the stars, isn’t that right, Ramus?”

“Quite right.” Ramus smiled, looking back and forth between the two. “The ground gets pretty hard in the winter, too. It’s quite the experience.”

“S-sleep on the ground?” Silvia said, opening her eyes wide as she mocked the two gentlemen. “How will I ever survive?”

The trio broke into a chorus of laughter, drawing the eyes of those in their immediate vicinity.

“Anyway,” Ramus continued, opening the door behind him, “would you both be so kind as to accompany me? It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to entertain company.”

Silvia curtsied slightly and then walked into the room beyond. Ramus held the door just long enough for Carter to intercept it before turning to the table beyond. Outside, the inn patrons collectively turned back to their drinks, the newcomers already forgotten.

“Please, make yourselves at home. The food should be ready any moment.”

Ramus played the role of host well, pulling out Silvia’s chair for her. Carter took his place next to his companion. Ramus lit a small heat stove in the corner of the room, his smile never wavering.

“This room get rented out a lot?” Carter asked.

“Hmm? Oh, a couple times in the summer, but I usually use this room for extra storage in the winter.”

“Weddings?”

“Exactly.”

The door at the far left of the room opened as Ramus sat, revealing four cooks, dinner in hand. Carter’s jaw nearly hit the table. Cooked fish, fresh bread, butter and jam, boiled beef, even fresh foods such as corn and baked goods in the form of spice rolls.

There’s enough food here to feed a group of nobles and then some!

“Ramus? What is all of this?”

“Hey, it’s not every day you get to dine with royalty, eh?” Ramus grinned. “Anyway, feel free to dig in!”

Silvia barely hesitated, piling food onto her plate. Carter watched for a moment, still reeling. How could she put away so much food so easily? By comparison, Carter basically starved himself.

“This is…delicious…thank you,” Silvia sputtered between mouthfuls, completely forgetting her manners.

“It’s my pleasure. Is this all new to you?”

“I’ve had…the fish before…but that’s it.”

Carter looked over, surprised. “How do they get fish on The Shell?”

“They grow them…in tanks.”

Carter nearly spit out his food. “W-what?” he sputtered.

Ramus smirked. Silvia looked back and forth between them, as if confused.

After a moment, their host turned to her and explained. “See, down here fish are so plentiful all we have to do is go to a lake or another body of water and fish for them.”

“Isn’t that inefficient, though?”

Ramus smiled patiently. “Not really. See, it’s actually pretty easy once you get used to it, and so many fish grow naturally down here that it wouldn’t make sense to waste money growing them. Sure, it might save time when we go to eat them; after all, we wouldn’t have to catch them. But that doesn’t outweigh the price.”

“Oh.”

“So, Carter, you all stocked up?” Ramus asked, changing the subject.

Carter nodded. “Yeah, I think so. Everything’s packed, so I’d like to be pulling out of here by noon tomorrow.”

“Where are you heading next? Straight for Montar?”

“No, the path’s too long with too few stops in between. We’re gonna follow my trading route up until we hit Corbin. After that—”

“We can both get back to our lives,” Silvia joked, finishing for him.

Carter nodded, grateful.

“That’s quite the journey,” Ramus remarked, refilling his plate. “So you’ll be stopping in New Manhattan, then?”

“Yeah.”

Ramus turned to Silvia. “That will be fun for you, little lady.”

“Eh?”

“New Manhattan is a huge city. Some of its buildings go as high as five or six stories!”

This finally drew Silvia’s attention away from her food. Looking up, her jaw hung open slightly. A bit of fish hung off her lower lip as she stared at Ramus. Carter covered his eyes with his hand.

She’s such a kid.

“Five stories?” Silvia marveled. “How do they stay up in the wind?”

“Honestly, I have no idea.” Ramus gave an honest grin, exposing his teeth. “That’s way beyond my paygrade.”

Silvia turned to Carter in a flash. “Can we see them while we’re there? Please?”

“S-sure.”

“All right!”

Ramus snickered under his breath. “So, how do you plan on funding this grand expedition?” he asked.

“Well, between the two of us I think we will be able to keep up a decent amount of trade—”

“Wait, ‘the two of you’?”

“Yeah,” Silvia spoke up. “Carter and I are partnering up until we go our separate ways.”

Ramus nearly choked on his food. Slamming his hand against the table, he leaned over, laughing hard. Carter chuckled awkwardly, shrinking back in his chair. Silvia, however, failed to be amused, her half-grin slowly warping into a scowl. She stared at Ramus as he pulled himself together.

“Hahaha. Sorry, that’s just… Carter, what are you doing teaming up with a
tenderfoot
?”
Ramus wheezed.

“Excuse me?” Silvia interjected, her brow furrowing even further.

“Oh, um, I didn’t mean offense, miss. Really, it’s just that Carter doesn’t team up with people. Ever. He just doesn’t strike me as someone who’d be patient enough to show a greenhorn the ropes, is all.”

“She might be new, but she’s far from worthless, if that’s what you’re implying,” Carter muttered. “It comes naturally to her from what I’ve seen. She’s got a keen eye and can play most people like a fiddle.”

This improved Silvia’s mood dramatically. Flushing slightly, she grinned at him.

Still, Ramus crossed his arms, eyeing the duo carefully. “I don’t know, man. Plenty of people have raw talent, but they’re still a pain in the ass to lug around.”

Carter flinched, waiting for the hammer to fall, but Silvia stayed surprisingly calm. She smiled brightly and then giggled flirtatiously. Carter’s mind went blank. Across the table, Ramus seemed equally dumbfounded.

Silvia only giggled more. Standing, she walked behind Carter, putting her hands on his shoulders. Despite himself, Carter stiffened. Ramus watched, clearly uncomfortable, as Silvia leaned down farther, wrapping her arms around Carter’s neck and hugging his head to her. Carter’s mind completely stopped functioning. The warmth of Silvia’s chest against the back of his head melted all ambitions, leaving him limp in her hands. Every nerve in his body stood on edge, screaming for him to run.