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our pride in the antiquity of our city amusing since the Goyothinaroi have been on Chissoku Bogmak a mere millennium, I think you will find Old Town quite interesting. It is a place of remark-able fecundity and I must remind you of considerable danger to your person and your possessions, though you will be safe as long as you remain on the heyyil. You will occasionally see heavily armed individuals, large and ugly, carefully contrived laughter in his voice, very, very ugly. These are the jinsbeks, what you would call enforcers. They belong to the local Sirshak-kai, the crime and vice lords, the secret societies. If you plan to return to these precincts which we sincerely advise against you will be responsible for the safety of your person and your possessions. We do suggest you carry a stash of guims in a moneybelt or some other place inaccessible to pickpockets and cutpurses. Why do I say this? So if you run into trouble you can bribe a jinsbek to deal with the situation. The bribe is standardized at three guims, but the jinsbek may demand more. Do Page 30 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html not bargain. Pay him or he will simply take it all. You do have some recourse if you think you have been cheated. Report this extortion to the Blurdslang at Blurdslang Alley. I will point it out as we move past. You will be quite safe there, it is truce-ground. Do not expect the return of your money. You must content yourself with an explanation of the charges if the Sirshaka of the Night decides the jinsbek was jus-tified by circumstances. Or with a finger or some other appendage of the offender if the decision goes against him. The Sirshak-kai appreciate your patronage and do not wish a reputation for extortion to scare off future visitors. Do not approach a jinsbek to recover lost prop erty or avenge a minor jostling. They will take the bribe to pay for their wasted time, but otherwise ignore you. Only appeal to them to avoid immediate bodily injury. 9 As we pass through it, note the design of the Gate. The flanking pillars are pods off the Kushtori s probes, while the arch over the top is made from locking rings welded together. The gate itself disappeared long ago, no one knows exactly how or why. Much of the wall was pulled down as the city expanded, though there is still quite a lot of it about, incorporated into the buildings. The street we will move along is the G sok Raba Katir. The Heart Line. It is called that because it leads to the most sacred spot on all of Chissoku Bogmak, the Temple of Guintayo whose Totem is the Sun, Who is Giver of Life, the Generance of the All. His voice changed from a heavy pseudo-awe to the brisker tone of commerce. The Temple Square is the location of the NightFair where there are bargains beyond belief and no questions asked about provenance; if you wish to view the Fair, it is best to go with a professional guide who can protect you from counterfeits and other traps. Caveat Emptor should be branded on every brow in there. There is no prohibition against attending the Fair and indeed you will be safe enough within the Square itself, but please do not attempt to go there without a guide unless you are one of a large group. And I must emphasize one final thing. Do not go armed. Carrying energy weapons out of the Land-ing Zone is forbidden. It will bring on your head a ses-sion in the mines at a minimum. If by chance you should injure one of our citizens with a forbidden weapon, you will vanish down the mines for the rest of your life. There is no escape from this penalty, it does not matter who you are or what names you throw at the Goyothinaroi who judges you. The heyyil lifted and hummed forward, the guard con-turning his practiced spiel. Shadith tuned him out and looked around alertly, focusing on her own points of in-terest. The noise was constant though not as deafening as she d expected; the tonnes of masonry around and over them must be absorbing a lot of it. No echoes. Feeling of secrecy and life lying in ambush. Eyes looking down on her. Everywhere eyes. The street peddlers crowded around the heyyil waving their merchandise, shouting prices, even the more sedate food stalls had shills out shouting their specialities, walk-ing menus giving dish and price, boasting the succulence of the food. The whole place throbbed and seethed with life and more than a little desperation. These people had survived Winter and still were gaunt with the strains of that time. The old man had been here for Thaw, Spring and a part of Summer and then was forced to leave some thirty years ago, so University had [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |
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