Ephraim sought out his wife, whom he found in front of a small stall attended by an thin, elderly woman. Bailey was admiring a pendant on a braided rope. It was a sunflower made of metal, about two inches across. The metalworker had taken great pains to make the petals and center as realistic as possible.
“This must have taken a long time to make – especially the center. It’s lovely!” Bailey turned to Ephraim. “Oh, there you are. Look at this! Isn’t it lovely?”
“It is.” He turned to the stall attendant. “We obviously are new here and have no idea how you conduct business. Do you have a system of credits? How would I go about obtaining this for my wife?”
The wizened woman smiled kindly. “When did you arrive?”
“Today. We came with Captain Colonus.”
“Ah… then you haven’t yet attended orientation. You will be granted a month’s worth of earnings until you get your feet on the ground.” She tried to look through their protective suit’s facemask. “I take it you are not well-protected from radiation on your own. If it is determined that you cannot feasibly hold a job the leaders will give you a monthly stipend. Tell you what…”
The woman gazed at the two of them. “I think I can trust you. Here – take this. When you get your stipend, you can pay me sixty divatos.”
“What’s your name? Are you always here, in the same spot?”
“I am. My name is Havalia.”
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