The einherjar 2, p.25
The Einherjar 2, page 25
After a few minutes, the middle aged merchant collected himself and slowly sat up in his chair. “Tell me more about your business plans.” he said finally, turning his attention back to his guest.
“Well, I have a few carcasses to sell, and I imagine I’ll gather more as time goes on, but primarily I would like to peddle my services as a healer here in town.”
Geoffrey nodded. “That makes sense. And you’ll have quite the glowing endorsement from me, once my daughter is better.”
James appreciated that the man seemed to be gaining faith in his daughter’s chances of recovery, and by extension, James’ skill as a healer.
“As to the carcasses, I can take them off your hands for a fair price.” he offered, planting his hands on the table and standing up. “Come on around back. I’ve got my warehouse set up back there.”
James followed the merchant back outside and around to the back of the house. It turned out that the building was split into three separate units. The front, facing the pathway they’d arrived by, was Geoffrey’s home. Perpendicular to that was the storefront, which faced another, larger pathway. As he had mentioned, the back of the building was setup as a decent sized warehouse, complete with work benches for butchering animals, and numerous crates and barrels for storage.
“Do you do the butchering yourself?” James asked, curious what skills the merchant possessed.
“Oh, goodness no.” Geoffrey shook his head. “I have a contract with the best butcher in town. He’ll clean, skin and butcher the animals for me, for a standard fare. After that, I sell the hides to the tanners, as I don’t mess with that wretched business either. The meat, as well as any other usable parts like claws, teeth, and so on, go on sale in my shop.”
“Fair enough.” James said with a nod. “What other goods do you trade in?”
“Anything and everything, my good man! What are you looking for?” the merchant asked with a gleam in his eye.
“Primarily magic, such as books, scrolls, potions, and artifacts of all kinds. Beyond that, slaves are my biggest priority.” Hel’s Champion answered.
“Hmm.” Mr. Eaton frowned and scratched his chin. “You’re not looking for anything cheap, that’s for sure. As for magic, you won’t find anything like that in this town, except perhaps the odd scroll or tome from Father Cannon… and I doubt he would do business with you.”
James grimaced and shook his head. “I can’t imagine he will. I’m sure he sees me as competition at best… a monster to be slain at worst.”
“You’ve got that right.” Geoffrey agreed with a nod. “Though when it comes to competition, Father Cannon can only deal with so many minor injuries a day, and only one major affliction at most.”
“Good to know. Thanks for the info.” James said with a grin.
Geoffrey chuckled. “Now, about the slaves. I don’t have any for sale right now, but I do get some occasionally. The slavers usually sell them directly, down at the slave market. I’m sure they have a few in stock that haven’t sold yet, since they are quite expensive, as I mentioned.”
“I take it the market isn’t hard to find?” James asked.
The merchant shook his head. “You can’t miss it. It’s a stone’s throw from the south gate, along the main road. It also doubles as a brothel, for those that want to rent a slave girl for a short time.” he said with a wink.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” the einherjar replied, intentionally ignoring the scowl he was getting from the valkyrie at his side.
“So. Is your other slave bringing the carcasses along?” Mr. Eaton asked, looking around for the fairy he’d seen earlier.
“Uh, no.” James replied, realizing he was going to have to reveal one of his blessings.
Acrasia popped out from where she had been hiding under her owner’s wings. “Do you need something, Master?” she asked sweetly.
James shook his head. “No, my pet. You can stay out of sight, if you like.”
“I think I’m okay now, Master. I just didn’t like how those guards were looking at me.” she told him, resuming her usual seat on his shoulder.
Geoffrey looked confused. “Then… may I ask where your goods are? You did say you had them with you. Surely you didn’t leave them outside the town unattended?”
Taking a deep breath, James decided to trust the man. “As I mentioned before, I am Hel’s Champion. As such, I am the beneficiary of her blessings. One of those blessings allows me to do this…” The einherjar held his hand out over the counter top and summoned one of the raptor corpses.
Mr. Eaton gasped and took a step back in surprise. “How… where were you hiding it?” he asked, warily approaching the dead dinosaur.
Giving the man a conspiratorial grin, James spelled out the nature of his blessing. “As I was just explaining, Hel’s blessing allows me to summon objects from a building in her demesne. The primary purpose of this gift is to allow me to store items without having to carry them on my person.”
“That… is an incredibly useful blessing. Why is it so cold?” the merchant asked, placing his hand on the raptor’s head.
“Hel’s domain is naturally cold to start with.” James explained. “I use that to my advantage and store items that are perishable in the basement, thereby slowing decomposition.”
“Ah. Smart.” Geoffrey nodded. “I don’t suggest you let the guards know about your gift.” he advised after some thought.
“I won’t. I hadn’t planned on telling anyone, but… I felt I could trust you to keep my secret.” the einherjar confided in his new friend.
Geoffrey chuckled. “A merchant who spills his client’s secrets doesn’t remain in business long.” he assured the Champion. “Now, let’s see what I can give you for this. I can give you 378 obols for the meat.” he stated, picking up an abacus. “How many do you have?”
“Five.” stated the hunter, dropping the other four carcasses on the counter, next to the first.
“Okay. It’ll take the butcher the better part of the day to deal with that many. His wages have to come out of the profits, and I pay him 1 drachma a day. I’ll give you 20 obols per hide as well. That just leaves the bones, teeth and claws. Hmm. How about 10 obols per beast for the rest?” he offered.
“That would be 408 obols per raptor?” James asked to confirm.
“Yes. So… 2040 obols for the five, minus 1 drachma for the butcher.” Geoffrey answered after doing the calculations. “You walk away with 19 drachma and 40 obols.”
“I also have this rabbit skin.” James offered, summoning the item in question and dropping it on the counter.
“Less impressive than the raptors, certainly.” Geoffrey chuckled. “I can give you 5 obols for it.”
“Deal.” James agreed, extending his hand to the shorter man.
“Deal.” Geoffrey repeated, shaking the einherjar’s hand with a smile. “Come on in and I’ll get you your coin.”
James followed the merchant back to the main house and sat down at the table. Hrein knelt at his side and whispered when the merchant went off into another room. “Dost thou thinkest that was a fair deal, Master?”
James shrugged. “He has to make a profit off everything he sells. You won’t ever get the same prices from a merchant that you’d get if you sold an item directly to a customer. Maybe half.”
Hrein nodded. “But it dost save thee the trouble of finding said customers.”
“Precisely.” James agreed, leaning down to steal a kiss from her before the merchant came back.
Sure enough, James was just sitting upright in his seat when Geoffrey returned, carrying a small sack of coins.
“Here you go. 19 drachma, 45 obols. As we agreed.” he stated, setting the bag on the table. “Feel free to count them.”
“Thank you.” James replied, simply slipping the money into his Inventory without counting it. “I believe I can trust you. I hope to continue doing business with you, after all.”
“Certainly something I would welcome.” Mr. Eaton replied. “At the very least, I hope you’ll stop by tomorrow. I’d like to talk to you after we see how quickly my daughter recovers.”
James nodded. “It will take quite a while before she is as strong and healthy as she should be, but I imagine you will see significant improvement rather quickly.” Standing up from the table, James gave the merchant a slight bow. “Until tomorrow, then.”
“Until tomorrow.” Geoffrey stood and saw them out.
After leaving Mr. Eaton’s home, James slipped his hand into Hrein’s as he walked down the path. I don’t get enough time just being with her. he realized. I’m going to have to make more effort to show each of them how I feel.
Reaching the main road, the trio crossed the street and took in the Temple of Hermes as they approached. “It really does remind me of a bank.” James muttered under his breath. The entire building was constructed of white stone, most likely marble, and was far and away to most advanced structure in the town.
James reached the door first and held it open for Hrein. The valkyrie gave him a soft smile and a nod before passing into the building before him.
“Welcome.” came a friendly, if businesslike, voice.
James looked past his wife to see a man dressed in a white chiton standing behind a counter. The trim of his clothing, and accompanying belt, both appeared to be made from golden silk, while a familiar gold medallion hung around his neck.
“How may I help you today?” the man asked, not showing any surprise or distaste at James’ appearance.
“I have a couple of items of business that I’d like to take care of, if I can.” James replied with a smile as he stepped up to the counter. “The first is to have these assessed and exchanged.” The ex-soldier reached into his pocket and summoned the two gold nuggets that he’d claimed from Ocelotl’s corpse. Placing them on the counter, he continued to smile at the person he presumed was a priest of Hermes.
“Of course.” the priest nodded, picking up the nuggets. The man began by placing the gold on a scale which was sitting prominently on the counter between them. After noting something on a slate tablet, he then dropped the nuggets into a glass container. The container, which James was calling a beaker in his head, due to it being clearly marked for measuring, was roughly half full of water. The priest made another note on his tablet, then pulled a small notebook from under the counter and seemed to reference it. “Pure gold.” the man announced. Making a few more marks on his tablet and moving a few beads on an abacus, the banker / priest smiled up at his customer. “Combined, the nuggets are worth 1 gold Talent and 27 silver Drachma. Would you like to exchange them?”
“May I ask what the assessment fees and exchange rates are?” James asked politely.
The man gave the einherjar a genuine smile. “You’re not from around here, and by ‘here’ I mean Terra, are you?”
James chuckled and shook his head. “That obvious, eh?”
The priest nodded. “All who live here know that the Temples of Hermes do not charge for exchanging currencies, precious metals, or gems. Nor do we charge any fees for assessments.”
James’ eyebrows raised at this statement. “Truly? Then how do you stay in the black, as it were?”
The priest laughed. “We make our profits by delivering mail, as well as selling these.” he claimed, fingering the Tower Medallion on his neck. “Of course we also give loans to those we deem able to pay them back.”
“I see.” said James, scratching his beard. “And you provide the other services, which really don’t cost you much of anything, as a means of building trust and reputation.”
The priest gave Hel’s Champion a shark like grin. “It’s always good to speak with a fellow businessman.” Nodding, the man went on. “You’re exactly right. And we do have an excellent reputation, by the way. Everyone knows that a letter or parcel given to the Temple of Hermes is one that will be delivered, without fail.”
The einherjar chuckled. “Good to know. And yes, I would like to exchange the gold nuggets, please.”
“Of course.” the priest replied, continuing to smile as he slipped the items beneath the counter and began counting out coins. Once he’d double checked his count, he neatly piled the coins in a wooden tray on the counter. “1 Talent and 27 drachma. And what was your other item of business, sir?”
Scooping up the silver, James pretended to put it in his pocket, while sending it to his Inventory. Immediately after, he summoned his lone gold Talent and placed it in the tray next to the one he’d received for the nuggets. “I’d like to buy one of your Tower Medallions, please.”
“Ah. A wise decision for a businessman new to the region. Of course. I’ll be right back with your medallion.” Plucking the two gold coins from the tray, he deposited them somewhere below the counter, before turning end entering a door at the back of the room.
It was only at that point that James had occasion to look around, and immediately spotted a short man standing in the corner, next to an expensive looking vase. The einherjar was immediately stricken with the idea that the man was a dwarf, given his robust build and short height, in conjunction with the bright red and very full beard hanging halfway down his chest. Not only did the man’s stature resemble the stereotypical dwarf from fantasy, but he was also decked out in some serious looking armour; full plate, if James wasn’t mistaken. Either way, he was covered from head to toe in what looked like highly polished steel, and had a wicked looking double bitted axe in one hand, resting over his shoulder. He also had a short sword of some kind strapped to his hip, so it looked like he was ready for anything that might come his way.
The dwarf didn’t say a word, but merely stared at James and his wife, not taking his eyes off them for a second. Noticing his icy glare, James gave the stout man a nod and turned his attention back to the counter. Smart of them to hire impressive guards. James thought to himself. I bet it’s standard procedure for the Temples of Hermes.
A few seconds later, the priest reemerged from the back room. “Sorry for the wait.” he apologized. “Your Tower Medallion, sir.” he stated, placing a gold pendant in the wooden tray. It came with a functional leather thong, allowing it to be placed around one’s neck, without having to buy a separate necklace for it.
“Thank you.” James replied with a smile. Picking it up, the einherjar hung it around his neck, and noticed the slight tingle of magic entering his mind.
“Will that be all, sir?” the priest asked.
“Yes, thank you… unless…” James had a thoughtful look on his face.
“Unless?” the priest looked curious what other business the einherjar might have with him.
“You said you exchange currencies, and didn’t assume I’m from this… realm.” James asked hesitantly.
“Ah.” the priest replied in understanding. “You’re wondering if we’ll exchange currencies from off world?”
James chuckled and shook his head, hardly believing he was having such a conversation. “Yeah. That’s what I was wondering.”
The priest joined him in mild laughter. “We do get the occasional request. It might surprise you, but yes, we accept all legal tender. For coins, we base the value on their precious metal content. With paper money, it’s a bit more complicated. We have to exchange it for its current value in silver.”
James was a bit taken aback. “How on Earth do you know the day’s market value of silver… on Earth?” he asked awkwardly.
The priest’s shark like smile returned. “It’s simple, really. With a quick prayer to Hermes, any of his priests or priestesses can know such a thing. He’s the god of Trade and Wealth, after all.”
For the first time since James had entered, the dwarf made a noise. Snorting, the dwarf let the cat out of the bag. “Bah. Hermes just turns around and asks one o’ his followers on Earth what the day’s value be. Nothing too special about it.”
The priest glowered at the guard, unhappy that his little ‘miracle’ had been revealed. “It’s still Lord Hermes’ power that allows the information to be gleaned.”
James gave a good natured chuckle at the two’s bickering. “In that case, I’d like to exchange a few Canadian Dollars, if I can.”
“Of course.” the priest replied, back to his business smile. “One moment, please.”
James waited a minute or two while the priest withdrew to the back room once more. Must like to pray in privacy. he guessed.
“Today’s exchange rate is $30.56 Canadian for 1 ounce of silver.” the priest announced as he returned to the main area.
“I have…” James summoned his wallet in his pocket, then drew it out and counted the bills therein. “$130 in cash on me.” he stated, pulling out 6 twenties and 2 fives and placing them in the wooden tray. I wish I had access to my bank accounts… the einherjar lamented. “Oh, wait. I also have…” James slipped his wallet into his pocket and sent it back to his Inventory. He then summoned the change he’d had in his jacket pocket, which he rarely ever used, thus his forgetting about it. “One loonie, seven quarters and two dimes, so another $2.70.” he stated, piling those into the tray as well.
“I’ve been advised that your Canadian coins have no precious metals in them whatsoever, so I am to treat them as paper currency. Is that acceptable?” the priest informed him.
“Yeah.” James replied, slightly embarrassed. “Canada stopped putting anything valuable in our money a long time ago.”
“Then how be it worth anything?” the dwarf suddenly asked, seemingly affronted by the very notion of ‘worthless’ money.
“Uh… it’s complicated.” James tried to explain. “It’s not the value of the money itself, but the promise of its value in trade… or something like that?”
“That’s stupid.” the dwarf snorted and looked away.
“Yeah… yeah it is.” James agreed. “We never should have abandoned the gold standard.” Screw modern monetary theory. Inflation blows.
“So, $132.70 Canadian, then?” the priest asked, getting the conversation back on track.
“Yes, please.” James confirmed with a nod.
