Contents
3. Tick-Turd
Overview
The thief fences the stolen goblin-silver ring to a wary dealer and wins a hard negotiation, leveraging wit and a sleep cantrip on her muscle. He trades the ring for fourteen shillings, is branded a "blacktongue thief," and resolves to visit the Takers Guild to mend strained relations.
Summary
The narrator brings the goblin-silver ring to an older fence who immediately recognizes its make. She probes his need and affiliations, while the thief keeps his distance and signals he is already working. He opens negotiations by anchoring high and asking for payment in shillings, preferably small-coined "owlets."
The dealer lowballs him and he counters with a ratcheting rule—each underbid raises his price. When she postures, the thief reveals he has already cast a small sleep cantrip on the heavy upstairs, whose drunken snoring proves he is neutralized. The fence tries to close at ten; the thief escalates to fourteen and threatens to take the ring to a rival shop under Spider sign, needling her past with Cobb.
Pressed by leverage and time, the fence pays fourteen shillings, pointedly excluding owlets. As he departs, she spits a parting insult, calling him a "dirty, blacktongue thief." He accepts the slight with a bow and leaves amid thrown objects and drool from above, savoring the win.
Flush with coin but still indebted, the thief plans his next move: go to the Takers Guild and see how much goodwill his newly won shillings can buy back.
Who Appears
- Unnamed Galtish thief (narrator)Sells a stolen goblin-silver ring; out-haggles the fence; uses a sleep cantrip; plans to visit the Takers Guild.
- Oldish woman fenceWary dealer who recognizes goblin-silver; spars over price; pays fourteen shillings; sneers he’s a blacktongue thief.
- Sleeping heavy upstairsThe fence’s muscle, rendered harmless by the thief’s sleep cantrip; his snoring confirms the spell.