Cotiso hesitated. He emptied his glass before answering. “I’ll take my chances. Thank you.”
She rolled her eyes and threw her arms in the air. “I hate blind luck.”
She rushed out of the tent.
The three men remained silent for a long pause, staring at the entrance without moving a muscle.
Suddenly Tsiru yelped, “What just happened?”
“Cotiso saved me from a disaster.”
“Did you just turn down three gold? For a slave you might not even keep? Are you stupid?”
Cotiso buried his face in his hands. “I know, I know. I─”
“How much did you drink? You could have given your wagons to the poor, gone home, and called it a good year.”
“Hey! I’ll have you know that I have more than three gold’s worth of merchandise in my wagons.”
“Yes, but you still would’ve sold it for that much if it would’ve saved you the trip.”
Tati bragged, “That’s my Corina, she knows how to play a man’s nerves like a harp.” His hand shook as he took another badly-needed gulp.
They all waited impatiently, listening to the girls’ voices coming from outside.
The girls argued loudly for quite a while and Corina’s voice rose over the others with a promise not to throw the cloak away.