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“You’re a bit too close,” says KristalClear, “take a step back, they’re feeling tense about everything right now, not about you in particular.”
“Safe as ‘ouses,” says OtherErik, “and ‘oused safely in duh cages,” he adds, allowing himself a vague smile, having almost cracked a joke for the first time in his life!
“Nowt better than a fair trade for a fair trade eh, Mr A Y Urghh?” remarks Erik, having never managed to pronounce HayWire correctly.
“An’ yer coming back to see us every year right? We’ll even be able to meet yuh on time next time, now dat we ‘as some decent watches.”
One hundred Sovereigns, plus a five year deal to be the Pennites’ sole distributor of Harrison Time Pieces has made Erik and OtherErik the happiest trappers around.
The team of Wolfies is rather happy too. Two adolescent female wolves as a result of two short trips to their neighbours. And options on the purchase of any future live wolves.
Above all, CandiCrush is particularly pleased. This looks like a firm first step towards putting diplomatic accords in place.
Ultimately she wants more involvement with the Pennites. Hopefully they’ll be a good ally, both in commerce and in military affairs. They don’t have a Garrison or a Constabulary in the usual sense, but they use a system of local Magistrates and Minute Men. It’s an unusual territory too. Vast, barren and sparsely populated. Notionally controlled from York, but every district and every town has a great deal of autonomy.
What’s indisputable though is that Wolfland and the Pennites both border onto Worringfolk. The biggest prize is to have the Pennites on your side and not theirs.
Stepping a bit closer to the cages NutJob asks, “do they have names yet?”
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