“No beggars!” he said in the language of Theranis.
Giri shuffled from one foot to another. He spoke in Cerean. Darna made out what she could, which went more or less like this:
“We are not beggars, but young tradesmen! We offer the best cast-off things of Anamat. Some of these things are treasures in Cerea. You can make many beads, much money reselling these things! Also we have useful things. The captain Venntental said to come to you direct when you arrive in port.”
“Are you Cerean?” the man asked Giri.
Giri’s answer was guarded, terse, and too quiet for Darna to hear. The ship’s officer wasn’t satisfied with it, either.
“Loyal to the King?”
Giri hung his head in a way that implied assent.
“Where do you get these goods?”
“They are things that have been thrown away, sometimes by a
