Lost in the Moment and Found (Wayward Children #8)(18)

The merchant, who clearly wanted the coin, blinked at her. Then he laughed, delighted. “So we both get the better of the deal,” he said. “You get sweets for later, I look like a generous soul, and you have a guide for the day, while I make my week’s profits in a moment. If you would not feel ill-done by, I would be glad to take your offered bargain.” He held his hand out, waiting for the coin.

Antsy smiled and dropped it into his purple-leathered palm, watching as he made it disappear. Then he spread his hands to indicate the wealth of delicacies in front of him. “Now, traveler child, what does your heart desire?”

In that moment, in a strange market on a different world, contemplating an assortment of treats she’d never tasted before, about to be escorted through a market by a talking cat-person, Antsy’s heart desired nothing more than to stay here forever, and to never, never, ever go home.

In that moment, she was finally sure.





6

AFTER THE MARKET




WHEN ANTSY RETURNED TO the door, her new friend in tow—his name was Sákos, and he had been selling his baking at the market for fifteen years, and this was the first time anyone had ever purchased the bulk of his wares with the intention of giving them away—the basket Vineta had given her was packed to overflowing with every little thing that had managed to catch her eye, pastries and breads and jams and honeys and several kinds of unfamiliar fruit and even a bag of roast nuts that she thought Hudson might enjoy. She had a vague idea that birds liked to eat seeds, and nuts were a kind of seed, weren’t they?

Sákos carried a second basket, even larger than the first, and equally filled with treasures from the market. Most of Antsy’s coins had proven to be antiques on a level with the first, and even the smallest purchase had left the merchants unsure of how they could possibly give her change. Several more vendors had found themselves in the enviable position of having sold their entire stock to someone who, after taking what she wanted, was more than happy to walk away from the rest, leaving it to be given out freely or sold a second time, as the merchants saw fit.

It had taken less than fifteen minutes for Sákos to distribute the items Antsy didn’t take from his stall. As soon as the market children had realized he wasn’t playing a cruel joke when he announced everything he had was free for the rest of the day, they had swarmed like so many fluffy piranha, and while there had been some squabbling over particularly desirable treats—all things Sákos had been careful to point out to Antsy before he began calling anyone over, allowing her to have the best of the lot—in the end, every child who came within range of the stall walked away with something to enjoy. A few of them cast curious glances at Antsy as they trotted back to their parents with hands full of treats, trying to figure out the strange, furless figure with the overflowing basket of goodies, but none of them questioned her, and in the end, Sákos had been free to escort her around the rest of the place.

It had been, in all, one of the best days Antsy could remember. Everyone had been excruciatingly pleasant once they realized she was with Sákos and, more, that she had coin to spend. And that had been before they realized the value of the coin. Not all of them were quite as honest as he was, and from the way their whiskers flattened when they saw that her guide was going to make sure she was treated well, she guessed some of them would have enjoyed the chance to cheat her.

But now, both her baskets were full, and her feet hurt. They approached the pale, wavering outline of the door. Vineta was already there, waiting, her own basket still singular but equally full, although her purchases also featured several bottles of wine and oil, and she had bundles of flowers dangling from the belt of her robe. She smiled when she saw Antsy and Sákos approach, and if there was a sliver of relief in that expression, it wasn’t as important as the pleasure in her eyes.

“I see you found a friend,” she said, gaze flicking to Sákos. “How did this happen?”

“Are you this child’s guardian?” asked Sákos.

“Guardian, no. Companion, yes, at least for now. She came through into the shop where I serve, and this is her testing ground. Did she do well?”

“She offered me a silver phoenix from the reign of the first Empress for a roll.”

Vineta looked politely puzzled. “Was that not enough?”

“It was enough to buy my wares for the day, and for the rest of the sennight if she had wished to claim them also,” he said. “You did the girl no favors by letting her loose on her own, with no idea what she was walking into and such a purse.”

“It seems I did her plenty of favors, as it brought her to you,” said Vineta. “The test is twofold. Can the new applicants navigate the space, and can they trust their own instincts? From what she carries, I would say she has no trouble in that department, and from your presence, I can further intuit that she took no time in trusting her instincts. I thank you for assisting her, and we’ll be going now.”

“Going? Going where?”

“Back to the place where we began.” Vineta looked to Antsy. “Get your things and thank the man, and we’ll be on our way.”

Antsy knew an order when she heard one. She reached her free hand out for the basket Sákos carried, and when he handed it to her, she smiled. “Thank you for helping me,” she said.