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Authors: David D. Friedman
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valuable, but it's lovely work."
"There can’t be much of a market here in the village for expensive pieces."
Mari nodded agreement. "He keeps a few in the back, for customers who look as though they can afford them. But I don’t see why he is here working in silver and garnet when he could make far more in the capital doing the same work in gold and rubies instead. He's at least as good as mother’s jeweler, maybe better. I must bring her here—perhaps she can commission something."
Alys addressed Master Dur as he came back into the front part of the shop:
"Could you help me with this amulet case? It seems to be stuck."
He picked up the case, tried to twist off the lid; nothing happened.
"It is stuck; I wonder how that happened. Let me see … ."
He walked along the counter to where a small anvil was sitting, next to it an iron hammer.
"This might do it." He tapped the amulet case gently on the anvil, turned it, tapped it again, again. This time the cap came off with a gentle twist. Alys gave the jeweler a startled look.
"If it gets stuck that easily, I don't think I want it. Have you a sapphire pendant I could look at? I think the color would go with a dress I have."
By the time the jeweler returned with a tray and several pieces, Mari and Ellen had agreed on an amulet case. Dur left the tray with Alys and came over to speak to them.
"You plan to enchant it?" The question was put to Ellen. She nodded. "I assume that is its intended purpose?"
"Yes. Virgin silver; I refined it from the ore myself."
Ellen took the amulet case; Mari paid the jeweler, turned back to her friend.
"Now I'm going to see what else I can find. You can stay and advise."
Ellen shook her head. "I should be getting back. I have work to do." She glanced down at the amulet case. "I'll come by your rooms later this evening; you can show me what treasures you have bought then." Mari nodded farewell and turned back to the jeweler’s wares.
It was a good hour past vespers when Ellen knocked on Mari's door. Mari was at her desk inspecting her purchases. Ellen handed the amulet case to Mari, then sat down. Mari examined it curiously.
"It looks just the same."
"It is a pretty piece, but you won't be wearing it for looks. Wear it where it doesn't show, next to your skin. If you feel it getting uncomfortably warm, someone is trying to enspell you; if I am not too far away I will know. There is no way to protect you from everything, but at least we can be warned if Joshua tries a spell rather than a potion next. Now show me what other treasures you’ve acquired."
"I must tell you what happened after you left. You remember that Alys asked the jeweler to show her sapphire pendants?"
Ellen nodded; Mari went on, "I was a bit surprised. She doesn't wear anything that expensive, and I wouldn't have thought she could afford to. I wondered if she might be wanting to drop a hint to one or two of the young men she has running after her. But now I'm not sure."
"What happened?"
"After Dur got a few things for me, she called him over to complain of something wrong with the pendants. I went to look. They were nice work, mostly gold. You would expect to see valuable stones set in, but they weren't sapphires; two were clear, like rock crystal, and one dark. Dur looked annoyed, as if he made a mistake in what he had brought out. He apologized, picked up the tray, and suddenly Alys screamed. I looked at her and her hair had caught fire. She was standing with her back to the fireplace at one end of the shop, and I suppose a spark must have caught it; you know how fine it is.
"For an old man, Dur moved pretty fast. He dropped the tray on the counter, picked up his beer mug, and dumped it over her. It put out the fire but she was a mess—soaked with beer and half her hair burned black. She’ll need a scarf tomorrow, and a haircut. But something felt strange about it all; first the stuck amulet case, then the sapphires that weren't, then the fire."
"Yes."
"There can’t be much of a market here in the village for expensive pieces."
Mari nodded agreement. "He keeps a few in the back, for customers who look as though they can afford them. But I don’t see why he is here working in silver and garnet when he could make far more in the capital doing the same work in gold and rubies instead. He's at least as good as mother’s jeweler, maybe better. I must bring her here—perhaps she can commission something."
Alys addressed Master Dur as he came back into the front part of the shop:
"Could you help me with this amulet case? It seems to be stuck."
He picked up the case, tried to twist off the lid; nothing happened.
"It is stuck; I wonder how that happened. Let me see … ."
He walked along the counter to where a small anvil was sitting, next to it an iron hammer.
"This might do it." He tapped the amulet case gently on the anvil, turned it, tapped it again, again. This time the cap came off with a gentle twist. Alys gave the jeweler a startled look.
"If it gets stuck that easily, I don't think I want it. Have you a sapphire pendant I could look at? I think the color would go with a dress I have."
By the time the jeweler returned with a tray and several pieces, Mari and Ellen had agreed on an amulet case. Dur left the tray with Alys and came over to speak to them.
"You plan to enchant it?" The question was put to Ellen. She nodded. "I assume that is its intended purpose?"
"Yes. Virgin silver; I refined it from the ore myself."
Ellen took the amulet case; Mari paid the jeweler, turned back to her friend.
"Now I'm going to see what else I can find. You can stay and advise."
Ellen shook her head. "I should be getting back. I have work to do." She glanced down at the amulet case. "I'll come by your rooms later this evening; you can show me what treasures you have bought then." Mari nodded farewell and turned back to the jeweler’s wares.
It was a good hour past vespers when Ellen knocked on Mari's door. Mari was at her desk inspecting her purchases. Ellen handed the amulet case to Mari, then sat down. Mari examined it curiously.
"It looks just the same."
"It is a pretty piece, but you won't be wearing it for looks. Wear it where it doesn't show, next to your skin. If you feel it getting uncomfortably warm, someone is trying to enspell you; if I am not too far away I will know. There is no way to protect you from everything, but at least we can be warned if Joshua tries a spell rather than a potion next. Now show me what other treasures you’ve acquired."
"I must tell you what happened after you left. You remember that Alys asked the jeweler to show her sapphire pendants?"
Ellen nodded; Mari went on, "I was a bit surprised. She doesn't wear anything that expensive, and I wouldn't have thought she could afford to. I wondered if she might be wanting to drop a hint to one or two of the young men she has running after her. But now I'm not sure."
"What happened?"
"After Dur got a few things for me, she called him over to complain of something wrong with the pendants. I went to look. They were nice work, mostly gold. You would expect to see valuable stones set in, but they weren't sapphires; two were clear, like rock crystal, and one dark. Dur looked annoyed, as if he made a mistake in what he had brought out. He apologized, picked up the tray, and suddenly Alys screamed. I looked at her and her hair had caught fire. She was standing with her back to the fireplace at one end of the shop, and I suppose a spark must have caught it; you know how fine it is.
"For an old man, Dur moved pretty fast. He dropped the tray on the counter, picked up his beer mug, and dumped it over her. It put out the fire but she was a mess—soaked with beer and half her hair burned black. She’ll need a scarf tomorrow, and a haircut. But something felt strange about it all; first the stuck amulet case, then the sapphires that weren't, then the fire."
"Yes."
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