-
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Or, even more likely, it could be run completely by slaves, and the woman who owned them and the
property need not set foot there except to collect the profits.
She would not have the connections in the court to gain permission to change her house from a living-
place to a residence and commercial establishment. Someone else might. If she found the right broker,
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
B
B
Y
Y
B
B
r r
she might even be able to trade the value of the place as initial payment on a better home without
actually having to sell it. That was what Faro thought, and it seemed worth the trial. What could they
lose? The worst that could happen would be that the broker wasn't interested in such a proposal. The
best, that she would want it immediately. And it wasn't as if they had a great deal to move. In fact, there
wasn't anything that Faro couldn't carry to a new establishment in one trip. All else was conjuration.
The broker, one Antione Sibelle, recognized her immediately, as soon as she entered the woman's office.
That was something she had not expected.
"By the stars, it's Xylina, isn't it? The young woman who bested that monster in the arena a few days
ago?" The middle-aged broker rose from behind her desk to give Xylina the handclasp of full citizens, as
her secretary remained impassively at his own desk in an unobtrusive corner. Xylina envied her the
smooth linen tunic and breeches she wore, the same blue as her own outfit, but obviously not conjured.
Other than that, the broker was past her prime, but still fit; her neat, short hair about half gray and half
brown, and the hand that took Xylina's was the hand of a worker, not soft, but strong.
The office was a very pleasant place. It was paved with blue and white tiles, and with plastered walls
that had been painted with murals of girls exercising and playing games in a garden. It was well-
ventilated by a window which took up nearly the entire wall that looked out onto a garden . It was cool,
and comfortable, and faintly scented with flowers from the garden. It held the brokers desk, a case
holding rolled documents behind that desk, a chair for the broker and one for her desk, and a smaller
desk and chair in the corner for the broker's slave-scribe.
One day, perhaps, Xylina would have an office like this, and Faro would have a comfortable desk of his
own from which to oversee her business.
"A thousand congratulations, Xylina-" she continued effusively. Her clasp was firm and dry; it felt
honest, at least. "My goodness, people are still talking about you! And you are Elibet Harmonia's
daughter, aren't you?" At Xylina's nod, she smiled. "Ah, I thought so! Tragic, that earthquake-your
mother wasn't the only loss, though she was sorely missed. You have her look about you, the hair
especially, but I'm sure you know that."
Xylina tried not to show her feeling of sudden disorientation, but it was a difficult task. She hadn't
expected this total stranger to be privy to her own past-or at least, part of it. Antione spoke of her mother
as if she had known her personally. That was more than Xylina could say, in many ways. She had only
observed her mother as a child; this woman had known her as one adult knows another.
"Here, come, take a seat-" the broker said, directing her to the armless chair before the simple wooden
desk. "Now, what can I do for you?"
"I'd like to sell my house and purchase something in either the Moonflower or the Blue Lantern
quarters," she said carefully. She and Faro had paced the entire city yesterday after all, she with an eye
to the property itself, and he talking to the household slaves and getting a feel for what the relative prices
were in the area. It was in those two quarters-one old and currently out of fashion, one that was brand-
new, built to hold the people who had been displaced by those whose houses had been bought by the
freedmen, and who had not yet gained a fashionable status-they found properties that seemed to match
their requirements.
"As it happens, I am handling homes in both those districts," Antione replied, her brown eyes shrewd
and knowing. "You have a good eye for value, Xylina; I consider both those quarters to be undervalued
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
B
B
Y
Y
B
B
r r
at the moment. Now, what have you to offer me?"
Now came the moment of truth. How persuasive could she be? She would not admit that her home had
once been a stable; it no longer looked as if it had housed horses. "At the moment," she admitted, "my
property is very modest. I have my own house-which is at the edge of the Wall, in the Glass Fountain
quarter. It is not a very big house, but it does have some potential, I think."
Here she outlined what she and Faro had discussed: how it could be converted to a variety of businesses,
and which businesses the quarter lacked. Antione pursed her lips thoughtfully and nodded, her graying
curls bobbing over her broad forehead, as she followed Xylina's arguments.
"If one put in any kind of commercial establishment one would have to get the permission of the Queen
or her council first," Antione pointed out. "But-that is really a small matter, and I suspect it could be
done at the level of the privy secretary. It seems to me that it wouldn't be a handicap. I could manage
such permission, for instance."
Xylina smiled, for this was just exactly what Faro had told her. Already his advice had proved apt.
Then she added the idea that had come to her as they walked here this morning. It was an elaboration on [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] - zanotowane.pl
- doc.pisz.pl
- pdf.pisz.pl
- matkadziecka.xlx.pl