‘And there are lots of… sky-traders in the worlds?’ she inquired.

Kel nodded. ‘As common as clouds, madam.’

Stelka blinked. ‘Do you have any icefire?’

The three sky-traders exchanged glances. ‘Normally you'd start negotiations with a cubit of Hixasic measuring irons, and then work your way up to the most valuable thing in all the worlds,’ Kel explained with a grin.

‘And a Hixasic measuring iron is…’ Bellgard raised his eyebrows.

Kel finished, ‘the least useful item ever made, and the most easy to get.’

‘You can use them to stir paint,’ observed one of Kel's companions. ‘They also make an excellent back scratcher. There's some species that would find them very useful as walking sticks. Very short ones.’

‘I know!’ said the second, snapping her fingers. ‘Giants could use them to pick their noses, if they felt using fingers was bad manners.’

‘Lady giants,’ the first companion agreed, nodding.

‘I'll be sure to suggest it next time we meet thousands of lady giants,’ Kel said sighing.

‘About the icefire?’ Stelka pressed.

Kel rubbed the back of his neck. ‘We might have such a thing lying around. Might not. I'd need to check my stock. I think at this stage the most important thing to determine is what you have that might be of value to us.’

*

It seemed to Tab that the sky-traders had been in the throne room with the council for hours. The city was preoccupied with waiting again, but this time the solemn fear had been replaced by barely contained excitement.

Philmon's cousin, who was also Tab's cabin mate, Amelia, had joined Tab and Philmon. The three played hooey with some of the children in the Square of the People outside the Archon's Palace.

Word had spread fast. Sailors seemed to be focused on repairing rigging right above where the children played. Grown-ups found reasons to hang around the square and speculate on what the sky-traders’ currency might be, given that they seemed to have little interest in gems or metals.