Mose Cavendish was the elf who fired off the vortex bomb of fire and wind against the sand elementals. The fight had instilled a sense of camaraderie in the group, with Jason acquitting himself well enough to dispel the group’s earlier dissatisfaction.

“Jason is from another world,” Humphrey said. “You should get used to explaining things to him.”

“Another world?”

“That’s right,” Jason said.

“To answer your question,” Humphrey said, “spirit coins do not grow on trees.”

“I guess that would be a spirit coin orchard,” Jason said.

“Another world, as in a whole other world?” Mose asked.

“That’s right,” Jason said. “So where do spirit coins come from?”

“As in, not this world?” Mose asked.

“It’s an alternate universe,” Jason said.

“An alternate universe?”

“It’s not that big a deal.”

“Not that big a deal?”

“I think you broke Mose,” Humphrey said. “He’s just repeating words, now.”

“Am I ever going to hear about the spirit coins?” Jason asked.

“They make them out here in the farms,” Humphrey said. “They have these special moulds that cause magic to crystallise. It's a delicate process, though. Changes in the ambient magic can ruin whole batches, which is why they have the farms out here. No activity, no life. Very stable ambient magic.”

“There must be interesting ramifications of pumping more and more coins into the economy,” Jason said.

“The Magic Society manages all of that,” Humphrey explained. “It’s the main source of their political power, and the reason it’s important the Magic Society stays politically neutral.”

“Like the Adventure Society,” Jason said pointedly.

“Yes,” Humphrey said. “It doesn’t always work out that way.”

Gabrielle wandered closer to join their conversation.

“Did you know that spirit coins are Greenstone’s largest export?” she asked. “Most people think it’s the green stone, because of the name, but it’s actually spirit coins. Especially the lesser ones. The farms out here in the desert produce almost three percent of the lesser coins used worldwide.”

“I did,” Humphrey said. “Most of these farms are operated by my family or the Mercers. Under Magic Society regulation, of course.”

“Of course,” she said, lightly slapping her own head. “This coin farm is Geller-something, isn't it?”

“Geller-Seven,” Humphrey said.

“How does that work, though?” Mose asked. “I mean, a whole other world?”

“Get it together, Mose,” Jason said.

“Get it together? Your very existence fundamentally reshapes my understanding of reality.”

“Try going through that while a bunch of people are trying to eat you,” Jason said.

“Is that some kind of metaphor?” Mose asked.

“No,” Jason said. “No, it isn't. Why is so much of the spirit coin farming done in this region? Wouldn't it be easier to have more localised production?”