Gweneth glanced at each of the three men.Wow!Niran, Ransom, and even Ellard were looking at her in approval.A cause for celebration.
“Should we start at the beginning of this side of the street?If we don’t finish, we can visit the other traders on the morrow.”
Ellard groaned.“Can’t we go quicker than that?”
“This is business,” Gweneth chided, although she winked at Sable.“Here, you take charge of my compad.Lynx wants notes of the goods that the traders would be willing to bring to the festival.We’ll need depictions too.”She handed over her compad.
Ellard stared at her.“I can’t, not with my hand.”
“Of course you can,” she said.“Ransom will help.”
Gweneth headed to the first shop and entered, scanning the contents with growing approval.Better than she’d hoped.Much better.Colors—every one of the color palette—filled shelves.Scarves and everything a woman would want to groom or wear in her hair.When she couldn’t hear Sable following her, she turned and gestured for her to hurry.“Come and tell me if I’m imagining things.The colors.They’re gorgeous.”
Sable entered, her footsteps dragging.She reminded Gweneth of a timid mouse.
“Look.”Gweneth decided to take charge.“This scarf is the exact shade as your eyes.Such a gorgeous mixture of blue and green.And this…” She plucked a jeweled comb from a shelf and held it against Sable’s long black hair.“This would be perfect in your hair.”
“I have no experience with combs and such.”
“I do,” Gweneth said.“I’ll show you, and you can wear it for dinner.Ellard, we need a depiction.”
An elderly woman—a dragon, judging by her thin golden eyes—bustled through a doorway.She hesitated on seeing Ransom.“Chieftain Ransom.”
“We are here to do some shopping,” he said.“The ladies have taken a liking to some of your goods.This is Ellard Tetsu and Gweneth Swithin from Viros.”He explained their mission and obtained an agreement for Ellard to take depictions along with relevant information about her goods.
They ambled along the street, the number of packages that Niran and Ransom carried steadily growing.
“This is one of our shops.”Niran took Gweneth’s arm and guided her to an unimposing building.“We take great pride in setting up a business since we had to learn new skills in order to produce stock for our shop.”
Gweneth stared at the lackluster window display and tried to think of an encouraging response.“It’s very clean,” she said finally.
Ransom chuckled.“There, Niran.I told you your people needed a better display to attract customers.”
“We want intelligent customers and have built up a loyal following.You forget, my friend, we do not require money or material possessions.This enterprise is a way for our people to fit in to the world of other races.”
Gweneth took a deep breath to center her mind since she thought her tact might get a workout in this instance.“What do you sell?”
“Ladies’ apparel,” Niran said.
“I don’t require any clothes,” Sable said.“I’ll stay outside with Ellard.”
Over her dead body.“Remember, we’re splurging and both purchasing something to wear tonight,” Gweneth said.On seeing Sable’s frown, she added, “Word-of-mouth advertising is crucial to any business.We would be helping the owners of this business by showcasing their clothing tonight.”Gweneth peered inside the very white shop and prayed she wouldn’t live to regret this spur-of-the-moment strategy.
“My allowance is spent,” Sable protested.
Gweneth wanted to stomp her feet and shake the other woman.She did neither and managed a strained smile instead.
Ransom winked at Gweneth.“I will purchase a gown for you, Sable.Go inside with Gweneth.Ellard and I will discuss business while Niran introduces you both.”He cloaked his words in an order.
A tiny crease of stubbornness etched into Sable’s forehead.
Gweneth shrugged and maintained her strained smile as she entered the shop with Niran.Camryn and Jannike would tell her that competition was good for her.Personally, she didn’t like it one bit.
Inside, a single rack of garments claimed her attention.The fabric shimmered and made her long to caress the jewel-bright colors.
Two women shimmered into focus.Both possessed long, straight white hair, their faces were pale with prominent rosy cheeks while their white eyes held pinpricks of glacier-blue.Their dresses reminded Gweneth of the ones she’d seen in Earth history books during her quest for knowledge.Vintage period with full skirts, fitted bodices and nipped-in waists.Pretty.
Niran beamed.“May I present my wife, Aurora, and my oldest daughter, Patrice?This is Gweneth who is visiting from the planet, Viros.And, of course, you know Sable.”
