by P. S. Power
Oh, it was about four hundred and fifty two thousand dollars and change. I have it right here in the bag. His Shadow-self pointed to the messenger bag he wore. Mostly bearer bonds.
“Four hundred fifty-two thousand dollars, mostly in bearer bonds. I don't really know what that means, but you admitted that half of it is supposed to belong to Silas. Divvy it up here, and I think I might forgive you. This time.” He gave the older fellow his best 'man of stone' stare, feeling a little surprised when neither of them laughed in his face.
“I claimed asylum, you have to protect me!” Willet started back pedaling into the store. “It's in the rules, you have to! You have to!”
Zack smiled. On the deeper level he rose up and pretended to be really big and scary. Sometimes that got people to pay attention. Stop now! Freeze and do what I say... or die where you stand. I can protect you, but only if you do what I tell you to, moron! He then pointed at the man sharply. Pure bluff, but since the guy didn't know about it, Willet couldn't filter this information out. That wouldn't happen if he knew it had taken place consciously.
The unshaven man froze instantly as if locked in place. If he seemed scared before, now he seemed terrified.
“I'm doing what's fair. More to the point, I'm doing what you know to be fair. I suppose we could bother other people about this, but do you think you are really going to get a better hearing than this from anyone? Think about it.” He made the idea clear in his body language.
Since Zack didn't know what rules Willet kept talking about, or who'd be hearing about this if he passed it along to someone else, this approach had some risks. Still, most people disliked thieves enough to be extra hard on them. Unless this had something to do with a thieves guild of some kind. Possible, but unlikely, given the fact that Silas almost certainly had to be some kind of shape shifting snake person.
That, or he'd totally gone over the deep end and only thought he'd become a snake. Either way, not someone to trifle with, and not normal thieves guild material. Not if the fantasy books he'd read were correct on the topic at least. Still, that would explain how this tiny shop with no real customers managed to stay in business, if it was just a front operation. It almost had to be something like that.
“Hand me that pack now, or we deal with this the difficult way.” After he said it, Zack realized that since he'd already gotten the man to freeze in fear, this might sound like a physical threat rather than the opening of a can of red tape on his behind he actually meant. Still, when he put his hand out to take the bag, Willet gave it over without a struggle or even hesitation.
It didn't take long for Zack to count it all up and divide it evenly. When Silas reached for his pile of cash and bearer bonds, happy that the percentage seemed to have been forgotten, Zack put out his hand and the other man stopped suddenly.
“Now, what's the normal percentage this kind of adjudication would cost you?” Adjudication had been on Troy's word-a-day calendar the month before. It pleased him that he hadn't been wasting all that effort, trying to memorize the new words each day, not that he had much else to do at the time.
Silas's snake answered, downcast, ten percent.
Willet's Shadow piped up with, seven-point-five percent.
Holding up an index finger on both hands, he pointed first at Silas then Willet.
“Ten percent and seven-point-five percent. Correct?” They both nodded.
“All right, today only, because I know that there'll be no further problems from this, right? We'll go with five percent even. That will only hold if there are no other problems about this later, understand? If this comes back to me, well...” They both nodded, saying nothing. “Oh, and buy some candles.” Both men looked baffled at that last bit.
The Snake man gave him a horribly baffled look, but only cleared his throat a little before speaking. It was nearly polite.
“That's a fine deal. Better than I expected, way more than fair given I'm not in your guild, even though it shouldn't be needed at all,” Silas glared toward the other man, his face going much harder, until he looked back at Zack. “But why buy candles? You can just take the money, claim a fee or whatever... You could just give him that asylum, and then claim the whole amount if you wanted...” Head cocked quizzically, it seemed clear he really wanted an answer.
Zack smiled peacefully at them. At least he hoped it looked peaceful, and then shrugged. “You just spent an hour in a candle shop. If you leave without candles people will wonder what you were doing here. Since each of you is carrying hundreds of thousands in stolen material, I don't think either of you will want anyone getting suspicious? Besides, that way I can give you each a bag to carry stuff in, which I can't just do for free... it wouldn't be ethical. So, buy some candles, or incense. Enough for a large bag.” Zack smiled at both men and waited. He could see the huge holes in his suggestion, but still wanted the sales if he could get them. He needed to earn his pay somehow or Lisa might just decide having him around wasn't worth it.
Silas just nodded and started browsing, seeming nearly cheerful about it all. Willet looked surly, but picked out several vanilla scented candles, large ones about the size of a small loaf of bread and a few decorative tapers. Silas got several handfuls of incense from the rack, and a nice incense holder.
After plucking out the five percent from each pile, charging them both the marked price for their goods, he dug out plastic shopping bags from under the counter. Pulling the top one off first and throwing it away because it was covered in dirt, apparently having sat there for a long time. They did say the shop name on the side and were decently sturdy, considering they were just made of plastic.
Then, trying for sharp looking professionalism, he handed the men their bags filled with candles, incense, bearer bonds and cash. As they left he called out to them “Thanks for shopping at Candles and More! Please come back for all your candle and incense needs!”
Willet glared back at him, a sour look on his face. Silas chuckled at what he said, thinking it funny given the situation, apparently. They left through the front door and headed off in different directions. That made sense to him. After all, they each knew that the other man was a thief, and would probably be willing to rob them.
Relaxing a bit, Zack let himself step back into normal reality. Staying sideways like that was off putting to say the least. Helpful this time, for once, but it ate at his nerves horribly.
Not knowing how they ran inventory, he wrote down what each man had purchased, and put the twenty-two-thousand six-hundred that made up the five percent he'd taken from them under the till. Between the two of them they'd also bought a hundred and twenty three dollars and fifty six cents worth of merchandise, after tax. Things were looking up sales wise at least. He hadn't sold anything the day before at all. If he could manage this a few more times the store might even make a profit for the day.
As it neared ten-thirty he decided to give the floor a once over with the mop. It didn't look like it would be getting busy enough to get messed up too badly by costumers before it dried.
If it did he could always re-mop it later. He found the bucket and mop in the storage closet and a new mop head next to the handle. Luckily it had a screw on, old fashioned stringy mop head. Meaning Zack knew how to use it. They'd used similar ones at that one place he tried not to think about. The institution. He forced himself to think the words, then blocked the concept out suddenly, so the memories wouldn't come flooding back again. That situation had been really messed up. Insane or not, putting him there had nearly made him lose what little hold on reality Zack had at all.
They even had a sign that said, caution, wet floor, which he pulled out of the plastic wrapper it came in, and put near the front door. Given the small floor space, the mopping only took about an hour, and three bucket refills before the water stopped turning gray with every squeeze of the mop head.
Thanks to the good ventilation, it dried pretty quickly. The room was chilly, true, but the airflow was great. While he waited he made
a list of things that they needed in the store. Music of some kind first. Then a little bell for the door, to add a classic “shoppe” feel to the place maybe? That seemed to fit the place in his mind. Incense burning, which he needed to find out about, because pleasant scents made people want to linger for a longer time, which meant they were more likely to buy things... He also needed to reorganize the shelves. That could wait until Lisa got a chance to look at things. She may not want him to change anything for some reason, though he couldn't imagine why.
They may want to put in some knick-knacks. Small sculptures of wood or stone. Possibly some jewelry. Incense really shouldn't be the only “and More” in the whole store. Though if people came in for asylum after grand theft and stuff, maybe that's what it meant, not regular goods? He'd have to ask, if he remembered later. Unless off course he shouldn't. He'd have to see what Lisa preferred.
Zack felt a chill enter the room without looking up. A cold stillness that pervaded the entire front of the store. The girl from the YoGurt place walked in, carrying something. Something that looked frosty... and delicious. He realized he'd been staring right at her frosty pile of frozen yogurt, held at about chest height. So of course she'd think he was checking out her breasts. The face behind this wonder smiled at him regardless, which was nice of her. She was cute, he thought, in an almost classical sense. A slightly roman nose, soft, pale cheeks, nice smile with a hint of twinkle to the eyes. With pink lip gloss.
“I thought someone new might be working here! I'm Claire Hawthorn, from across the way? I come bearing gifts...” She waved the rather large frozen treat in the air a little. That combined with her hint of accent, Irish maybe, got Zack's full attention instantly.
“Hi. I'm Zack. Zack Hartley. As you guessed, I am indeed the new guy here. That looks wonderful, what is it?” He gestured to the yogurt. After two months of eating nothing but ramen and condiment packets lifted from Taco Bell his, mouth literally watered at the sight of it.
“This, is the World Famous Chocolate Banana Split cup. With extra whipped topping and two cherries. Since those are the best parts.” She grinned. It hadn't even started melting yet when she handed it to him.
“Is it rude if I start eating this right now? It just looks so great...”
“Oh, please do eat if you wish!” Curiously she gave him a solid look and then delicately, almost invisibly sniffed the air. It was an odd thing to do, but her face went still suddenly after that.
“Am I... handing food to a starving man perhaps?” She asked with a sudden air of delicacy. Looking at how his clothes hung from him no doubt. Her voice sounded both concerned and wary at the same time.
“No, not starving in a literal sense. Just too little variation of late. A lot of people get by on less than what I've had.” He took a bite and had to fight the urge to make “Yum, nom, yum” noises. He did roll his eyes a little in pleasure as a bit of banana hit his tongue.
“This really is good. Thank you.”
“I'm glad you like it. It is always good for one's art to be appreciated.” She turned just slightly, so that she wasn't staring directly at him as he ate. The look she gave him was almost hungry. Desirous? Since she was kind of good looking that probably wouldn't be about him though, would it? Not in a dating kind of way. That meant she wanted something else.
“Um, do you want some of this?” Zack asked quietly. He didn't know if that would be the right thing to say. People didn't normally share food when they first met, in his experience, but if she came from a foreign country, maybe the rules were different for her? What he knew about Ireland wouldn't have filled half a page of notebook paper. If her accent really was Irish at all.
“No. No thank you, that one's yours. I can have as many as I like. I've lost my taste for them actually, to tell the truth. I tend to like more savory things now.” He noticed her pale skin, the sense of cold, her rail thin model type looks and it hit him all at once...
He needed to pay less attention to her. Staring was rude.
This Chocolate Banana Split cup really had everything a man could want. Chocolate, banana, caramel sauce, strawberry and chopped peanuts. The sauces weren't even mixed, somehow being put in side by side in the container, laying next to the banana which had been split in half and rested against the sides held in place by the vanilla soft serve. He congratulated himself on noticing how wonderful it tasted and how well all the parts meshed together. Things like that could be missed, he knew.
“So, Claire, I know we just met, but I was wondering how old you were and if you're single, because this,” he raised the Styrofoam cup briefly. “Has won my heart, and you're the local supplier, so I think I need to get into your good graces as soon as possible.” He sounded like Troy, on a good day, but still like he was trying to pick her up. He wondered if she'd take it in the Troy-like fashion, focusing on the parts about her, or a literal fashion, which had been what he intended.
Giggling a little she answered, hinting that she'd hadn't gone with option number two.
“Why good sir, I'm but nineteen years old and am indeed unspoken for. Truly but a maiden...” She turned away batting her eyelashes like an Southern belle, exaggerating the whole thing so that she made it clear she was just playing at flirtation. Curious suddenly, Zack force his attention sideways and stepped, mentally.
When her Shadow spoke to him it corrected the untruths in what she'd just said.
I'm three hundred and twenty-eight and long dead. I love none, and none love me. I haven't been a maiden in longer than this land has been a country. You look tasty. Very tasty.
Forcing himself back to normal Zack fought to keep any reaction from his face.
“Oh, hey, you won't get in trouble with your manager for giving me this will you? You seem really nice and I don't want you to get in trouble because of me.” He started to put the treat down, as if to somehow distance himself and by proxy, her from its existence. He glanced at it a little longingly. Maybe it would be better if he ate it all, thus hiding the evidence?
“That's not a problem,” She waved a hand at him to eat, “I am the manager. I also work days. We have other people that cover night shift most of the time. You may run into the evening man, Keane, if you're ever here that late. When does your shift end?” The way this came out had an innocent air about it, rather than flirtatious.
“I don't know really. Lisa, the manager here, said she may or may not be in today.” He shrugged. “I think something came up suddenly, but I don't know what.” He shrugged and smiled at her, since that kind of information was clearly what she really wanted to know.
“I should get back to my own store before people start to talk out of turn about us, Mr. Hartley... It's very nice to make your acquaintance and I hope we'll have a wonderful and prosperous friendship in the years to come.” She smiled again, the kind that really lights up a woman's face and held her hand out.
Shaking her hand he ignored totally how cold it was.
“And I hope the same, Miss Hawthorn. I truly do.”
Chapter three
Lisa walked through the front door, and suddenly stopped in her tracks. She backed out and looked up at the sign and came back in again. Smiling hugely. Her body language jangled a bit, but her eyes looked at him warmly enough, matching the smile well.
“I wasn't sure I walked in to the right store for a minute! This place looks great. You got things opened okay I take it? I'm loving the window display.” She spun around in place looking around. “Did you mop the floor? We have a mop? Wow. I think you may be in for a raise soon if this keeps up!”
Zack grinned at her. She always had so much energy. Probably the drugs, which would be speed or cocaine maybe, but it still gave her a pleasant demeanor.
“One thing did come up, so I handled it, like you said to? I hope I got it done all right... Oh, and we have a hundred and twenty odd dollars in sales so far for today.” She did a double take on that.
“You... sold... things? On your second day? That's incredib
le! Did friends of yours come in or something?”
“No, it had to do with that bit of trouble. Where to start... I'd just finished sweeping and getting the store ready for the day, because I'm a very hard worker and well worth keeping, when a fellow named Willet came in and demanded asylum as a member of the guild. I didn't know what that meant, but figured I'd fake it anyway, in case I'd just forgotten what you'd said or something... It turns out he was involved in some kind of heist with another guy, Silas, and tried to cheat him out of his share. What they'd agreed on, you know? I got the full story out of both of them and got Silas to agree not to kill Willet as long as he got his share as they originally agreed. Oh, then I charged them both five percent of the total and had them purchase some candles and incense. You know, as a reason why they had been in here for an hour? That was... kind of faked up, but they did it anyway. I wrote down what they got. The five percent is under the till. I know the percentage is usually higher, they both told me that, but... Well, I figured I could use the discount as a bribe, to keep them from having any more problems about this?”
Zack tried not to hold his breath. He knew it had been risky giving them a discount, but it felt like the right thing to do at the time. Hopefully this wouldn't get him fired on the spot.
“Willet came in asking for asylum? From Silas? And they both gave you money... and everyone left alive?” Glancing at the ground he knew she looked for signs of blood on the floor and probably wondered if that's why he'd mopped so well. If so, he did good work, according to her expression.
Zack nodded cheerfully. He made sure to repeat the story on the deeper Shadow level as well, so she'd know it to be the truth.
Lisa opened the till up and counted the money.