TEN
"Well, not as much as I had hoped for but still a fair price," said
Stennish as he and Gronnar came walking out of the building. Stennish was
counting some coins into his hand as he walked up to Cole and the sisters.
"You three have brought a fair price, just as I suspected," Stennish said
to Cole. "Maybe if I'm lucky I'll stumble across some others on the way home."
"Good luck," said Paige sarcastically.
"Now," said Gronnar, "you three belong to me. But that won't last long.
Amadon is in town looking for some more calls. And I'm pretty sure I can
convince him to take you as well, mocall. Just behave yourself if you don't
want to be punished."
They all noticed that Gronnar was carrying a stockley from his belt.
"Parno, run and tell your master I have three fine specimens for him,"
Gronnar said to Parno. "And tell him to bring his purse with him. He's going
to be very interested in them."
Parno bowed slightly and ran off to find Amadon. Gronnar led the three
into the building and sat them on a bench just inside the door. As they sat
waiting for Amadon to arrive, Piper was looking around. Across the street and
partially obscured by passing traffic she thought she saw someone standing next
to the road. When the traffic cleared, the figure was nowhere to be seen.
"I thought I just saw Leo," she whispered to Paige and Cole.
"Where?" Cole asked, looking out the door.
"There," said Piper, pointing across the street. "He was standing next to
that building over there."
"Well, if he was he's probably in the same predicament we are," said
Paige. "At least we know he's okay."
"Yeah," said Piper thoughtfully.
Leo had been vague and indistinct from that distance. She wasn't sure but
she thought she had been able to see the building through him. But that was
clearly not possible. Leo was alive. He wasn't a spirit. Finally she decided
it must be her imagination.
A few minutes later a demonis dressed in what looked to be very expensive
clothes entered the building, Parno and a human female close behind. Gronnar
looked up and saw him enter and a huge smile broke out on his face. He walked
from behind the counter to the guest.
"Amadon, good to see you again," said Gronnar. "I have three excellent
specimens today, as you can see. Two young, healthy calls and a very fine
mocall. I knew you were in the market so I had Parno get you right away."
"I'm only looking for calls," said Amadon, looking the three over. "These
are scrawny."
"Yes, but very healthy," said Gronnar. "You should be able to fatten them
up in no time. And the mocall is very vibrant. He should provide you with many
years of good work not to mention many gadlings. I'll make you a good price on
the lot of them."
"Let's talk," said Amadon as the two walked to the back of the shop.
The human woman who had come in with Amadon was staring at Piper. A
perplexed look crossed her face. Piper stared back for a moment.
"See anything interesting?" Piper finally snapped.
The woman didn't answer. She just continued to stare at Piper. Finally,
Amadon and Gronnar came out of the back. Gronnar was counting coins into one
hand.
"You've made a good purchase, Amadon," said Gronnar. "These are some of
the best gadlings I've ever sold."
"Put them in the wagon," Amadon instructed Parno. "Well find a place for
them when we get back."
The human woman walked over and whispered something in Amadon's ear. He
looked at her and then at Piper. Then he walked over and looked Piper over
carefully. After a moment, he spoke.
"Are you with child?" he asked Piper.
"Yes," said Piper after a moment. "Not that it's any of your business."
"Insolent," snapped Gronnar, grabbing the stockley hanging at his side.
"I'll teach you proper manners."
"Gronnar, you fool," said Amadon, pushing the stockley way before Gronnar
could use it, "this one is with child. You don't use a stockley on a gadling
with child. You could harm the young one."
"With child," Gronnar gasped. "That makes her worth even more. She's
worth a great deal more than the twelve shecks you paid for her."
"Not my fault if you don't know your own merchandise," said Amadon. "The
deal is done. You asked a price and I paid it. Next time I suggest you inspect
your merchandise more closely before offering a deal."
The human woman with Amadon helped Piper to her feet. She treated Piper
like a piece of fragile crystal that could shatter at any moment.
"Two for the price of one," said Amadon. "You're right, Gronnar. I did
make a good purchase. We'll put this one in with the other breeders. If the
child is healthy she may be able to provide even more in the future."
"Breeders?" questioned Piper. "That's not going to happen. I'm not
breeding for anyone, least of all some bloated overbearing pig who thinks he can
just buy and sell whomever he wants."
"She has spirit," said Amadon. "That's good. She will produce healthy
and lively young. Gronnar, if you come across any more like her, let me know.
I'd be interested in purchasing them."
Gronnar just bowed slightly, angry at the turn of event. Without another
word, Piper, Paige, and Cole were led outside to another wagon. The woman was
helping Piper into the wagon as Parno pleaded with Cole and Paige not to cause
any trouble.
"Get your hands off me," shouted Piper pushing the woman away. "If you
think I'm going to become some kind of baby factory, you have another thing
coming."
Amador turned and struck Piper across the face, forcing her to her knees.
"Mind your place, call," said Amador. "Just because I've selected you to
be a breeder doesn't mean I won't change my mind. There are worse things, you
know."
"Leave her alone," shouted Cole. "She's pregnant for crying out loud."
Cole was forced to his knees by a sharp electric shock to his back. He
looked around to see another demonis standing behind holding a stockley.
"Amadon is your master now," said the demonis. "You will show him his due
respect. And that means you keep your mouth shut and do as you're told."
"That is getting very tiresome," said Cole, his anger beginning to flare.
"If you didn't have that stockley and I wasn't shackled this would have a very
different ending."
"Shut up," said the demonis, shocking Cole again. "You're beginning to
become more trouble than your worth."
"We may have to destroy him," said Amadon. "He seems uncontrollable."
"As long as you keep shocking me with that thing I am," Cole shouted his
patience nearly completely gone.
The demonis with the stockley shocked Cole again. Coles' patience failed
completely. In a near total rage he stood up to face his attacker. The demonis
looked up at Cole and a look of pure terror crossed his face. The stockley
dropped from his hand and he collapsed on the ground a quivering mass of flesh.
All around Cole saw males and females alike running from them as fast as
they could move. Many of them had simply fallen to the ground on their knees,
sobbing uncontrollably. Even Amadon who seemed to be in complete control of
everything was staring at Cole in pure abject horror.
Cole looked at Piper and Paige who were also looking at him. But it
wasn't fear or horror that registered on their faces. It was more a look of
shock and surprise. Cole wasn't sure what was going on until he caught a
glimpse of himself in a nearby window. The reflection that greeted him made him
stop for a moment.
He didn't see Cole Turner reflected back at him from the glass. Instead,
Belthazor, upper level demon and once Source of all Evil, stared back at him
through its coal black eyes.
"Well, not as much as I had hoped for but still a fair price," said
Stennish as he and Gronnar came walking out of the building. Stennish was
counting some coins into his hand as he walked up to Cole and the sisters.
"You three have brought a fair price, just as I suspected," Stennish said
to Cole. "Maybe if I'm lucky I'll stumble across some others on the way home."
"Good luck," said Paige sarcastically.
"Now," said Gronnar, "you three belong to me. But that won't last long.
Amadon is in town looking for some more calls. And I'm pretty sure I can
convince him to take you as well, mocall. Just behave yourself if you don't
want to be punished."
They all noticed that Gronnar was carrying a stockley from his belt.
"Parno, run and tell your master I have three fine specimens for him,"
Gronnar said to Parno. "And tell him to bring his purse with him. He's going
to be very interested in them."
Parno bowed slightly and ran off to find Amadon. Gronnar led the three
into the building and sat them on a bench just inside the door. As they sat
waiting for Amadon to arrive, Piper was looking around. Across the street and
partially obscured by passing traffic she thought she saw someone standing next
to the road. When the traffic cleared, the figure was nowhere to be seen.
"I thought I just saw Leo," she whispered to Paige and Cole.
"Where?" Cole asked, looking out the door.
"There," said Piper, pointing across the street. "He was standing next to
that building over there."
"Well, if he was he's probably in the same predicament we are," said
Paige. "At least we know he's okay."
"Yeah," said Piper thoughtfully.
Leo had been vague and indistinct from that distance. She wasn't sure but
she thought she had been able to see the building through him. But that was
clearly not possible. Leo was alive. He wasn't a spirit. Finally she decided
it must be her imagination.
A few minutes later a demonis dressed in what looked to be very expensive
clothes entered the building, Parno and a human female close behind. Gronnar
looked up and saw him enter and a huge smile broke out on his face. He walked
from behind the counter to the guest.
"Amadon, good to see you again," said Gronnar. "I have three excellent
specimens today, as you can see. Two young, healthy calls and a very fine
mocall. I knew you were in the market so I had Parno get you right away."
"I'm only looking for calls," said Amadon, looking the three over. "These
are scrawny."
"Yes, but very healthy," said Gronnar. "You should be able to fatten them
up in no time. And the mocall is very vibrant. He should provide you with many
years of good work not to mention many gadlings. I'll make you a good price on
the lot of them."
"Let's talk," said Amadon as the two walked to the back of the shop.
The human woman who had come in with Amadon was staring at Piper. A
perplexed look crossed her face. Piper stared back for a moment.
"See anything interesting?" Piper finally snapped.
The woman didn't answer. She just continued to stare at Piper. Finally,
Amadon and Gronnar came out of the back. Gronnar was counting coins into one
hand.
"You've made a good purchase, Amadon," said Gronnar. "These are some of
the best gadlings I've ever sold."
"Put them in the wagon," Amadon instructed Parno. "Well find a place for
them when we get back."
The human woman walked over and whispered something in Amadon's ear. He
looked at her and then at Piper. Then he walked over and looked Piper over
carefully. After a moment, he spoke.
"Are you with child?" he asked Piper.
"Yes," said Piper after a moment. "Not that it's any of your business."
"Insolent," snapped Gronnar, grabbing the stockley hanging at his side.
"I'll teach you proper manners."
"Gronnar, you fool," said Amadon, pushing the stockley way before Gronnar
could use it, "this one is with child. You don't use a stockley on a gadling
with child. You could harm the young one."
"With child," Gronnar gasped. "That makes her worth even more. She's
worth a great deal more than the twelve shecks you paid for her."
"Not my fault if you don't know your own merchandise," said Amadon. "The
deal is done. You asked a price and I paid it. Next time I suggest you inspect
your merchandise more closely before offering a deal."
The human woman with Amadon helped Piper to her feet. She treated Piper
like a piece of fragile crystal that could shatter at any moment.
"Two for the price of one," said Amadon. "You're right, Gronnar. I did
make a good purchase. We'll put this one in with the other breeders. If the
child is healthy she may be able to provide even more in the future."
"Breeders?" questioned Piper. "That's not going to happen. I'm not
breeding for anyone, least of all some bloated overbearing pig who thinks he can
just buy and sell whomever he wants."
"She has spirit," said Amadon. "That's good. She will produce healthy
and lively young. Gronnar, if you come across any more like her, let me know.
I'd be interested in purchasing them."
Gronnar just bowed slightly, angry at the turn of event. Without another
word, Piper, Paige, and Cole were led outside to another wagon. The woman was
helping Piper into the wagon as Parno pleaded with Cole and Paige not to cause
any trouble.
"Get your hands off me," shouted Piper pushing the woman away. "If you
think I'm going to become some kind of baby factory, you have another thing
coming."
Amador turned and struck Piper across the face, forcing her to her knees.
"Mind your place, call," said Amador. "Just because I've selected you to
be a breeder doesn't mean I won't change my mind. There are worse things, you
know."
"Leave her alone," shouted Cole. "She's pregnant for crying out loud."
Cole was forced to his knees by a sharp electric shock to his back. He
looked around to see another demonis standing behind holding a stockley.
"Amadon is your master now," said the demonis. "You will show him his due
respect. And that means you keep your mouth shut and do as you're told."
"That is getting very tiresome," said Cole, his anger beginning to flare.
"If you didn't have that stockley and I wasn't shackled this would have a very
different ending."
"Shut up," said the demonis, shocking Cole again. "You're beginning to
become more trouble than your worth."
"We may have to destroy him," said Amadon. "He seems uncontrollable."
"As long as you keep shocking me with that thing I am," Cole shouted his
patience nearly completely gone.
The demonis with the stockley shocked Cole again. Coles' patience failed
completely. In a near total rage he stood up to face his attacker. The demonis
looked up at Cole and a look of pure terror crossed his face. The stockley
dropped from his hand and he collapsed on the ground a quivering mass of flesh.
All around Cole saw males and females alike running from them as fast as
they could move. Many of them had simply fallen to the ground on their knees,
sobbing uncontrollably. Even Amadon who seemed to be in complete control of
everything was staring at Cole in pure abject horror.
Cole looked at Piper and Paige who were also looking at him. But it
wasn't fear or horror that registered on their faces. It was more a look of
shock and surprise. Cole wasn't sure what was going on until he caught a
glimpse of himself in a nearby window. The reflection that greeted him made him
stop for a moment.
He didn't see Cole Turner reflected back at him from the glass. Instead,
Belthazor, upper level demon and once Source of all Evil, stared back at him
through its coal black eyes.