#anywhere

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As they leave the market, Earl looks properly contrite but also pleased, "That was...fun." he admits "Near calls, but amazing place. Very vibrant. I think I could like it, in small doses."

"Not like any freehold I've frequented, truth. I feel like there is more yet to explore - why, we hadn't even seen the bale!"

"No we didn't" He says "I wonder if it's under the street itself? " Her keen eyes notice that in addition to the paintings, he has a package that he did not before. Hopefully he hasn't sold anything vital to get it.

Zara pokes at it and raises her eyebrows.

"No crossroad deals?"

"No crossroards deals. It's a gift for your brother. One might think of it as a bribe"

"Aye?"

He hands over the package, "Go ahead, I'm going to wrap it later."

Nosy little thing, she opens it at once!

A magic eight ball? What's so special about that?

"Ask it a question, give it a shake" He winks

"Will my brother like you?" Shake.

Yes, it actually has 'sigh' written there.

Eyebrow. "But sluagh value the broken."

"I knwo" he grins "Ask it about the weather"

"What shall the weather be on the morrow?" Shake.

"it's a tragic eight ball... all it does is predict gloom and doom." Earl says.

"Oh, how marvelous!"

A smile "Yes. It's not prophetic save maybe by chance, and very over the top. "

"I think he shall enjoy it."

"And torment our mother with it."

"Sounds like a Miriam problem to me" Earl chuckles.

"Aye, indeed."

they hear footsteps behind them, fast paced, gaining.

Zara turns!

The eshu childling runs with all due speed and then some.

Zara looks to see what might be chasing said childling...

A large troll comes after the girl, "Stop Thief!"

Said 'large troll' is dressed in a fashion liken to a bouncer or security officer.

An eyebrow. She does not hamper the childling.

Earl reaches for the childling, but the girl races through his fingers... "Sorry, lost my grip on her"

And the girl shoots forward with a quicksilver.

Zara somehow or the other, gets in the way between the guard and the eshu. "Oh dear... a thief?" He'll need to slow, or divert, or run her over...

The big troll says "You're in the wa.." And yeah he's definitely lost the thief now.

"Oh, good sir... a thief?" She clutches at her necklace. "What happened?"

"Little witch took a book from a vendor."

"Oh? In the Pocket?"

"Aye. Well.. great, now i must return and tell the vendor I failed" A snort, and the large troll returns to go back.

"Which vendor?"

The troll grunts and vanishes back into the market path. Well, that was a bit rude.

Earl frowns "Why is it some security folks have the worst manners?"

"I know not..."

"He could learn a thing or two from Thane Oswald." Earl sniffs then he looks where the Eshu went. "Still, she was an eshu not a piskie"

"We should catch up to her, nu?"

"I think she will soon be trailing us" Earl says with quiet confidence.

"Well then. Let us see this contentious book."

He pulls it out a small book to be sure.