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Colemenoport

Skywise Provianto


Padi drank the last of her tea with a sigh, and glanced at the clock hanging on the back wall. Still more than twelve minutes until her next appointment, which was, happily, across the street from the Skywise.

It had been a busy morning, full of names, personalities, and questions, both fearful and intense. Really, it was amazing, the variety of disasters and benefits people either hoped or feared that the trade mission would bring to Colemenoport.

The fearful ones—those who were concerned that long-time, existing arrangements with the Iverson Loop, the Evrits, or the Mikancy Family would be disrupted, or eliminated, by the establishment of a Tree-and-Dragon trade office on-port—Padi found easier to deal with. Tree-and-Dragon would be an addition to trade at the Redlands, and would likewise benefit the existing Loops, by providing new goods and a wider market. Aside from being the truth, it was an easy sell.

The intense ones, who assumed that the master trader had a deep plan, and who were inclined to be offended that they were not offered a précis—those were more difficult. Padi could only hope that time would win them to the truth, that, in fact, the Trade Mission was exploratory, and no plans could be made until facts were established.

“Time, Trader?” Tima asked from across the table, and Padi looked to the clock again.

“Time,” she agreed, and rose, picking up her case and settling the strap over her shoulder.

The host behind the counter had introduced herself as Bell when Padi and Tima entered. She had placed them at a small table near the back of the room, which was not crowded, brought the trays with commendable dispatch, and perfectly recalled the Tree-and-Dragon account.

She had come back only once, to be certain of the teapot, and to find if more of anything was wanted, and otherwise left them to themselves.

She looked up now as they passed the counter, and raised a hand, palm out and fingers spread, with a smile.

“Good day, Trader. Thank you for your custom.”

“Thank you for serving such delicious food, and bracing tea,” Padi said. She lifted her hand in imitation of Bell’s gesture—and smiled. Colemeno custom demanded a broader smile than Liadens offered to strangers, though not quite so broad as Terran. She hoped she had managed it correctly, as she followed Tima out the door.

* * *

Luzant nirAmit met Padi at the door of his establishment. He was an elder, his white hair pulled severely back from his face and held with a sparkling clip. He wore the long vest over loose shirt and pants that was the usual business attire on-port. He also wore an unpleasant expression and failed to return Padi’s bow with one of his own.

Padi straightened and met the merchant’s cool gaze.

“I’m sent a child instead of a master trader,” he remarked. “Am I so poor a thing as that?”

Padi spread her hands, the gesture putting her garnet on display.

“I am Trader Padi yos’Galan, assisting the master trader in the mission to reopen the Redlands to trade. The master trader is very much in demand just now, sir. If he had taken all the requests for meetings in the order received, he could have come to you himself . . . in perhaps a six-day. Instead, he sent me to you, mere hours after receiving your letter.”

“An impertinent child,” the elder judged, and Padi swallowed her spurt of temper. If the man was determined to find fault, there was very little she could do, except leave the literature, if allowed, and bow herself out.

“Do you know anything about that operation across the street, where I assume you took a tea break?” Luzant nirAmit snapped.

Padi raised her eyebrows.

“Indeed. It is called the Skywise Provianto. The trade mission has established an account with them, and with several other such businesses around the port, so that team members will always be within reach of a meal, or, as you say, sir, a cup of tea, should it be needed.”

Luzant nirAmit considered her out of angry eyes, and turned his hands palm up.

“You’re new on port, and likely know nothing about how to go on, coming from the Old World like you do. Be informed, Trader Padi yos’Galan, that the Skywise Provianto is Deaf-owned. All of their employees are Deaf, and they embrace no Civilized business advisor. Now that you have this information, you will be able to conduct yourself fittingly.”

Padi recalled Bell’s pleasant demeanor and efficient service, so much at odds with the demeanor of the person before her, and was strongly tempted to go back across the street and have another cup of tea until it was time to leave for her next appointment.

It was the thought of that next appointment, and those after it, that decided her approach to Luzant nirAmit. He would stand and argue all day, she felt certain, if she continued to address his spite as rational discourse.

In fact, he was wasting her time, and that she did not allow.

She inclined slightly from the waist.

“Thank you for your care, sir. May I deliver this packet the master trader sends to you?”

She pulled it out of the side pocket of her case, and offered it across both palms, as if it were a dueling pistol, which was an impertinence, whether the man before her knew it or not.

“Since it’s here, I might as well have it,” he said, taking the packet up with a frown. “I’ll expect to see the master trader himself, the next time I write.”

“I will tell him you said so, sir,” Padi said truthfully.

She made her bow and escaped onto the walk, Tima close behind.

“Nasty piece of work,” she muttered, and Padi sputtered a laugh.

“Yes, wasn’t he? Well. We now have an opportunity to arrive at the next appointment respectfully early.”

“Or,” Tima suggested, “we could walk slow. No sense arriving warm, if you take me, Trader.”

Padi sighed.

“I take you,” she said. “Thank you, Tima.”


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