Spice and Wolf - Volume 1 - Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Marheit was everything one would expect from a trader who’d opened a branch in a foreign land.

Though initially shocked by Lawrence’s revelation, he soon calmed himself and began to think the situation through. He uttered not so much as a single word of blame for Holo, who’d been captured, or Lawrence, who’d made his escape. He was entirely focused on protecting the interests of the Milone Company and extracting any available profit from the situation.

“There’s no doubting the threat implied by this letter. They wish you, Mr. Lawrence, to know that if you don’t want your partner given up to the Church you must stay inside and not interfere.”

“They must want us to keep out of their way until their plan for the trenni silver is concluded, but that doesn’t mean they won’t still turn Holo in when they’re through.”

“Quite right. Furthermore, we’ve already invested quite heavily in the coin. Pulling out now means our losses would be huge because the trenni is guaranteed to depreciate.”

In such a situation, there was essentially no choice at all.

They could sit and await ruin, or they could strike.

The former was hardly an option.

“I suppose this means we have no choice but to strike first,” said Lawrence.

Marheit took a deep breath and nodded. “However, merely rescuing your companion won’t be enough. Even if we hide her here, once the Church gets involved, we’ll have no choice but to roll over and let them have their way. She can’t hide as long as she’s in this city.”

“What if we flee the city entirely?”

“It’s a great plain as far as the eye can see, and even if you reached another city, there’s a chance you could be extradited. Then there’d be no hope for you at all.”

They were cornered. Even meek compliance with the Medio Company’s demands would probably still result in Holo being delivered to the Church. There was no reason for them to avoid ruining a foreign company—in fact, the fewer competitors they had, the better.

Yet striking first carried with it a host of difficulties. No—“difficult” was the wrong word. Every possibility available to them was the height of recklessness.

“Is there nothing we can do?” mused Marheit as if talking to himself. “At this rate, we won’t even be able to avoid unfounded accusations, to say nothing of actually making a profit.”

Lawrence felt as if he were sitting on a carpet of needles as he listened to Marheit speak, but he bowed his head and listened—he would do whatever it took to bring about a favorable result. Merchants lacked the pride of knights or nobility. They were prepared to lick a stranger’s boots if it meant coming out ahead.

So Lawrence did not hear sarcasm or scorn in Marheit’s words, simply analysis. He had clearly summarized the situation they now faced.

“You’re saying we need some kind of card we can play against them.”

“You could put it that way. But even if we invest more capital, it’s meager compared with what they stand to gain from trenni silver. So the problem can’t be solved with money. We could report their abduction of your companion to the Church, but that would cause problems for you, and you might even deliver an unfavorable testimony about our company.”

“That…is quite possible.”

There was no point in lying, so Lawrence told the truth. He simply couldn’t cut Holo loose, but if he did, unquestionably that would solve the problem.

Marheit was undoubtedly aware of that fact. If it came down to it, he would certainly try to persuade Lawrence to take that option, though unsuccessfully. Lawrence knew he would choose death with Holo first.

Though naturally he hoped he wouldn’t have to.

This left him no alternative but to come up with some kind of plan to alter this indefensible position.

“All I can think of,” Lawrence interjected, “is to finish negotiating the trenni silver deal and use the resulting profit as a trump card.”

Marheit’s eyes went wide at Lawrence’s proposal. He didn’t want to lose the Milone Company’s profit—that almost-magical return made possible by exploiting a depreciating currency—any more than Lawrence wanted to lose Holo.

Such opportunities came around only once in a great while.

That was what made Lawrence’s proposed trump card so potent. If it came down to it, the Medio Company would happily turn Holo over rather than lose the profit.

Still—or perhaps because of that—Marheit covered his eyes in worry. Losing that opportunity would be like losing a child.

This magical trading partner could bring them staggering gains.

That partner was none other than the King of the Kingdom of Trenni.

“The greatest gain that can be extracted from trenni silver is securing special privileges from the king. According to our research, the finances of the royal family are in decline. In other words, if this deal succeeds, we’ll have substantial favor with the royal family. Abandoning that…”

“Abandoning it for my companion makes no sense at all,” said Lawrence.

“Are you suggesting that they purchase it from us?”

Lawrence nodded. He had heard of deals on this scale before but had never been involved with one. He had no assurances that it could actually be done, but his long experience as a merchant suggested that it could.

“If it comes down to a choice between destroying the Milone Company or obtaining special privileges from the king, perhaps we could simply have them pay the equivalent value.”

Lawrence was speaking off the top of his head, but it seemed plausible.

The idea that you could make money from a depreciating currency by collecting as much of it as possible was predicated on the presupposition that the same Kingdom of Trenni that minted the coins would be willing to buy up the currency.

They would do so because after recalling the currency, they could melt it down. They would then mint more coins with a lower silver content, resulting in more physical currency. If ten coins became thirteen coins, that meant a gain of three coins.

This was the best way to increase immediately available funds, but it hurt the nation’s credibility, which would result in a loss over the long term. For the royal family to be willing to do this implied that it was in dire financial straits. What was worse, if they didn’t have enough of the crucial coin, diluting it wouldn’t create the extra funds the nation needed for breathing room.

The Medio Company was trying to assemble a large amount of trenni silver to exploit this opportunity. Depending on the circumstances, they might attempt to collect all of the trenni silver circulating in the marketplace.

Then they would go to the king, and say something like “If you will agree to the price we set and give us certain considerations, we will sell you the currency.”

With a few exceptions, a king was a king only because his fortune or lands were greater than those of other nobility—and because he had garnered the support of the population who did not question his legitimacy. But simply being the monarch did not guarantee perfect control over the lands of the kingdom. The royal family could not simply control assets administered by other nobility.

Thus, the assets of royalty were not appreciably more significant than those of the various nobles. What made them special were the assorted duties that fell under royal prerogative: authority over mines, mints, tariffs, market administration, and so on. While such authority didn’t bring with it automatic gains, if one knew how to manipulate the authority, it was like shaking money out of a tree.

In all likelihood, the Medio Company wanted control over one of these domains. Precisely which one was unclear, but if whatever they were planning was successful, they stood to gain a major advantage for their business.

What Lawrence brought to the Milone Company was a proposal to snatch this opportunity away. They aimed to collect more trenni silver than the Medio Company and negotiate with the king first.

From the king’s perspective, dealing with two companies competing for the same privileges would be troublesome. Thus, if he were to deal with anyone, it would be with a sole company.

If the Milone Company could conclude the negotiations first, it would be impossible for the Medio Company to secure any privileges.

Those privileges were entirely unique.

For the Medio Company’s part, if said privileges were something that could be simply purchased, they would pay any price. The Milone Company was no different, but held by the scruff of the neck as they now were, they would have to be content with moderate compensation.

“Still…if they play their card, it won’t just destroy this branch—we’ll be burned at the stake. Will they deal with us?”

Now was the time for nerve. Lawrence leaned forward and murmured, “Surely the king would be troubled to learn that the company with which he was dealing was to be burned as heretics.”

Marheit gasped at the realization. The Church’s authority surpassed even national borders. Its power was significant even within mighty empires, to say nothing of small kingdoms like Trenni.

And in any case, the king of Trenni was having financial difficulties. The last thing he would want was trouble with the Church.

“If we can sign a contract with the king, the Medio Company won’t be able to touch us. Even if they try to turn us over to the Church, the king will not be pleased with the company that brought such trouble down upon him.”

“I see. Still, they won’t just stay silent. They might just try to bring us down with them.”

“True.”

“So in addition to the price for the privileges we’ll hand over, we’ll be demanding your companion.”

“Yes.”

Marheit stroked his chin, his face expressing admiration. He looked down at the table. Lawrence knew what Marheit was going to say next. He took a deep breath and gathered his wits in anticipation of his answer. This unique plan could break the deadlock and bring both Lawrence and the Milone Company great profit.

But it had its difficulties.

If Lawrence couldn’t overcome those difficulties, he would either have to cut Holo loose or be burned alongside her by the Church.

The former would not happen—not ever.

Marheit looked up.

“Hypothetically, it’s a sound strategy. But I’m sure you realize it will be nearly impossible to execute.”

“You’re talking about how we’ll surpass the Medio Company, yes?”

Marheit put his hand to his chin and nodded.

Lawrence was prepared for this. “As far as I can tell, the Medio Company has not yet collected a significant amount of silver.”

“And your basis for saying so is…?”

“My basis is that they didn’t immediately turn Holo over to the Church upon capturing her. If they already had enough silver, they would’ve gone directly to the Church in order to destroy us. Instead, they’re trying to prevent us from moving, probably because they’re concerned that in the time it would take for the Church to conclude our trial and sentencing, we would reach an agreement with the king. To put it another way, they think you’ve already collected enough silver to begin negotiations. It shows they have no confidence in their own position.”

Marheit listened with eyes closed. Lawrence took a breath and continued.

“Also, I don’t think the Medio Company wants anyone to know they are collecting trenni silver—this helps them take advantage of the king’s weak position. From the standpoint of a nobleman dealing with the king, it shows consideration for the king’s position and their relationship in the future to say that he just happened to have a large amount of silver on hand, no matter how transparent the lie. But to have people like Zheren target traveling merchants and suck us into the deal, I think their aim is to begin by having merchants gather the silver for them, then buy it up at the opportune moment. Even if they suspect Zheren’s motives, if someone’s willing to buy the currency, they’ll be happy to sell. This is all speculation on my part, but I don’t think I’m wrong. If the Medio Company started buying trenni silver in bulk, every company in the area would notice the strange trend in the coin, and we’d be far from their only problem.”

Marheit nodded slowly. “Given all that, this may be possible,” he murmured reluctantly, his eyes still closed.

The speculation was plausible, but it was still mere speculation. Perhaps they hadn’t turned in Holo because they didn’t wish to provoke the main branch of the Milone Company.

For whatever reason, the Medio Company was hesitating.

Given that hesitation, Lawrence and his partners had no choice but to take advantage.

“All right, we’ll assume the Medio Company is not prepared to move. Based on that assumption, what action do you suggest, Mr. Lawrence?”

Lawrence took those words at face value. He couldn’t afford to show any weakness.

He took a deep breath and spoke. “I will find Holo, rescue her, and we’ll run until the negotiations are finished.”

Marheit’s breath caught. “You can’t be serious.”

“Escape may be impossible, but we’ll buy you some time. Use it to gather as much silver as you can and conclude the negotiation.”

“It’s not possible.”

“So you’re going to turn Holo in, then? I’ll be forced to publicly denounce the Milone Company.”

It was an unmistakable threat.

Marheit’s mouth gaped at Lawrence’s near-betrayal, stunned.

The fact remained, though, that even if they chose to sacrifice Holo, the Milone Company had a contract with her and Lawrence. If it came to a Church trial, the company had perhaps a four-in-ten chance to be judged blameless, and even then, heavy fines would be levied. It went without saying that Lawrence would testify against the Milone Company.

Marheit agonized.

Lawrence took the opportunity to push.

“With the Milone Company’s help, we should be able to escape for a day or two. She is a wolf spirit, after all. If she sets her strength to escape, none will be able to catch her.”

Lawrence had no idea if that was true, of course, but it sounded convincing.

“Mm…hm…”

“Holo was caught because she acted as a decoy. If we hadn’t had a destination and sought only escape, that would’ve been easy. Might I ask how long your company will need to assemble sufficient coin to command the king’s attention?”

“…How much time, you say?”

Though Marheit appeared overwhelmed by Lawrence’s bravado, his mind was racing at the possibilities. His gaze flicked around the room, and it was clear he was deep in thought.

Lawrence thought that if he could rescue Holo cleanly and the Milone Company was willing to help, he’d be able to stay on the run for an even two days.

Pazzio was an old city. There were many buildings, and the roads and alleyways were complex. If one wanted to hide, there were innumerable places to do so.

Assuming he was running from only the Medio Company, Lawrence believed he could stay hidden.

Marheit opened his eyes. “If we send a rider to Trenni now, he’ll make it there by sunset if all goes well. Assuming we can commence negotiation immediately, he’ll return here by dawn tomorrow. Longer negotiation will lengthen his stay.”

“Can you send a rider immediately? You haven’t confirmed the amount of silver you have.”

“There’s a limit to how much coin we can house, so we can place a rough estimate on how much we’ll be able to collect. As long as we have that much by the day of the actual transaction, we’ll be fine.”

Even if they negotiated optimistically, there would be no problem as long as the currency was assembled by the day of the settlement.

The idea was sound enough in theory, but it took a big merchant to actually accomplish such reckless dealing. Additionally, they had to be able to offer enough capital that the king would think he couldn’t afford to depend solely on his own resources. Using a mere approximation of available monies to carry out such negotiations was the height of recklessness, but the very fact that Marheit was proposing the idea lent it credence, Lawrence thought.

“We wanted to negotiate only after we discovered who was backing the Medio Company, which would reveal their funding. Then we’d be able to both preempt their deal and estimate our own. But we’ve neither time to think nor to look for more information.”

Though he knew it was impossible, Lawrence worked the problem around in his head and came up with nothing. He sighed as if to voice his powerlessness.

He had to keep looking ahead. He straightened himself and regarded Marheit.

“Can you reach a fast settlement with the king?”

Lawrence would have to run whether or not negotiations were speedy. He was powerless to change the situation but would feel better knowing.

“If the Milone Company wills it, negotiations will be brief.”

Lawrence couldn’t help chuckling bitterly, but Marheit certainly sounded reliable.

He reached out with his right hand. “I imagine you know where Holo is, then?” he asked, as though inquiring about the weather.

“We are the Milone Company.”

Lawrence shook Marheit’s hand, glad to have chosen the right company to deal with.

“Assassination of our employees and arson of our facilities are facts of daily life for us. That’s why we make it a point to know the city better than anyone. We have contingencies for any emergency. Even if a legion of knights should storm the city walls, we’ll survive. But we do have a rival.”

“The Church?”

“Indeed. The Church, like us, has a far-reaching presence. Their front-line missionaries are especially like us in this regard, exceeding even our abilities. You’re aware of this, no doubt.”

“They are ubiquitous and elusive, yes.”

“Should the Church launch a search in earnest, you must not run before thinking—stay hidden in one place. Of course we hope to have the deal concluded by then. The password will be ‘Pireon, numai.’”

“Two great gold coins, then?”

“It seemed auspicious. I shall pray for your success.”

“I understand. Your hopes will be well met.”

Lawrence shook Marheit’s hand again, then climbed into the cart. The cart was completely unremarkable, the kind you’d see anywhere, but it had a roof that made it impossible to see who was riding within. This was not, however, to help Holo escape, but rather to deliver Lawrence to Holo. In fact, it was less about delivering Lawrence than it was about hiding his whereabouts.

Agents of the Milone Company had caught wind of the commotion the previous day and had followed the thugs without knowing at the time what was going on. Just as they’d learned where Holo was being held, they assumed that the Medio Company had people watching them as well. There was no such thing as too much caution.

Merchants would try to deceive one another just as soon as look at one another—all the more so when they weren’t looking.

Together with another Milone employee that was riding along, Lawrence dismantled the floorboards of the carriage and looked down at the slowly passing cobblestones.

“Once I’ve descended, I should touch the right-hand wall and go forward, right?”

“Your destination is at the end. If all goes well, a hatch will open above you. Should you hear the word ‘racche,’ please wait for the escort to arrive. If you hear ‘peroso,’ though, make your escape with Holo along the planned route immediately.”

“The good outcome and the bad, eh?” said Lawrence.

“Easy to understand, isn’t it?”

Lawrence gave a wry grin and nodded his comprehension.

“We’ll be there soon.”

Immediately after the Milone employee spoke, the horseman on the driver’s seat knocked on the wall. It was the stop signal.

The carriage braked to the sound of neighing horses as the driver shouted angrily at someone. Lawrence jumped down through the hole left by the missing floorboards and pushed aside a large stone at his feet. Beneath the stone was a dark hole. Lawrence jumped into it immediately and landed on his feet with a splash. Having confirmed their passenger’s safe drop-off, his companions above slid the stone back into place, returning the passage to total darkness.

A few moments later, the carriage resumed its advance as though nothing had happened.

“I’m surprised they’re so prepared,” said Lawrence, half-shocked as he put his hand to the wall on his right and walked slowly forward.

The tunnel had once been used to carry water, but since water pipes now connected the marketplace, it was no longer used. That’s as much as Lawrence knew about it, but the Milone Company’s knowledge of the system was complete, and they had dug unauthorized extensions to the tunnels to connect various buildings.

The Church also excelled at such subterfuge. It was said they would use the digging of graves as a pretense to construct secret underground passageways to be used for spying on heretics and evading taxation. The Church was powerful, which meant it had many enemies. Escape routes were always useful.

Large towns that housed main branches of the Church or companies like Milone were so riddled with passageways that they were scarcely different from fell catacombs where demons lived. It was like making your living on a spider’s web, a merchant had once said to Lawrence.

Lawrence now understood the terrifying truth of that statement.

The tunnel was dark and clammy but still better than some of the alleys he’d walked down, which meant it was well-maintained.

This reassured Lawrence. The Milone Company was powerful.

“Ah, here it is.”

Lawrence heard the echoes of his splashing footfalls and realized he’d reached the end. He reached out and soon felt the wall.

A traveling merchant was used to being attacked by wild dogs on moonless roads. Lawrence was confident that if the worst happened and he had to run down this tunnel, he’d be able to find the wall.

Above and to the right, there was supposedly the warehouse of a general store with connections to the Medio Company. This was where Holo was being held. Directly above Lawrence was their temporary base of operations, and apparently they’d secretly constructed a path between the two. The degree of preparation was chilling, but it might also have been built to facilitate the company’s expansion into other lands, Lawrence reminded himself.

A distant bell sounded from somewhere. It was the signal to open the marketplace. It was also the signal to begin the plan, so undoubtedly all hell was breaking loose above him. If they couldn’t free Holo in the time between now and the bell that signaled the beginning of work, they would be in real trouble—the general goods merchant would return to his warehouse.

He might have been a Medio protégé, but bills came due whether or not he was housing a hostage. Commerce never stopped, after all.

The problem was the number of people guarding Holo. If their opponents used too many people, it would be obvious to the Milone Company, but if they used too few, it wouldn’t be an effective guard. Lawrence hoped they had allocated people with the intention of keeping Holo’s location secret their top priority.

The more people there were, the worse the fight would be. The attackers wouldn’t be holding ropes and blindfolds, but edged weapons and clubs.

This would further complicate an already difficult situation, and Lawrence desperately wanted to avoid that.

Lawrence wondered how much time had passed while he’d been thinking. He was calm initially, but his legs now shook enough to splash the water around him. He was deeply troubled. He tried to calm his trembling legs, to no avail.

He tried stretching, but it only exacerbated his worry and made his heart pound harder.

He looked up, hoping the trapdoor above him would open soon.

Suddenly he froze, stricken with fear.

Had he come to the wrong place?

“S-surely not,” he answered himself, making sure that it was the correct dead end.

Just then, he heard a voice above him.

“Racche,” it said, immediately followed by the sound of floorboards cracking free of a foundation.

“Racche,” said the voice again, to which Lawrence said, “Numai!” “Pireon,” came the reply, along with a blaze of light as the floorboards slid aside.

“Holo!” exclaimed Lawrence in spite of himself when he saw her face.

Unmoved, Holo said something to the person standing next to her. She looked back down at Lawrence.

“How am I to get down there if you don’t make way?”

It wouldn’t be wrong to say Holo was her usual self, but when he heard her speak, Lawrence realized he wanted to see her happy face and hear her lively voice.

He did as Holo suggested and stepped aside, waiting for her to descend—yet what filled his heart was not satisfaction at seeing her face, but rather disappointment at missing her joyful voice.

Of course, he knew it was nothing more than wishful thinking and said nothing, but once Holo descended and looked up to receive a bundle from above, paying him not the slightest heed, the discontent in his heart grew stronger.

“What are you daydreaming about? Here, this is for you. Take it, and let’s go.”

“Wha—oh.”

Lawrence held the bundle that was shoved at him and headed down the tunnel as if pushed. Something jingled in the bundle—they must have stolen some valuables to give the appearance of thieves. Soon another person descended from the trapdoor, whereupon it shut. The tunnel was completely dark again. That was the signal to move. Lawrence said nothing to Holo and began walking.

They would turn right at the end of the passage, feeling along the left-hand wall until reaching its end. They would then climb out of the tunnel and into the carriage that awaited them there to be taken to another underground passage.

Walking the tunnel wordlessly, they finally reached their destination.

Lawrence climbed the ladder that had been prepared and knocked three times against the ceiling.

If the escort failed to make the rendezvous, they would have to take a different route—but just as the possibility crossed Lawrence’s mind, a hole opened in the ceiling, and immediately above it sat the carriage.

After confirming each other’s identities with an exchange of “Pireon,” “Numai,” Lawrence crawled up into the carriage.

“Looks like you made it safely,” said the Milone employee as he pulled Holo up. He was understandably surprised to see her wolf ears. “Business is full of surprises,” he said with a smile, sliding the large cobblestone back into its original position.

“There was another with us,” said Lawrence.

“He’ll be collecting the ladder and emerging elsewhere,” said the employee. “Once he’s delivered the information about those Medio rascals to our friends, he’ll leave the city.”

The almost frightening efficiency was due to their daily execution and refinement of plans and counterplans. Once the employee replaced the carriage floorboards, he said a quick “good luck to you” and took Lawrence and Holo’s bundles before exiting the cart. At the employee’s signal, the driver started the carriage moving. So far, everything was going according to plan.

Everything except for Holo’s reaction, that is.

“I’m so glad you’re all right,” was all Lawrence could manage. He could say no more to Holo, who sat opposite him, unfolding a strip of cloth that had been around her neck in an attempt to cover her ears.

She only replied after finishing a few adjustments to the fit of her makeshift hood. “It’s good that I’m all right, is it?”

Lawrence wanted to say yes, but the words caught in his throat. Holo was glaring at him as if she were about to bite his head off.

Perhaps she wasn’t well.

“Say my name, then!”

If she could shout like that, she wasn’t in the condition Lawrence feared. Still, her vehemence made her seem twice her normal size, and he flinched at it.

“Uh…Holo?”

“Holo the Wisewolf !”

It sounded almost like a threatening growl, but Lawrence had no idea what she was angry about. If she wanted an apology, he was ready to apologize a hundred times over. She’d been a decoy for him, after all.

Or had something happened to her that she couldn’t say?

“I can remember every single person that’s ever shamed me in my life. And now I must add another name to that list. Yours!”

Something had happened to her. Still, her anger seemed different from the manner of girls he’d seen in villages that had been taken by thugs or brigands. And if he said something foolish, it would only be throwing oil on the fire of her rage.

Thus the silence grew longer; and perhaps the silence itself began to irk her because she rose from her seat and closed in on Lawrence.

Her white, clenched fists trembled.

There was nowhere for Lawrence to run. Holo stood directly in front of him.

Their heads were at the same height, which lent Holo’s level gaze an incredibly penetrating quality. She opened her small fists and grabbed the chest of Lawrence’s shirt. Her strength matched her appearance—Lawrence hadn’t imagined her grip would be so weak.

Again he noticed how long her eyelashes were.

“You told me, didn’t you—you told me you’d come for me.”

Lawrence nodded.

“And I…I utterly believed that you would come…grrh…just thinking about it is infuriating!”

Just then, Lawrence came to a sharp realization, as if waking from a dream.

“You’re a man, aren’t you? You should’ve been in the front, fighting tooth and nail! But you were in that hole in the ground—you let me make a fool of myself—”

“But you’re unhurt, right?” asked Lawrence, interrupting her. Holo sneered at him, displeased.

She hesitated for some time before finally nodding, as if forced to drink something very unpleasant.

Holo had probably been blindfolded. She may have mistaken whoever came to her aid for Lawrence and said something meant for him alone. That was probably why she felt—and blamed him for—such needless shame.

The realization made Lawrence happy. He knew that if he’d been the one to rescue her, she would have shown the expression he longed to see.

Slowly putting his arms around Holo, who was still gripping his shirt, he drew her closer. Holo resisted a bit, irritated, but soon relented. The once angry-looking ears that were clearly visible underneath her makeshift hood now drooped. A mildly sulky expression replaced her original anger.

Though he might travel the world and amass a great fortune, the one thing Lawrence could never have was right here.

“I’m glad you’re all right,” he said.

The eyes that had flashed in anger only a moment earlier threatened to close. Holo nodded, her lips slightly pouting.

“So long as you carry that wheat with you, I’ll not die.” Holo poked his breast pocket without moving his arms away. “For a girl, there is a kind of suffering no easier than death.”

Lawrence took Holo’s hand, and Holo drew near to him, resting her chin on his shoulder. He felt her weight intensely, heavier than a burlap sack full of wheat.

“Heh. I’m so lovely that even human males fall for me. Not that a one of them is fit to be my mate,” said Holo mischievously.

When she finally released Lawrence, she wore her usual grin. “If they tried to touch me, I’d just remind them that they might lose a limb, or worse—they’d pale at that, oh yes! Hee-hee-hee,” she chuckled, her sharp fangs visible behind her pink lips. It was true; anyone would falter at such a sight.

“But there was an exception,” she added, her delight vanishing. This was a new anger, a quiet anger, Lawrence thought.

“Who do you think was there among those who captured me?”

Her expression was the height of disgust. She bared her fangs slightly in rage, and Lawrence unconsciously let go of her hand.

“Who was there?” he asked.

Who was it who could so enrage Holo? Perhaps someone from her past.

Holo wrinkled her nose as Lawrence considered. She spoke.

“It was Yarei. You remember him, no doubt.”

“That—”

Can’t be, he was going to say—but Lawrence never got that far because something else suddenly occurred to him.

“That’s it! The figure backing the Medio Company is Count Ehrendott!”

Holo had been ready to vent her spleen at Lawrence, but now her eyes widened in surprise at his outburst.

“As someone with huge tracts of wheat, he can request payment in whatever coin he wants! And if he could arrange favorable duties for his wheat, it would be like a gift from heaven to the Medio Company, the count, or even the villagers! Of course! And that explains why there was someone there who knew you were a wolf!”

Holo looked at Lawrence blankly, but Lawrence didn’t notice her as he leapt up to the window that faced the carriage drivers. He opened the small window, and one of them leaned down to listen.

“Did you hear what I just said?”

“I did indeed.”

“The one backing the Medio Company is Count Ehrendott. The count and the merchants that deal with his wheat are the reason silver is being collected. Please inform Mr. Marheit.”

“It shall be done,” he said, then jumped immediately off the carriage and took off running.

Lawrence imagined that the horses carrying the negotiators bound for Trenni had already left, but if the negotiations were at all prolonged, they would be able to propose additional conditions. Knowing the source of the Medio Company’s silver meant it might be possible for a company with the reputation and resources of Milone to snatch the deal right out from under them.

If he’d figured this out earlier, perhaps Holo’s capture could have been avoided and this entire transaction could have gone much more smoothly.

It frustrated Lawrence to think about it, but there was nothing to do about it now. It was good they’d discovered the truth when they had.

“…I do not follow you.”

Lawrence returned to his seat, arms folded as the possibilities raced through his head, when he heard Holo’s complaint. That’s when he realized he’d cut her off mid-sentence.

“Explaining it all could take some time. Let’s just say that your information was the key to figuring everything out.”

“Huh.”

Lawrence knew that it would not take much effort on Holo’s part to understand what was going on, but she didn’t seem inclined to bother.

Holo simply nodded her head, uninterested, and closed her eyes.

She seemed irritated at the sudden change of subject.

Lawrence chided himself for finding her sulking as charming as he did.

It might have been a trap she’d set for him, after all, to demonstrate how irritated she was at the interruption.

“I’m sorry I interrupted you,” said Lawrence by way of an honest apology.

She opened a single eye briefly to glance at him, then brushed off his apology with a small “It’s nothing.”

Undaunted, Lawrence continued speaking. Holo was either childish or cunning—one extreme or the other.

“Yarei should still be locked away in the storehouse for the harvest festival. If he’s in the city, that means he’s involved in the deal. He’s acquainted with the merchants that buy wheat from the village, and the village leader trusts him to do the dealing. Also, the bulk of the wheat sales are conducted immediately after the festival,” said Lawrence.

Her eyes closed, Holo seemed to consider this, finally opening both eyes at length. Her mood appeared to have brightened.

“He must have heard my name from that boy Zheren. That Yarei was wearing clothes far too fine for any village and thought rather highly of himself.”

“He must be deeply connected to the Medio Company. Did you talk to him?”

“Just a bit,” said Holo. She rid herself of the last of her anger with a sigh. Perhaps it was the recollection of her conversation with Yarei that had angered her so.

Lawrence wondered what he could have possibly said to her. Holo had no love for the villagers, that was true enough, but she had decided to leave. He didn’t think her grudge went any further than that.

As Lawrence pondered these things, Holo spoke.

“I don’t know how many years I lived there. Maybe as many as there are hairs on my tail.”

Holo’s tail swished beneath her coat.

“I am Holo the Wisewolf. In order to provide the greatest harvest, there were years I had to let the land rest, so there were seasons of meager harvest, too. Still, the fields I lent my aid should’ve been more productive than others over time.”

This was the second time she’d explained this, but Lawrence nodded for her to continue.

“The villagers did treat me as the god of the harvest—but not out of respect. It was akin to a desire to control me. Do they not chase after the person who cuts the last sheaf of wheat, after all? Do they not bind him with rope?”

“I’ve heard they lock the harvester away in the storehouse for a week with treats to eat and all the tools they’ll use in the following year.”

“The pork and duck were tasty, ’tis true.”

It was an amusing reflection. The tales were apparently true—tales of people locked up for a week only to be relased with no recollection of having eaten all the food. And the perpetrator sat right in front of him.

The vague fear that accompanied these stories now possessed a concrete form: the image of Holo in her wolf form, devouring duck and pork.

“Still,” said Holo seriously as she set out to explain the reason for her anger. Lawrence composed himself.

“What do you think Yarei said to me?” Holo bit her lip, momentarily at a loss for words. She rubbed the corner of her eye with her finger and continued. “He said he heard my name from Zheren, and it made him wonder. I…it is pathetic, but I was so happy to hear that…”

Holo’s head hung low, and tears overflowed from her eyes.

“Then he told me that the days when they had to worry about my mood were over. That they need no longer fear my fickle nature. That since the Church was already after me, they should just hand me over and be done with the old ways for good!”

Lawrence knew about Count Ehrendott’s exchanges with natural philosophers and how he’d introduced new agricultural techniques to boost crop yield.

Even the most devout prayer must eventually show results, or the spirit or god responsible will be discarded, and people will begin to find the idea of depending on their own efforts much more appealing. If new farming methods brought prosperity where prayer failed, it was not surprising that the people would start to believe that the god or spirit to whom they prayed was capricious, unreliable.

Lawrence himself sometimes ascribed the vicissitudes of fortune to some inscrutable god.

But the girl before him was not what came to mind.

She had said her reason for staying in the village was that she got along with the villagers, that her friend from long ago had asked her to see to the harvest. She had always meant for the fields to prosper. But after she oversaw the land for centuries, people began denying her existence, and now to hear that they wished to be rid of her—how must that feel?

Tears fell freely from Holo’s eyes. Her face showed a mixture of frustration and sorrow.

She’d said she hated being alone. When a god forced people to worship it, perhaps it was only out of loneliness.

If Holo’s predicament elicited such wild-eyed notions in Lawrence, it was hardly surprising it also made him want to wipe her tears away.

“It doesn’t really matter, in the end. I want to return to the northland, so I must leave one way or another. If they have no love for me, I’ll simply kick the dust from my hind legs and leave. ’Twill be a cleaner break that way. Still…I can’t just leave it like this.”

She seemed to have stopped crying, but Lawrence could still hear her sniffing as he stroked her head gently. He smiled as broadly as he could manage and spoke.

“I—no, we—are merchants. As long as we profit, we triumph. We laugh when money comes in, and cry only in bankruptcy. And we will laugh,” he said.

Holo glanced up momentarily, then down again, tears falling from her eyes once more. She nodded, then looked back up. Lawrence wiped her tears away a second time, and Holo took a deep breath. She wiped the lingering tears from the corners of her eyes almost violently.

For several moments afterward, her long, damp eyelashes sparkled.

Holo sighed. “…I feel better.”

She smudged away the final remnants of tears with one hand and, looking sheepish over her outburst, lightly punched Lawrence in the chest with a small fist.

“It’s been centuries since I’ve had a proper conversation. My emotions are far too fragile. I’ve cried before you twice now, but I would have done it even if you had not been here. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Lawrence raised his hands and shrugged. “You’re telling me not to misunderstand.”

“Mm-hm.”

Holo happily rubbed her balled-up fist around on Lawrence’s chest.

She was being almost unbearably dear just then, and Lawrence couldn’t help but tease her a bit.

“I only brought you along to help me make money anyway. Until the Milone Company concludes its negotiations, our job is to escape. Having someone crying and carrying on in the middle of that is just a burden. So regardless of who was crying in front of me, I’d—”

Lawrence could proceed no further with his jape.

Holo looked at him as if stricken.

“…That’s not fair,” he grumbled.

“Mm-hm. Female privilege.”

Lawrence poked her head lightly for being so shameless.

The window by the driver’s seat opened, as if the driver had been waiting for the opportune moment. He smiled reluctantly.

“We have arrived. Are you quite finished with your conversation?”

“We surely are,” said Lawrence with affected enthusiasm as he removed the carriage floorboards. Beside him, Holo snickered madly.

“It’s true, then, that people who bring talk of profit are rather odd,” said the driver.

“What, you mean my ears?” said Holo mischievously.

The driver laughed—she’d gotten the better of him. “It makes me want to return to my traveling merchant days, looking at you two.”

“I wouldn’t if I were you,” said Lawrence, shoving the stone and confirming the tunnel was the right one. He then climbed back into the carriage to let Holo go first. “You might end up running into someone like her.”

“Ah, but a wagon bench is too wide for just one. I’d wish to be so lucky!”

Lawrence chuckled; nearly any merchant would feel the same way.

Without another word, he descended into the tunnel. Had he continued, he was sure he’d embarrass himself. And in any case, Holo awaited him.

“Surely I am the unfortunate one, to be picked up by the likes of you!” said Holo there in the darkness once the driver replaced the stone and drove away with a quiet rumble.

Lawrence thought about how to turn the tables while the sound of a horse’s neigh echoed faintly above them, but ultimately decided that no matter what he said, Holo would win in the end. He gave in.

“You’re too clever by half.”

“’Tis what makes me so charming,” said Holo, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. What could he say to that?

No, it’s because I’m always searching for a retort that I fall into her trap, he thought to himself.

He decided to take the most unexpected route.

Lawrence coughed quietly.

Then he looked away. “Well…yes, you’re quite charming,” he said in the shiest, most bashful tone he could manage.

There was no way she would anticipate such an answer, he was certain.

He forced himself not to laugh in the darkness. As he expected, she was silent.

Now, for the finishing blow, he thought.

As he turned to face her, the softest sensation filled his hand.

His mind went blank at the realization that it was Holo’s small, impossibly soft hand.

“…I’m so happy.”

Lawrence’s heart couldn’t help stirring at those sweet, reticent, girlish words. As if to punctuate it, her hand squeezed his ever so slightly, as if she were embarrassed with her admission of happiness.

So it was Holo who dealt the finishing blow.

“You really are an adorable boy,” she said, amused at her own joke—which was even more irritating. Lawrence wasn’t angry with her for saying so, but rather himself for giving her the chance.

And yet he didn’t think of letting her hand go, which felt somehow pathetic—and Holo’s holding his hand made him feel unreasonably pleased.

“Too clever by half,” he murmured to himself.

It was quiet in the tunnel.

Then it filled with the echoes of Holo’s giggling.