Mindy arrived at Fal'Herim with Remian and found a familiar face at the airport.

"There! Did you see that?!" Asda pointed, shrieking. "One just ran past, behind you!"

"Ma'am?" the guard turned around and looked about curiously before shaking his head. "I don't see anything, ma'am."

"It was there!" Asda insisted. "There was a lynxmouse!"

"Yes, ma'am." The guard said politely. But when Asda turned around, he exchanged glances with the other guard next to him, who also shook his head wordlessly.

"Hey! Asda!" Mindy pounced.

"UWAAAAAH!!!" Asda shrieked. "It's HER! It's Mindy!! She brought the lynxmice!"

"Wha…?" Mindy stared. "I didn't! You can ask your airport customs people! They just did a full search of my hold!"

"It's you! I know it is! You've been setting lynxmice on me! Spying on me! Stalking me! Stealing my CHEESE!!" Asda pointed, screeching wildly.

"Asda… are you… okay?" Mindy asked, scratching her head. "You know, I only meant to surprise you…"

"They're everywhere! EVERYWHERE!!" Asda jumped, then pointed again. "THERE! Behind you! Do you see that?!"

Everyone looked. "Uh… where?"

"There was one right there!" Asda barked. She rounded on Mindy in a fury. "It's you! I know it's you!!"

"Maybe stopping by here wasn't such a good idea." Remian said darkly.

"But the prices…"

"Forget it." Remian said shortly and marched straight back on board the airs.h.i.+p.

***

Days since last Beast Tide: 19. Current Kill Count: 608 (41 since yesterday).

Mindy did not have a good impression of Germat at first. When they entered Germat airs.p.a.ce, a military patrol corvette immediately approached and demanded to know their business.

"Trade." Remian answered.

"All trade is to be conducted with official representatives at the airport. Follow us and do not deviate from our flight path."

Mindy glanced at Remian. "Do we trust them? I mean… they look like the real Germat military, but what if they're bandits in disguise?"

"That's a proper military corvette with the right flags and everything. If they were imposters, Germat's real military would have shot them down by now."

So they followed the corvette to a very specific airport, set down at a very specific dock, and then met with a very specific representative who took a look at her cargo and offered her very specific prices.

"120,000 lir for every ton of Fire Copper." The officer offered. "We're not interested in anything else."

"WHAT?!" Mindy shrieked.

Remian clapped a hand over her mouth. "Calm down!"

The officer frowned at her. "The price is set by our central government. It will be the same everywhere else in the country. I cannot change it for anyone or anything…"

"No, no, it's good! It's great!" Mindy exclaimed. "Deal! You can have all of it!"

"Very good." The officer said stiffly, still not quite gotten over the shock. "We will proceed."

"So… what was all that yelling about?" Remian asked.

"120,000 lir! Remian, that's…" Mindy spluttered and switched to mind-speak. [More than double what Charlie or Deutero would pay for a ton if they picked it up from KarGoth.]

"Yeah, coming here was a good idea, wasn't it?" Remian said mildly. "Too bad about the Tier 4 skins and bones, though. And the jade is good too."

But the officer wasn't buying and that was that. He only wanted the Fire Copper.

"What about… the reinforced crate?" Mindy asked the officer.

"Um… about that…" The officer hesitated. "I need to check with my boss. We don't normally buy that sort of thing so easily."

"I understand." Remian said. "Well, then, we'll just be on our way."

"Please wait! Just one hour! Give me one hour!" the officer said. "The airport has a rest area, restaurants and refreshments and a whole commercial zone. You are permitted to use the facilities."

"We could use some lunch." Remian mused, glancing at Mindy. "What do you think?"

"Sounds good." Mindy smiled. [Their Fire Copper prices are awesome. I'm almost afraid to find out what they'd offer for the special crate.]

So they had lunch, tried out a wide a.s.sortment of heavy meats and quality sausages, rested and refreshed themselves, and picked out a few items from the souvenir shops. Mindy came back with an armful of diagrams and drawings of historical Germat airs.h.i.+ps. Then she went out another round and came back with scale models of more modern Germat airs.h.i.+ps. Then she started buying books about airs.h.i.+ps…

But she forgot all of that when the officer came back with the official offer. "1,200,000 lir for a ton of Flaming Bronze. There's 2 tons in that crate, bringing the total offer up to 2,400,000 lir. If you're willing to sell, I can give you the money in cash or bank transfer right now."

Mindy almost fainted.

***

Days since last Beast Tide: 20. Current Kill Count: 651 (43 since yesterday).

They found a buyer in Ashdale. "One crate of raw jade, one crate of Tier 4 skins, one crate of Tier 4 bones… I'll take the lot for 100k. Deal?"

"Deal." Mindy sighed. "It's all yours."

"Very good, very good." The man said absently. "Say, do you have any metals, by any chance? Industrial tools? Weapons?!" that last came out eagerly.

"Weapons? No. Why? What's the sudden interest?" Mindy asked.

"It's war. War is brewing." The man said seriously. "Tensions around here are increasing daily. Ever since the new crystal lode was found, all the countries around here are on their toes. It won't be long now until the first shot is fired, and then all h.e.l.l will break loose."

"They're fighting over crystals?" Remian blinked.

"Mana crystals. The prices of mana have been rising steeply over the past year. There's been almost no new lodes found, and rumor has it that the old mines are running low."

"So now everyone's buying metal to fight for mana?"

"Most countries around here, yes. The prices of iron and copper have doubled in the past week, and steel has gone through the roof."

"Then what about elemental metals?"

"Don't even get me started on elemental metals."

"I'm starting to get the idea." Remian trailed off.

But Mindy asked, "Just out of curiosity, how much would you buy a ton of Fire Copper?"

"Fire Copper? A whole ton? 90k easily."

Still not as high as what Germat offered. Mindy settled back, satisfied that they'd taken the better price.

***

After a break, Remian asked, "Do you want to go visit Mandy?"

Mindy hesitated. "Yes, and no. I want to see her, but I don't want her talking down on me again."

"So you want to see her, but in a way that impresses her?" Remian summarized.

"Yes. Yes, that's it, exactly." Mindy nodded.

"Well, then, buy a manor in an upscale location, hire a full staff, wear an expensive dress, invite her to a grand tea party and send a high-cla.s.s vehicle to pick her up." Remian suggested.

"How much would all that cost?" Mindy gasped.

"Tens of millions, easily. Maybe a hundred million?"

"That's over thirty trips like we made today." Mindy calculated. "It could be over a year before we make that much money."

" 'We'? I thought you were buying it all on your own."

"Come on. You know you want to impress her as much as I do, maybe more."

"That's true." Remian reflected.

"So, anyway, how do we divide up the profits? You own the mines and the goods, but I own the airs.h.i.+p and I did the trading, so…?"

"This round, it's all yours. Consider it my gift to you, in support of your venture." Remian said. "In the future, you'll have to buy from KarGoth, and I must warn you, I'm going to raise prices along with everyone else."

"I can't keep taking everything from you for free!" Mindy protested.

"Fine, then. Sell me the rest of your fleet." Remian suggested. "The airs.h.i.+ps I already use. The Sky Barges, the Tugs, the Gunboats… all of them. That should easily make up the worth of this trip's goods."

"Two point seven million lir? I hardly think three second-hand industrial grade Galleons can cover it, even including those floating turrets we call Gunboats and the Tugs."

"That's my offer. Take it or leave it."

"I'll take it!" Mindy hesitated one last time. "You know the kind of prices I'm being offered, right? You know what kind of profit I'll make? Are you certain you want to let me have all of it?"

"Yes. It's all yours. Go for it." Remian gave her a thumbs-up. "Just let me know if there's anything I can do to support you."

Mindy's eyes were filling up. "You already do. All the time."

After buying an airs.h.i.+p's worth of furniture and other useful items, they left Ashdale and headed for home.