Anoril
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The Bazaar
Anoril, Glass and Lauren walk through the busy streets formed by the unsteady carts and stall of the bazaar. Around them merchants peddling their wares shout to the bustling crowd encouraging them to part with their gold. Not as if the people wandering aimlessly around here, from stall to pointless stall had ever even seen a piece of real gold, thought Anoril. When he wanted to buy things he went to a proper shop, with walls and security and pleasingly rich and plump folk behind the counters. He didn’t understand bazaars and taking the advice of Brenton to visit this particular bazaar hadn’t been a huge motivator in changing his opinion of them. They were such undignified, messy places. Glass probably loved it; perfect place to steal things wasn’t it? No guards or safes to protect property being traded. He could understand partly why Lauren liked the place, not the people obviously, snivelling little beggars bickering over the price of wheat. However there were some nice, probably stolen at some point, items for sale, tiny boxes that acted as wardrobes, dazzling dresses and jewellery. Yes that’s why she’d wanted to come here.
They walked side by side, Anoril in the middle so as to have Glass and Lauren between him and these lower people that seemingly existed to annoy him. Anoril had removed his pointed black and purple hat; he didn’t want any of the upper class to see him in a bazaar of all places. Although he needn’t have bothered changing his appearance, Lauren’s new white and silver dress and tight corset attracted the majority of the gaze of onlookers while the those that weren’t interested in Lauren’s…feminine charms were busy staring at Glass. They were most likely people he’d either mugged, been mugged by, who owed him money or were due money from him.
“Why did we come here?” Glass asked, sounding resigned.
“Lauren wanting to go shopping,” replied Anoril, without looking at Glass, why gaze upon the lower class when one didn’t have to? Politeness could be saved for the important, the famous and the beautiful.
“What rubbish,” replied Glass, “You were never so easily swayed Anoril.”
Lauren looked round Anoril at Glass, “When you combine your request with big eyes, long eye-lashes and recently applied blush you’d be amazed what he’ll do.”
“Right,” said Glass, quite fed up, “What am I doing here?”
Anoril searched his brain for an answer before saying, “I don’t know…a wizard did it.”
***
They came to a stall which was scattered with odds and ends, broken telescopes, crystal balls, mirrors which could commune with the dead at a certain time on Tuesday, baubles, books and a skull. If he was totally honest with himself, Anoril thought, it was the exact same things that every one of these creepy merchants sold. Tat, tourist junk.
They watched quietly as a customer next to them went through the motions of a purchase.
“How much is this amulet?” he asked.
The merchant replied, “Five gold pieces, sir.”
“Ah, all right,” the man fished around in his pockets for the coins.
“Sorry, sir did I say five? I meant ten. Ten gold pieces.” The merchant grinned.
“You just said five!” the man protested.
“Inflation, sir,” the merchant grinned nastily and he relieved the man of five more gold pieces than were due.
As the man walked away Lauren turned to Anoril and said, “What was that about?”
Anoril sighed; this was why he didn’t like bazaars, people trying to be clever when they were, quite clearly, publicly educated. “He didn’t haggle. He agreed to give the price asked and that showed how much he wanted that piece of tat.”
Lauren screwed up her face, “It couldn’t be he thought the amulet was worth 5 gold pieces?”
“You’re cute, you’re not to bright,” replied Anoril, “It’s not about how much things are worth,” he looked around the bazaar and sighed, “It’s about how much you’re willing to pay.”
Lauren rolled her eyes.
“However,” continued Anoril, “I, am generally better at getting good service, watch.”
He strode forwards and smiled a smile that is gained only by smiling for hours on end for the best painters money can buy. It was a smile that could melt butter.
“Hello, how much for this…”Anoril glanced around, “book?”
“Ten gold pieces,” sneered the merchant, still pleased with his last sail.
“Alright,” Anoril reached for a bulging moneybag.
“Sorry, sir, I meant twenty pieces,” the merchant’s greedy eyes on Anoril’s moneybag that would have split had it not been sown from the finest silks.
“No problem,” Anoril smiled again, “In fact my good man, take fifty and could I have it gift wrapped too please?”
The stunned salesman took the handfuls of coins in disbelief and gave Anoril an almost sincere smile; his family would eat well tonight.
Anoril returned to his friend…and Glass with the neatly packaged book.
“See, I even got a friendly smile.”
“Course you did,” protested Glass, “You may as well have just gave him a fatted calf.”
“I’d like to think it was my good manners personally,” replied Anoril, demonstrating his winning smile.
“Whatever, I’ll show you how to get things cheap.”
As Anoril and Lauren watched Glass’ broad shoulders cut through the crowd toward a stall he muttered in her ear, “We don’t know him, okay? That’s the line.”
When Glass raised a fist to the merchant Anoril’s eyebrow rose. When Glass pointed at the skull on the table Lauren’s eyebrows rose. And when Glass reached forward and grabbed the merchant by his collar and pulled him over the stall Anoril’s second eyebrow rose as Lauren’s hands shot to her mouth in a gasp.
A few moments later Glass returned with the skull clutched in his hand, “See? Didn’t even need to pay.”
Anoril shrugged, “You didn’t get a smile. There’s more to life than money Glass.”
“That’s easy to say when you have it!”
Anoril silently agreed with Glass’ last statement.
Glass realised he was still holding a skull in his hand so turned to Lauren and said, “For you,” pressing the skull into her tiny digits.
“Smooth,” Anoril whispered in Glass’ ear.
“I’m sorry boys,” said Lauren addressing them both, “When it comes to shopping, you'll always be second best.”
With that she loosened a button on her collar, pulled her corset up a few inches and straightened her smooth chestnut hair. Then she walked calmly over to another stall and began talking to the merchant.
“How much is this lovely necklace?” she asked coyly.
“Erm…” the merchant gulped, trying not to stare too long at her, “fifteen pieces.”
“Fifteen?” Lauren pouted, extending her lower lip and somehow enlarging her eyes, “But I only have five.”
“Well…”stammered the seller and Anoril noticed Lauren very subtly unfasten another button, “Well,” the merchant continued, “I suppose I could…”
“Thanks!” she said throwing down a handful of coins and taking the necklace.
“See, boys,” she said, returning to Anoril and Glass, redressing as she walked, “cheaper and I got a smile.”
“That’s hardly fair though is it?” Anoril pointed out, “You do have certain attributes that Glass and I do not.”
“So?” shrugged Lauren, “You’ve got money Anoril and you Glass have unstable violent tendencies, I don’t have those… ‘attributes’.”
“True enough, what shall we do now?” Anoril asked her.
“Let’s go shopping!” said Lauren with a smile that could melt butter.
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