Very well. Of late large amounts of new specie have been reaching Hellin Daimiel, channeled through Kasr Helal. Thus the name Kasr Helal Gold Seam. According to Perntigan, the House of Bastanos the largest of the Daimiellian international banks has accepted deposits equalling a million Daimiellian ducats. And thats just one bank. He sent a long list of queries about what is happening inside Hammad al Nakir. His excuse is that he is a student of finance. His motive, of course, is that he hopes somehow to profit.

Cant we somehow get to the point of all this? Whatre you getting at? The fact that this money is coming out of the desert?

Exactly. Which is the root of the mystery. There is a traders axiom that says specie is as scarce as frog fur in the desert. In this land debts are almost always paid in service or kind. Are they not? What silver and gold there is has a tendency to remain motionless. Radetic indicated the rings and bracelets Yousif wore. They formed a considerable portion of the Wahligs personal fortune. The men of Hammad al Nakir customarily wore or hid whatever valuable metals they possessed. They yielded them up only in the direst extremity. The movement out of the desert of fortunes of the scale Perntigan describes represents a huge financial anomaly. There is a great deal of trepidation among the bankers, though they profit. They foresee some titanic economic disaster.

Yousif simply looked puzzled. Half of what Radetic was saying had to be couched in the tongue of Hellin Daimiel. The desert language hadnt much of a financial vocabulary. And, though Yousif spoke some Daimiellian, he did not comprehend merchants cant.

Perntigan questioned his contacts in the banking establishment. He assembled a list of names associated with the suspect deposits. Along with another list of questions. You put everything he wrote together and it implies a rather disturbing process.

I see that somebody is sending a hell of a lot of wealth out of the kingdom.

Radetic nodded. Finally. About five minutes behind, but finally. Exactly. The whos and whys are what make the news interesting.

Yousif puzzled for a few seconds, then started to speak. Haroun tugged at his clothing. Father? May I?

The Wahiig grinned. Of course. Lets see if this old fussbudget is worth his keep. Show us what hes taught you.

Radetic smiled too. The boy was showing signs of overcoming his innate reserve.

Haroun proclaimed, There are only two people who could have that much money. The King and El Murid.

Your reasoning? Radetic demanded.

The King because he accepts money instead of service. Also, he collects some rents and trade taxes. And El Murid because he has been looting people for years.

Yousif peered at Radetic. Well? I take it from your look that hes wrong. Explain.