Murdok and Zeth fell in behind her and Aeron, the three Mercs moving in a triangular configuration around her. If she didn’t know any better, she would have said they were being protective of her.
Because I’m their property,she thought.
Still, it worked in her favor. The Mercs’ big bodies helped to conceal her from the prying eyes of the cityfolk around them, and that was a good thing. There were people in Jeriko whomight still remember her after all these years. People whom Ronareallydidn’t want to deal with.
After a few more minutes of walking, they had reached the center of the business district. They came to a stop in front of an enormous gray structure fronted by massive, rain-bitten columns. Men in expensive suits and fine silken robes loitered outside. They glanced only briefly at the Mercs and their leashed prize before returning to their conversations.
Rona recognized the building instantly. She’d come here often as a girl to beg for spare credbits from the wealthy merchants who frequented the place.
It was the Bursa, the hall where businessmen could buy and sell shares of the local publicly traded companies.
“Wait… what are we doinghere?”
“You keep asking that,” Aeron said.
“No, I don’t mean Jeriko. I mean, why are we stopping here at the Bursa?”
“Why d’you think?” said Aeron. “To buy some stock. Brundage said most of the shareholders in Riadne Mining Company had been selling off their shares. The price is probably good and cheap with the mine shut down.”
Rona stared at him in shock.
“Unbelievable,” she said. “You’re gonna buy up the stock while it’s cheap. Then, after you’ve gotten rid of the raiders and the price goes back up again, you’re gonna sell it for a profit.”
“Pretty much.”
Rona scowled. “That’s the most unethical thing I’ve ever heard.”
Aeron just shrugged.
“Woman, I kill people for a living. I don’t know where you got the idea I was ethical.” He handed the leash over to Zeth. “Hang on to her while I go inside. Murdok, you stay here and keep an eye on things. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
He walked between the pillars and disappeared inside.
“Well,” said Zeth, “guess we’ve got some time to kill.”
His smile was sweet, but the way he said the wordkillsent a shiver up Rona’s back.
There were covered stalls on the other side of the road where vendors were hawking their wares. Zeth led Rona across the street to have a look. Murdok followed behind them, huge and terrifying. When the other customers saw them coming, they all moved out of the mercenaries’ way.
I guess there are some benefits to hanging out with the Mercs, Rona thought.
But there were too many eyes on her now. Entirely too many eyes.
“What do you think of this?” Zeth asked, stopping in front of a jeweler’s table. He selected a string of pearls off a rack and held it up to Rona’s throat. “Very becoming, don’t you think?”
Murdok grunted.
“I’d rather see her wearing a different kind of pearl necklace.”
Rona rolled her eyes.
And noticed something gleaming a few stalls down.
“Oh,” she said, pointing. “What about those?”
“Knives?”
“Yeah. I need a new one. My old one got broken.”
