Emmaline's gold lust pounded so powerfully that her vision momentarily narrowed to a dark tunnel. She settled the necklace around her neck and nestled the gem gently between her breasts. The effect with her loose fitting sailors garments was slightly ridiculous, though even in sailors slops Emmaline's fine golden hair prevented her from looking completely comic.

"Well," she said in a throaty purr, "I suppose you have yourself a date." She set the books and supplies she had purchased on the table, and suppressed a giggle. For all of her wheeling and dealing, she could have bought all of Arcane Street for the price of the necklace Markus had bought. She wondered who it was that he had killed, but she supposed if he hadn't been rounded up by whatever passed for the authorities in Tobaro, it couldn't be too much of a big deal. Emmaline hadn't seen any city guard during her wanderings, but no town quite this large could function without some sort of law enforcement. She didn't bother to ask why Markus had killed some random citizen, that would be like asking why the tide came in. There was doubtless an explanation but it was just easier to assume that it was simply nature taking its course.

"Of course there is one problem," she pointed out, running a fingernail along one of the facets of the jewels. Markus arched an eyebrow at her. Emmaline batted her eyelashes disarmingly.

"I simply don't have a thing to wear!"