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Lorenus Adelin was tired when they finally reached the point of the meet, but he was still aware enough of his surroundings to be shocked at what he saw. The naga crested the last hill along the road that split the lion and skunk delegations, but despite his intent to stay between them the whole way, he was still struck dumb by what waited.

“Sssso…thissss issss the Grand Market…”

He had heard Ano use the phrase before, but he had certainly underestimated what waited. Spiny lizards with their caravans, cheetahs with their bushels on their heads, and both of them working together to raise great tents of many colors: all could be seen from the crest of the hill, and the sheer wealth of color, materials, and food on display was a bounty that even the Snake Lands would have been hard-pressed to match outside of the capital city.

No wonder they have power as merchants…they have everything…

Ano nudged him slightly, and he nodded, continuing to push Jelani to move forward. The other members of their delegation were moving in from either side, and he didn’t want them to reach the merchants before him.

As the lions and the skunks came in from the north and south, a representative from each of the species waiting stepped away from the market towards him. One was a cheetah, slender, but slightly broad across the shoulders and wearing rich metals around his neck and around his waist. Even his loincloth was embroidered with many patterns, and though he wore sandals rather than boots, they were long and supple, running up to his knees.

The spiny lizard, on the other hand, was short and squat, thick-set and looking as immovable as a deep-rooted boulder. He wore a longer robe, one that rested on his shoulders and split on either side, only to be pulled in by a belt around the waist. His brown scales were pebbly, and his face looked like it could rip the flesh off of an unsuspecting lover.

They both bowed slightly, inclining their heads towards him as he approached. He gave them the same respect a moment later, pulling his jackal ‘perch’ to a halt.

“A stranger to our tents, but no less welcome,” the cheetah said. “I am Nakio, the prince of my tribe, and this is Sukyu, likewise of his. To what do we owe the pleasure of one of the Snake Lands?”

“No longer of the Ssssnake Landsss, though hopefully of them one day sssoon,” Lorenus said. “I am here assss the Emperor of the Sssizwe.”

“…The Emperor, then. We apologize for our ignorance, oh Emperor,” Nakio said, the cheetah bowing his head once more. “We were unaware that you were on the move…inland.”

Ah, then they had been aware of the other moves that the Sizwe were making, but perhaps not who was making them. That was interesting; he’d thought that his success at taking the throne had spread. Perhaps not so widely as his father’s letter had made him think.

Worth remembering, that.

“You do not sssseem worried about the othersss,” he said, gesturing to either side. “They were at war but a few weeksss ago.”

“The news of the land travels quickly,” Nakio said. “We have heard much, though not why they stopped fighting.”

“Then you aren’t afraid?”

“Why should we be? All come here to trade; goods are power.”

Indeed, they were, and a peace would benefit some and harm others. He smiled and nodded.

“I will be part of the delegation.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Nakio said. “Come with us.”

He tapped Jelani with his tail, urging the jackal forward, while at the same time patting his camel advisor on the shoulder. The latter would wait outside the tents; he wanted to take care of this on his own.

The cheetah and his spiny lizard companion walked him towards the greatest of the tents, near the center of the Grand Market. Unlike the others, it was made to contain multiple chambers, each cut off from the others with a curtain of beads and leather that ensured it was both airy and yet private. They settled a series of cushions for his perch, and then sent runners to collect the other parties and their leaders.

Throughout the process, Sukyu kept one eye on him. Lorenus took it as a compliment; doubtlessly, the smaller lizard expected him to interfere in some way. More likely still, the merchant probably assumed that the Emperor wished to seize some greater advantage with his presence.

Perhaps he would have, if he didn’t have another plan. Lorenus curled and coiled tighter around his perch, allowing a smile to cross his lips, but nothing more.

Eventually, the other two leaders passed into the tent. Konie sat on one side of the Emperor, while Jahari sat on the other. True to the conditioning that he had rammed into their heads during the journey, neither looked at him for leadership. Instead, they stared straight ahead, as if ignoring each other, making it clear that they were here for goods and they didn’t plan on sharing.

The merchants, however, were sitting closer together. They sat on a slightly raised platform, just enough to put them a few inches higher than the warring Kgosis. They glanced at each other for a moment, and Nakio nodded to the spiny lizard. Sukyu turned back to the pair.

“We will open with a condition.”

“I thought you opened with bids,” Jahari said.

“This is…unusual,” Konie agreed.

“There is a condition to the sales this year. We will sell nothing without the agreement that your payment this year will be repeated for the next four.”

Both Kgosis sat up straight, their eyes wide. Sukyu continued.

“In return, we will see to it that you are the only one that receives this particular purchase arrangement. Your rival will not get the chance to out-bid you.”

Lorenus could see the maneuvering going on. They were taking advantage of the temporary peace to ensure that their enemies didn’t start looking for new targets. While the different tribes were fighting one another, the merchants could flourish, but if they were allowed to look for different targets, no longer forced to fight each other, then the merchants might prove a tempting target.

But if they were suddenly obligated to keep paying a high price every year for the goods that they wanted, locked in for almost half a decade, then it would force them to find a way to pay for those goods time and time again. It would ensure that they either went back to war – a chancy proposition, at best – or it would force them to go to a more peaceful existence, finding a way to raise the cost to get what they needed.

Sly, very sly. And the merchants had picked a good time for it. Were it any ordinary peace, the two sides would still be antagonistic enough that they would bid each other up in a desperate attempt to make sure that, if they didn’t get what they wanted, their enemy would be beggared to get what they needed.

The two Kgosis gasped, staring in shock. Nakio shook his head.

“My good friend is quite blunt, but he speaks the truth. The Grand Market is operating on different rules this year. In celebration of your peace, we ask that you offer us something of greater value in return. Let us help you maintain your peace.”

“…I…”

“…We…”

The Kgosis were both shocked, the skunk and the lion shaking their heads in disbelief. Lorenus, on the other hand, was just admiring the process. Here he was, a master of hypnosis and a powerful monarch, and he could only stare in approval at the way that these manipulators had stopped two rivals cold.

He could learn from this.

He would learn from this.

“…I agree,” Jahari said, the lion shaking his head. “Though it may beggar my tribe, we will take what we need.”

“…And I agree, as well.”

“Splendid. Then let us begin the auctions,” Nakio said.

“Wait.” Sukyu shook his head. “The Emperor has yet to agree to anything.”

“Oh, I am not bidding today,” Lorenus said, shaking his head. “I am merely here asss an obssserver.”

“…”

“I sssspeak nothing but the truth.”

“I doubt that.”

“I will sssay no more, if it helpsss you believe me.”

“One word, and you will be removed,” Sukyu threatened.

Lorenus knew better than to answer that. He merely smiled, gesturing for them to continue on. After a few seconds, the spiny lizard shook his head, eyes narrowed as if he was trying to figure out what he had missed.

In truth, Lorenus almost pitied him. The merchant princes had, to give them all due credit, come up with a good plan. It would have stymied many.

But they had not imagined what he could come up with, or what the newly-allied tribes might actually do in response to an external threat. The naga did not speak, nor did he look at the leaders on either side of him. He just rested his head on his jackal, and waited.

#

Nakio and Sukyu eventually left the tent in annoyed disgust, while Jahari and Konie left in triump. The latter were arm in arm, while the former were throwing their hands to the sky in futile rage. It was quite the show, and it was something that sent a little quiver of joy straight through the Emperor.

As he emerged from the tent behind his subordinates, Ano was there to meet him. The camel cocked his head to the side.

“It’s not like someone to be aware they’ve been cheated,” the camel said.

“They were not cheated. Merely out-played.”

“That has seldom happened.”

“Old Hump, I told you. I know what I am doing.” Lorenus chuckled. “They asked our new Kgossssisss to bid on a four-year contract.”

“…That would beggar most of the tribes.”

“Indeed. They expected each ssside to beggar the other, to leave them dependent on what aid the traderssss would extend. They did not expect the ssskunksss and the lionsss to help each other.”

“They – oh. They made a deal.”

“Indeed.”

It had been a thing of beauty. Rather than bidding each other up, the two had taken turns, bidding incredibly low for most of the goods on auction and stopping. Even when the merchant princes had taken the tactic of requiring a minimum bid, they had never taken it further, giving the bare minimum that Nakio and Sukyu would take. If the minimum bid went too high, then the pair simply refused to bid at all.

It had baffled the merchant princes, and Lorenus had seen their confusion grow as fast as their fury. The lions clearly needed the salting and curing supplies that the skunks had bid on, just as the skunks had needed the herbs and medicines that the lions had claimed. The fact that neither side fought had gone against all common wisdom.

It was only at the end of the bidding war that the truth had come out. The lion and skunk had stood up and turned to each other, the first time that they had acknowledged each other’s presence throughout the whole of the bidding, and said that they’d meet that night to discuss how to share out the goods.

Of course, the merchants had complained long and loud about how that was against the rules, but Lorenus had been proud of them, particularly Konie. The skunk had completely silenced them with the reminder that the bidding had always meant that a bid given meant that the property claimed was officially transferred, and could only be rescinded at a lack of payment ability. They had already signed the contract at a steal of a price, and had managed to completely bamboozle the merchants.

“And this was all done…without you doing a thing?” Ano asked.

“Only telling them to work together,” Lorenus said.

“…Surprising.”

“The work of ssself-interessst,” the naga said, shaking his head. “The merchantsss wanted peace. The ssskunk and lion needed their goodsss. Without need to fight, they were able to think of ssssomething better.”

“Apparently…but there is other news.”

“Ssspeak it, then.”

“Noru and Raya have returned. They bring news from the monkeys.”

“…Indeed. Then take me to them.”

It had been too long since he’d seen his rabbit and his monitor lizard. The pair of them had been dispatched to keep an eye on things in the other lands, and it had been some time since he’d heard from them. The fact that he had sent their prince back to them – cursed as he was – meant that something should have happened by now. Hopefully, they brought news that was worth hearing, and not news that would set his plans back. He was already dealing with enough chaos at the moment.

“Lead on,” he said.

The camel nodded, bowed, and did as he was told.

The End