"Relax, sister," George said, holding up his hands defensively. A slow smile spread across his face, warming his eyes and softening his lips. "Sister, I only wanted to know if you had the current time." He slipped a broken pocketwatch out of his pocket and hung it in the air in front of her face. "See?"
The barmaid put meaty fists on her hips and frowned at him. "No. I don't."
"Have a nice evening, sister," he said, smooth with a rich, deep baritone.
She yelled at the door as it slammed shut: "I'm not your sister!"
----------
Rubbing his hands together, George watched the gutter closely for shiny things as he walked down the street.
A voice filtered down the dirty alleyway: "... deliver yourself from the evil that has befallen this city! What good is money in your pocket if you don't have the tonic that will save you from the dark sickness?"
The voice boomed from around the corner and George's ear's perked up. "Follow the pockets with gold, and I shall have myself an ale."
George smelled the crowd before he saw it. The rumor was circulating this month that you could get the black plague from washing too much. It was hard to breathe at ground level, so George found a tree to the side of the road and climbed easily into its branches.
"I bought these bottles of tonic from a scientist in Italy who has been studying the human body and the nature of diseases..." A few people in the crowd seemed uneasy and started to walk away. "... along with holy and pious prayers that uses the power of our good Lord to heal all ills!" Those who were uneasy before, seemed to reconsider and stayed in attention. "Brought here for your convenience, all the way from..."
"Ahem," George said while reclining onto the tree's trunk. The branch sagged slightly with his weight. He cleared his throat again, "Ahem." It wasn't a loud sound; nevertheless, the crowd of people suddenly turned to him once he'd uttered.
Indignant at the distraction, the merchant said, "Can I help you, sir?"
"Help me?" George said. "I'm afraid you can't help me. You see, I don't like seeing people deceived."
"Decieved?! Why, I'm trying to stop the plague! Don't listen to him, my good people. What's so wrong with offering a cure to the masses?"
"If it's more than two silvers, than you're taking advantage of these good people here."
"How much is it?!" yelled a voice from the crowd. George turned his head to see
The barmaid put meaty fists on her hips and frowned at him. "No. I don't."
"Have a nice evening, sister," he said, smooth with a rich, deep baritone.
She yelled at the door as it slammed shut: "I'm not your sister!"
----------
Rubbing his hands together, George watched the gutter closely for shiny things as he walked down the street.
A voice filtered down the dirty alleyway: "... deliver yourself from the evil that has befallen this city! What good is money in your pocket if you don't have the tonic that will save you from the dark sickness?"
The voice boomed from around the corner and George's ear's perked up. "Follow the pockets with gold, and I shall have myself an ale."
George smelled the crowd before he saw it. The rumor was circulating this month that you could get the black plague from washing too much. It was hard to breathe at ground level, so George found a tree to the side of the road and climbed easily into its branches.
"I bought these bottles of tonic from a scientist in Italy who has been studying the human body and the nature of diseases..." A few people in the crowd seemed uneasy and started to walk away. "... along with holy and pious prayers that uses the power of our good Lord to heal all ills!" Those who were uneasy before, seemed to reconsider and stayed in attention. "Brought here for your convenience, all the way from..."
"Ahem," George said while reclining onto the tree's trunk. The branch sagged slightly with his weight. He cleared his throat again, "Ahem." It wasn't a loud sound; nevertheless, the crowd of people suddenly turned to him once he'd uttered.
Indignant at the distraction, the merchant said, "Can I help you, sir?"
"Help me?" George said. "I'm afraid you can't help me. You see, I don't like seeing people deceived."
"Decieved?! Why, I'm trying to stop the plague! Don't listen to him, my good people. What's so wrong with offering a cure to the masses?"
"If it's more than two silvers, than you're taking advantage of these good people here."
"How much is it?!" yelled a voice from the crowd. George turned his head to see
