“Rori, wait up!”

  It was late afternoon, and it seemed like every Cunāe at the conclave had decided that now was the time to get up and move. Rori stopped winding his way through the throng and turned to find Brand a few steps behind him. They both stepped off to the side between two tents so that they wouldn’t impede the flow of traffic.

  “Where are you headed?” Brand asked.

  “Nowhere important. What about you?”

  “L’nova mentioned something about a book swap. I thought I would go see what that was about. Hey wait, there’s Baxter. Baxter!”

  The large soldier was not hard to spot. He stood head and shoulders above most of the other people in the crowd. When Brand called his name, he turned and headed their way, but the look on his face said he’d rather they hadn’t spotted him.

  “Something going on?” asked Brand.

  “Um . . . no, not really,” Baxter answered.

  “I’m heading to the book swap. Want to come with me?”

  “Um . . . okay.”

  “Baxter, you are a lousy liar,” said Rori. “We’re just wandering around. If you have something you’d like to do on your own, we won’t be offended.”

  “I challenge you!” said a woman stepping up to Rori from out of the crowd. “You do have tokens, don’t you?”

  “Yes. Though you aren’t supposed to ask that before the challenge.”

  “Oh, sorry,” she said. “I choose odd.”

  Rori and the woman ran through the game. They both put out two fingers, so Rori won the challenge. The woman handed three tokens to Rori and disappeared into the crowd without another word.

  “Hey! You won. Good job!” said Baxter.

  “If you say so,” answered Rori.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m sick of this game. People come up to me constantly. It’s getting annoying. Last night, three drunks woke me up to make me play. Any chance either of you want all my tokens?”

  “Wouldn’t that be cheating?” asked Baxter.

  “Also, you haven’t exactly sold us on the experience. I believe I will pass,” said Brand.

  “Why don’t you just lose?” asked Baxter.

  “I can’t! Believe me, I’ve tried. Look, here comes another one.”

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  This time a young man came out of the crowd and approached the three of them. He looked nervous about the whole thing, but eventually said, “Um, can I challenge you?”

  “Sure,” said Rori. “But listen, I’m sick of this game, so I’m going to pick odd, and I’m going to stick out one finger. Since you are even, all you need to do is also put out one finger and you will win. Okay?”

  “Okay,” the young man said with a confused look on his face.

  They counted to three and extended their fingers. Rori put out one finger as promised. The young man put out two.

  “I lost,” the young man said.

  “Yes. Why did you put out two fingers? I told you what I was going to do!”

  “I thought you were lying,” the young man said as he handed Rori two tokens and walked away.

  “There, see! I cannot lose!”

  “How many tokens are there? Surely the game has to be coming close to the end.” asked Brand.

  “I don’t know. In the five days since Dade got here more clans have shown up and they all get a few. I’ve quit keeping track of how many I have,” said Rori holding up a good-sized sack and dropping the newly acquired tokens into it.

  “There is an easy solution,” said Brand.

  “Please, tell me what it is!”

  “Be Karl. I thought you were supposed to spend most of your time as him anyway?”

  “I was, but it’s a hassle. Every time I put on the ring, I see someone I want to talk to and then I have to figure out a way to change back. Not to mention that people keep calling out the name ‘Karl’ and I don’t realize they are talking to me. It’s more trouble than it’s worth. Besides when I look around here, it just seems completely unlikely that anything will happen. But you are right. I think I will go put on the ring and spend the afternoon in anonymity.”

  “Baxter, you’ve looked over your shoulder three times since we’ve been standing here,” said Brand. “If you want to go somewhere, just go. Just please give me some reassurance that you aren’t in any trouble.”

  “Oh, I’m in trouble alright. But it’s not like you think,” said Baxter with a hangdog look.

  “It’s not money,” said Brand. “And it isn’t gambling.”

  “No, nothing like that.”

  “You’re not the kind to get in a fight and I doubt you are being threatened,” said Rori warming to the game.

  “You’re both hysterical,” said Baxter.

  “Did you fall for some sweet little Cunāe girl? Only to find out she isn’t into large fighting men?” said Rori jokingly.

  “No, of course not.” Baxter replied quickly but the blush that appeared on his cheeks said that they were somewhere near the truth.

  “Something to do with love then,” said Brand. “But I thought you only had eyes for Delores?”

  “Look, just leave off. Okay guys?” said Baxter.

  “Sorry, big guy. We didn’t mean to pry. Are you sure we can’t help you?” asked Rori. “Besides I told you the secret to getting into Delores’ heart. What’s the problem?”

  “That is the problem!” cried Baxter.

  “Okay, you lost me somewhere in there,” said Brand.

  “Delores told Karl that she would only fall for a guy who brought her flowers and sang her a serenade,” explained Rori. “Not sure what the problem is.”

  “That is exactly the problem!” cried Baxter again. “Have you ever heard me sing?”

  “I can’t say that I have,” said Brand.

  “No, me either,” said Rori.

  “That’s because I don’t. Or rather I can’t. When I sing, cats in heat come calling, plants wilt and die, and milk curdles.”

  “Oh, come on. It can’t be that bad!” said Brand.

  “It is, believe me. Have you heard Ian sing?”

  “Gods don’t remind me,” said Brand. “He’s horrid.”

  “Yeah, well I’m worse.”

  “Well then you are in luck,” said Rori. “If anyone can teach you a thing or two about singing, especially about wooing your heart’s desire, it is the Cunāe.”

  “That’s what I figured,” said Baxter. “Only I don’t know who to ask and I was too embarrassed to tell you all. I was going to go and try to find someone when I ran into you two.”

  “Well fret no more,” said Rori. “I know just the person. I’ll introduce you and he’ll have you singing in no time. Brand you can come too if you want?”

  “I think I’ll pass,” said Brand. “Though I’m certain Baxter will end up sounding like a songbird, I’m not sure I want to hear the parts leading up to that. I’m going to continue on to the book swap.”

  “Okay. I’ll try to catch up once I get Baxter set up.”