Brave Story - Miyuki Miyabe [177]
“Toni Fanlon?” Meena asked cheerfully. “We came here from Gasara hoping we could take a look at some of your crafts.”
“Customers, are you?” the young man said, rubbing his nose and sounding relieved. “Then come on in. I’m not making anything very special at the moment, but you’re welcome to have a look.”
He opened the door for Wataru and the others, and then took a step back. “But I must head out on an errand shortly. I’m afraid I can’t welcome you for long…”
The young man’s eyes narrowed. He was staring at Wataru. Rather, he was staring at the firewyrm armband Wataru wore on his left wrist. “You’re Highlanders?”
His voice sounded entirely different from a moment before. “You are, aren’t you? That’s the mark of a Highlander, isn’t it?”
Wataru became suddenly nervous. “Yes. Yes it is.”
Toni shook his head, his ponytail waving back and forth, and stood in Kee Keema’s path just as he was about to step inside.
“Then I’m afraid I have to ask you to leave,” he said quickly, his face going pale. His face was ashen and seething with anger.
“But, but why?”
“We came all this way…” Meena cut in. “Is there something wrong with Highlanders? Don’t you like them?”
Lightning flashed across Toni Fanlon’s eyes like two black jewels. “Hah. I take it you’ve not met Chief Pam yet?”
“We met him, sure,” Kee Keema answered. “We asked him where we could find your workshop.”
“And he told you?” the man asked, his every word clipped. “You lie!”
“It’s not a lie. I mean, he only said you were off to the side of the market, he didn’t tell us the exact location. We had to ask a few people on the way.”
“It’s true. We want to see your work. I didn’t think we’d be able to buy anything, of course, they must be very expensive…”
Toni bit his lip and shook his head. “I wouldn’t sell one of my works to a Highlander, or any friend of a Highlander, no matter what the price. No selling, no showing. Now leave.”
The door shut with a slam.
The three stood with their mouths open, uncertain how to process this rapid turn of events. Faces peeked out of nearby windows and doors, then quickly withdrew. This must be a common sight, Wataru thought. He heard stifled laughter from somewhere above his head. It seemed like even the cries and pithy market noises drifting from Bricklayer Street mocked them.
Kee Keema closed his mouth with a snap. “Step aside, please,” he said to Wataru and Meena. They each took a step back.
“Many thanks,” Kee Keema said with a toothy grin. Then he clenched both hands into fists and stepped back across the narrow road saying “One step, two steps, three steps,” in a loud voice as he paced backward.
“What are you doing?” Meena asked frantically. The waterkin charged toward the door, answering as he flew past, “I could break through five of these doors!”
“Wait! No!”
“Kee Keema!”
Wataru and Meena tried to tackle him. He growled like a hunting dog and shook them off in two steps. “What?”
“No violence!”
“You saw how rude he was? What’s with that attitude? And he calls himself a merchant. Bah! When you meet someone like that, you give them a good whack on the chin, that’s what you do. The Goddess herself don’t stand for that kind of attitude.”
“Please, wait!” came a girl’s voice from down the street. They turned to see Elza picking up her skirts as she ran toward them, her long hair flowing behind her.
Breathing heavily, her hand on her chest, she said, “Y-you…Toni, he…”
“He turned us away at the door,” Kee Keema said, gnashing his sharp teeth. Wataru knew the waterkin was a gentle soul and would never do a girl like Elza any harm, but seeing him there baring his teeth would have given anyone a fright. Elza caught her breath and pleaded with them. She looked on the verge of tears. “I’m sorry, I should’ve come with you…”
And then she collapsed.
“I must have given you quite a scare.”
Elza was sitting on a hard cot in the corner of Fanlon’s workshop. She had regained consciousness, but her face was