On the hot summer days in Ruame, Tula rarely left his shop. Instead, in the coolness of the enchanted place, he tended to rearrange things. It was a silly task, of course, since as soon as he turned away they would rearrange again, but it filled his hours when there was little else to do.

He couldn't help wishing that Temple High Mage Jameson would send his errand boy back for some odd trinket. Certainly Tula held enough things for the mage, most of which explained events lost to time, of interest only to the rare historians and elders of certain tribes.

Yes, Jameson was enigmatic but his errand boy Ethan had been delicious, not at all afraid of Tula's hybrid body and quite willing to show off a myriad of tricks in bed.

Of course, he knew Ethan would be back to return what had been stored - it was too important to be anywhere but safeguarded in Ruame, in the safest shop in the world, a place where everything lay jumbled in the open.

Tula arranged a case of rings only to close the case and open it again to find it full of orbs and necklaces. One more time brought a diamond-inlaid sundial and a small dagger.

And then there was a knock at his door.