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“Do you have many books in Intar?” said another of the Hun’Sho.

“Of course!” said Mr. Sheridan. “Though, ours are typically quite fragile--and flammable, specifically--so it would be quite the trick to transport them safely here to you, but for the right price, I think we can--ah! Hector! My young friend! What are you doing standing over there all by yourself?” Mr. Sheridan smiled wide and waved him over as he looked across his audience again. “Have I told any of you fine folks yet about how this young man saved my bacon?”

“Bacon?”

“What is bacon?”

“My life!” the man clarified. “He saved my life!”

“Ah, so bacon is life.”

“Yet another strange new Mohssian word. How interesting.”

“No, I didn’t mean--! Ah--shoot! Uh--!”

Hector listened as Mr. Sheridan tried to clarify even further, but it didn’t seem to go very well for him, and at length, the man gave up and addressed Hector again.

“How are you finding Himmekel? It is a majestic place, no?”

“Uh--yeah.” Hector decided against telling him about the current quest to find a keyhole. Even assuming Mr. Sheridan could be trusted, there were too many Hun’Sho around who would overhear. “What are you doing here, by the way?”

“Oh, just enjoying some of the finest company that Himmekel has to offer!”

Hector would’ve given the man a dubious look if his helmet wasn’t in the way. “Are you really trying to sell stuff to the Hun’Sho?”

“Aha. You overheard that, did you? Well, what can I say? I am an enterprising man. I hope you will not think less of me for it, because I do not plan to change any time soon!”

The man’s sheer enthusiasm took Hector by surprise and pulled a small laugh out of him. “S-sure,” said Hector, “but, uh--I mean, do these guys even have anything to pay you with?” He threw a quick look over the Hun’Sho listeners. “Um, no offense.”

They merely returned curious expressions.

“Oh, don’t be silly,” said Mr. Sheridan. “Wealth is relative, and payment does not require currency. I’m sure these fine gentleman and I can reach an accord with just a bit of amicable appraisal and negotiation. Why, just a couple years ago, I made an arrangement to have fresh fish shipped all the way to a tiny little village that had nothing to its name but dirt. Dirt, I tell you! But am I sore about how that deal ended up? No sirree Bob! In fact, I’m more than pleased! And this other time, I arranged to have--”

‘He’s definitely planning to rip them off,’ said Garovel privately.

Hector was getting that impression, too. ‘Wouldn’t that mean he’s already got his eye on something?’

‘It sure would. We need to talk to him alone. See if we can get any useful info out of him.’

‘Okay.’

And it took a while, but at length, Hector managed to wrest the man away from the Hun’Sho--or free them from him. Hector wasn’t quite sure which.