Chapter 22: A Bet

Ann smirked and I did my best to not react. I saw Goode’s eyes flicker over to Millie before he tried to backpedal. “Now, now, I never said it was a bet…”

“You said you would bet, I asked how much, you said more than I’d seen.” I paused to see if he would disagree, though his eyes shifted and he didn’t deny it.

“I’ve seen,” I paused thinking back to Buckle’s pouch when I received the 7 empty silver, “at least 200 dollars at once, probably 250. You said you would easily bet more than I’d ever seen. Sadly, I’m not that wealthy myself, and felt I should keep some back in case an accident happens and I lose, and it seems a fraction of what you care about…” Pausing again I saw Goode glance at Ann, then Millie, then Ann again.

“I mean, if you can’t stand by your words or can’t afford to…”

“Fine! Ann, hold the money. Millie, make sure she doesn’t damage the delivery, rest, or set her burden down until she is inside the Pillow and Pie.” His words were measured, but there was subtle heat present, as he added silver coins to Ann’s other hand.

I nodded at him, “Best to show your daughter that it is best to follow through when you make an arrangement, even if it causes a short term loss.” Looking over at the girl who had fully emerged from behind the nearby shelving. “Millie, I’ll wait until the door is open and then I’ll pick up these two bags. Once I do, please make sure that I don’t set them down, or stand still for more than,” looking at her father, he looked troubled then held up all his fingers on his right hand. “The count of 5.”

Looking from her father back to me she nodded, “Okay Monday March, don’t stand still or you lose!” Her pigtails swayed cutely, and I smiled at her.

“Shopkeeper Goode, do you need to arrange for someone to close or lock the store once the door is open? I’m planning to move once the door is open, you know?”

Licking his lips, the man sighed and grimaced. “Monday, huh?” He smirked at me, probably having come to terms with his likely loss, in more than one sense, and attempting to make it a lesson for himself and his daughter. “Millie, stay close to Ann and keep a good eye on ‘Monday March’. I need to lock up after I open the door, but will catch up as soon as I can.”

While the door was being opened I gathered the loose portions of the sack tops into knots that I could grip for the return to the Pillow and Pie. To me it seemed as if Ann’s eyes were dancing, she had taken Millie’s hand and looked ready to follow as soon as I started to move.

Once the big warehouse door was open I nodded at Shopkeep Goode, reached down and in rapid succession heaved the laden bags up and over my shoulders, my hands holding the tops of the sacks near my chest, and the weight of the burden spread over my shoulders and down along my back, pressing the slimeskin pack tightly into me. Luckily none of the new items inside it seemed to have overly sharp corners.

Ann and Millie followed behind me as I walked, though Ann’s whispers would remind me of any turns I needed to make. The walled village of God’s Bath wasn’t enormous, by my estimation, and what I was hauling wasn’t that much heavier than the pack Buckle had put on me, but the bags were more awkward to deal with, bumping and shifting as we made our way through the streets.

About half way back, I heard the shopkeeper’s voice huff a little behind me. “So Millie, no breaks?”

“No Papa, Monday is strong!”

A sigh was followed by a good natured response. “She certainly does seem to be. Probably a good bloodline power for strengthening the body. Remember Millie, if you want one it can be amazing, but you have to put in the work to grow it so it can be something this good.”

Hopefully something in the pages Bluebird was sending over might help me make sense of what was being said. I knew the system said I have a giant bloodline, but there are also bloodline powers? Ah well. ‘One foot in front of the other.’

As we got closer, Ann guided me to the alley behind the Pillow and Pie. “Sorry Millie, I have to go ahead and open the door for Monday, Mind your father now.” The innkeeper skirted around me and swiftly moved ahead to a large door, manipulating something and opening it shortly before I arrived. She waved me inside and I realized I was in a storage area adjacent to a large kitchen, presumably in the Pillow and Pie.

Turning around carefully I met the eyes of Benjamin Franklin Good, “Sufficient?”

With a little squint and a bit of an eye roll, he replied. “Set them down carefully and without damage, then we will agree.”

Carefully I lifted the sack on my right shoulder up and gently lowered it to the ground, taking extra caution to support it in case the contents shifted. Then using both hands I repeated the procedure with the second bag.

“Well won, Monday March. Ann, please provide the winnings. And I’ll do my best to comport myself… ah, appropriately.” There was a good natured sigh before he continued. “Now, Millie. What did your father learn, and what should you learn, from this little adventure?”

“Uhm, don’t make bets in the middle of the day when you will have to close the store?”

“Well, that is A lesson, and probably a good one. However, do you think that I intended to have made a bet?”

Twisting one of her pigtails with her hand, head cocked a little to the right, Millie was deep in thought. “Probably… not?”

“Correct, so how did I end up involved in this bet?

The girl’s forehead wrinkled.

“It is something I had warned you not to do, but I did it myself today.” The father expectantly led Millie’s thoughts in the direction he wanted.

“You said something wrong?”

“I did say something wrong, but it is more important to know how I ended up saying something wrong. I spoke…”

Realization dawned as Millie spoke as if reciting something learned by rote. “Never speak thoughtlessly, or people will think you don’t have a thought!”

Wet lips spread wide, the father smiled at his daughter. “Indeed Millie, I spoke thoughtlessly towards Monday March, and became trapped in my own words trying to show off for Innkeep Ann. For which they both have my apologies. Now, Innkeeper Ann, might you have any deserts available that I can purchase today?”

“We do have a blueberry pie fresh today, were you wanting slices, or the entire pie?”

Leaving the pie talk to the innkeep and shopkeep I dropped down to be at Millie’s eye level. “Thank you for being our judge for the bet.”

“Sure Monday March. Now that you have extra money, do you want to buy a knife?” The indomitable sales person asked.

With a grin on my face, “Not today, Millie Goode. I’ve still some chores to do for Ann, and hopefully some reading later.”

“Ugh, I always have to do reading, and it is almost never stories. Well, I do have some stories, but Father and my tutor say stories should teach things, and that my pony stories and fairy stories don’t teach very much. But I say ponies and fairies are way better than history and geography and math! You think so too, right?”

Thinking about it seriously, the only way to think about it when being so seriously looked at by Millie Goode, I answered honestly. “I don’t remember ever reading a pony or fairy story, so when I do, I’ll give you my opinion. Is that okay?”

Her eyes rolled before Millie realized the true horror of what had been said and her eyes snapped wide. “Never read a fairy or pony story? Or a fairy pony story? Or a pony fairy story?!”

Somberly I shook my head. “Not that I remember.”

“Of course you would remember! You can borrow one of mine if father says it’s okay. Or maybe we could read together…” Ouch, pleading little girl look.

“I’ll stop by the store tomorrow, and we can ask him, okay Millie? But right now I have some more tasks to do for Ann, and I think your father wants to get back to the store.” I’d actually noticed that shopkeep Goode seemed to be bemusedly watching our conversation.

“Yes, come along Millie. And Monday March, thank you for the lesson. I do hope that we will see you tomorrow.” Taking Millie’s hand with one of his own, and a bag with what I expect was a pie in the other, the pair walked off.

I waved back at Millie when she looked over her shoulder at me and smiled.