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wasn’t a skill
most people had. At least, not most law-abiding people. He was part of a crew.
Had to be. Pickpockets, probably.
    A sharp pinch interrupted her
musings. “Ouch,” Tate said, rubbing her arm and frowning at Ryu. “What’d you do
that for?”
    “Well?”
    “Well, what?”
    “What’re you looking at?” he asked.
    “You pinched me just to ask that?”
    “You weren’t answering me.”
    “Still, that doesn’t mean you go
around pinching people. That hurt,” Tate complained. “What if I kicked you
every time you ignored something I said.”
    “Not everybody has your poor
manners,” he pointed out helpfully.
    “So next time you ignore me I can
kick you?”
    “Sure. If you don’t mind being hung
upside down by you ankles. I am bigger than you, you know.”
    She narrowed her eyes at him. The
devilish side of Tate, the one that wanted to do the exact opposite of what she
was told, itched to see what would happen if she followed through on her
threat.
    Danny rejoined them, saving Tate
from temptation.
    “I got rope for half what he was
asking,” he said. “He’s going to deliver it to the ship. That was the last of
what Jost wanted so for the rest of the day I’m free.”
    “Half?” she asked, dismissing Ryu.
“It was already cheap. I can’t believe you got him to lower his price more. I
wish I knew how to do that.”
    Danny smiled shyly at her and
dropped his eyes. “I can teach you.”
    “Thanks, but I doubt I’ll ever be
as good as you,” she said.
    “It’s not hard, really, you just
have to be smart about it,” he explained.
    “I suppose,” she said, doubtfully.
    “Here, I’ll show you.”
    Danny headed further down the alley
of stalls.
    The more industrious hawkers stood
in the street trying to convince customers to stop and have a look at their
goods. Tate skated around these. They were very aggressive, not content to see
a potential mark slip away. One made a grab for her arm. Smoothly, she slid out
of the way and kept moving.
    Danny looked back and slowed when
he saw Tate dodging one particularly persistent woman trying to sell her a
scarf.
    “Now see here, missy, these scarves
are some of the best quality you’ll find in Little Harbor.”
    “No, thank you, I’m just, um—” Tate
put her hands up and tried to edge around the old woman who kept shifting,
preventing Tate from getting around.
    “I’ll give you a deal. Three
shillings,” spittle flew from the woman’s lips as she thrust the scarf up to
Tate’s face.
    “I really don’t need a scarf.”
    “Fine. Two shillings,” the woman
said.
    “No, I don’t think-“
    “You won’t get a better deal.”
    “She’s already said she doesn’t
want it. Now shove off.” Danny loomed behind the woman. He was over a foot
taller than her and used every inch of his size and a black glare to intimidate
the woman into leaving.
    She draped the scarf over her wrist
and muttered to herself as she ambled back to her stall.
    “There’s your first lesson,” Danny
said. “You have to be firm with them, or they’ll run right over you.”
    “I see.”
    “The ones who ambush you like that
are the ones who have to hunt down their customers because their goods are
usually inferior. They’re also the ones who are most persistent when it comes
to making a sale. They’d sell the clothes off their mother’s back if they could
convince you to buy the,” Danny instructed. “Now, how did you get her to drop
her price?”
    Tate thought a minute. “I said I
didn’t want it.”
    “Right. As soon as you showed
disinterest, she dropped her price. It doesn’t always work, but it’s best not
to show too much interest in something you want. Also be prepared to walk away,
otherwise they know you’ll pay what they’re asking and not budge.”
    Danny spoke with an authority and
confidence he didn’t normally have. He gestured and pointed as he tried to
convey each thought. Tate smiled faintly as she listened and nodded