But if he got too close, it would burn his Internal Circulation. Right now, he couldn't absorb anything at all.
He tentatively took another half-step toward the stone pillar.
The burning sensation surged back from his chest, more urgently than before. The warmth within the Seat of the Sun began to tremble.
He stopped.
Once he retreated to a safe distance, his breathing steadied again.
Know your limits. No wonder his grandfather had written that on the note.
As long as he could retreat, he was still safe. If he couldn't, then things would probably go completely wrong.
Donald watched his reaction, seemingly unsurprised.
"Young man, your Inspiration is pretty sharp. At your age, that's both a good thing and a bad thing."
Richard looked away and walked to the other side of the shelf. "Can I take a look at the copper coin and the incense burner?"
"Of course." Donald took the coin and incense burner down from the shelf.
He returned to the front shop and set the two items on the velvet pad on the counter.
"Since this is your first time here, I'll explain the going rates."
Donald sat back on his tall stool and crossed his legs. He rubbed his thumb and forefinger together.
"The Imperial Capital's Curio market is currently divided into three tiers.
"Items with less than a hundred years of Infection and only trace amounts of Aether residue go for under ten pounds each.
"Those in the hundred-to-thousand-year range, with a clear history of Ritual immersion, start at twenty pounds, with no upper limit.
"As for anything older..." He nodded toward the fragment of a stone pillar in the corner of the back room. "Just pretend you didn't see those. Goods like that almost never circulate through legitimate channels."
"What about these two?" Richard pointed at the coin and incense burner.
"This coin itself dates back to ancient Rome. It's probably seen less than a hundred years of Infection. It's in good condition, and its Aether residue is stable. Six pounds."
Donald picked up the incense burner and turned it around.
"This is a Brass incense burner from the Sufi Order. It's well made and larger overall. It's also seen about a hundred years of Infection. Seven pounds."
"Thirteen pounds for both." He placed the items side by side on the velvet and spread his hands.
Thirteen pounds... But there were only twelve pounds in the wooden box. Was he supposed to borrow money from Vincent here?
"Could you tell me about these two items' histories?" Richard ventured, beginning to work up to a haggle.
Donald narrowed his eye behind the monocle.
People who came to buy Curios asked about an item's history for one of two reasons.
One was that they were an amateur who liked a good story. The more extraordinary the tale, the more likely they were to part with their money.
Vincent had been that sort of person. Donald liked dealing with amateurs like him best.
The other was that they knew their stuff and wanted to judge the precise course of the Aether Infection.
Had it been deliberately immersed in a Ritual or passively exposed to its surroundings? Did it have a single source or had several sources accumulated?
Judging from how the young man had reacted upon entering the back room, he probably wasn't the first kind.
Donald placed the coin on a wooden box on the counter so everyone could see it more clearly.
"This is a silver coin from the reign of Diocletian..."
"It may contain silver, but it's a copper coin," Richard interrupted.
Donald's eyelid twitched.
"Diocletian's profile is stamped on the obverse, so the date is right.
"But the material is a silver-copper alloy, with less than thirty percent silver. That's characteristic of the Empire's fiscal collapse in the fourth century.
"The official ratio of copper to silver in coinage was adjusted drastically at the time. They passed off inferior coins as good ones, eventually triggering a prolonged currency crisis."
He flicked the coin's edge with his fingernail. It made a dull sound, without the clear ring of pure silver.
"A silver ingot sounds different from a copper one, sir."
Donald didn't deny it. He moved his magnifying glass aside.
"Fine, it's a copper-silver alloy. But it's genuinely old, and it really was immersed in a Ritual. You're not buying it for the little bit of silver in it."
"I believe it was immersed in a Ritual." Richard flipped the coin over.
The obverse bore Diocletian crowned with laurel. On the reverse was Victoria, goddess of victory, holding a palm branch in her right hand and a round shield in her left.
"But the wear is too uniform."
Richard set the coin on the velvet and pointed to the wear around its edge with his index finger.
"With normal circulation, the recessed areas wear down later.
"But the wear on this coin is evenly distributed all over. Even the wear on the top of Victoria's head is about the same as in the recessed areas."
He gave his conclusion.
"This isn't normal wear from circulation. It was ground down.
"Someone spun this coin over and over on a flat surface to collect copper powder.
"Most likely, it was the work of an Alchemist. They used copper powder containing silver as an ingredient in potions. This grinding method would have worn the surface evenly."
Watching from the side, Vincent privately marveled at his cousin's extensive knowledge.
Donald's expression barely changed, but he hid his hand beneath the counter.
"Even if an Alchemist used it, the Aether Infection is still a fact."
"It is, but there's a problem with the nature of the Infection."
Richard focused on the feedback from his Internal Circulation.
"This coin was repeatedly ground down. The Aether was forcibly infused along the direction of the grinding, rather than accumulating naturally."
He set the coin down.
Donald studied him but didn't speak for a long time.
"And this incense burner—you said it belonged to the Sufi Order."
Richard lifted the lid and set it aside, then leaned closer to examine the inside of the burner.
Fine soot had built up on the inner walls, seeping into the Brass over years of use.
A shallow rose relief decorated the base. In Sufi tradition, the rose symbolized divine love and was closely associated with fire rituals.
"There's nothing wrong with the burner itself. It's an everyday utensil from the Sufi Sanctuary, with the most standard kind of natural Aether residue from incense smoke."
He replaced the lid and ran his index finger around the openwork pattern along its rim.
"But here, on the outside of the lid's rim, there's a ring of different copper oxide. It doesn't match the patina on the main body.
"That means the lid was replaced later, and it isn't made from the original material. The proportions of the copper alloy are different."
He turned the incense burner upside down. There was no inscription on its base, but it had several neatly arranged small holes.
"There are three vents on the bottom. The original incense burners from the Sufi Sanctuary didn't need vents underneath.
"This was modified later, probably so it could be hung up."
He put the incense burner back on the velvet. "How about nine pounds for both?"
Donald's monocle nearly fell off his nose.
"That's no good. You're driving a hard bargain, young man."
"Mr. Shopkeeper, I've already explained the problems with your coin and incense burner clearly."
Donald opened his mouth, then shut it again.
Vincent chimed in from the side. "Uncle Donald, I think the coin is pretty worn."
"You're getting in on this too?" Donald glared at him.
"Of course. He's my cousin." Vincent grinned, completely unapologetic.
Donald picked up the coin and turned it over, then held the incense burner up to his eye and inspected it with the magnifying glass.
"I'll admit the coin has some wear issues.
"But you're wrong about the incense burner. Those modifications don't affect its structural integrity."
"Eleven and a half pounds. I won't sell it for a penny less."
Richard frowned and pointed out the incense burner's most serious flaw.
"This incense burner changed hands several times over its history, while it was still being used for Rituals.
"When people from different sects used it repeatedly, the later Aether would have accumulated on top of the original residue, creating a layer of interference."
"Clearing that interference would take extra work at the start. Nine and a half pounds."
"How old are you?" Donald asked suddenly.
"Sixteen."
"Who taught you all this?"
"Books."
Donald sighed and glanced at his ledger.
"Ten pounds for both, and I'll throw in a pouch to carry them. The clogged Aether is your problem."
"Nine and a half."
"Ten pounds, take it or leave it. If you don't want them, you can leave."
Donald slapped his palm on the counter. "At this price, I'm not even making a reasonable profit. I'm only doing it for Mr. Gerald's sake, and..."
He pointed at Richard.
"And because you've clearly got some skill, so you're not misjudging my goods."
Richard thought it over, opened his schoolbag, and counted out the bills.
"All right. Ten pounds."
Donald counted the money one bill at a time and stuffed it into the iron box beneath the counter. His expression was as sour as if he'd just chewed a lemon.
He wrapped the coin and incense burner in two layers of oiled paper, put them in the pouch, and pushed it over.
"Everyone from the Ashford Family is sharp as a tack."
He muttered as he took the monocle off his nose and wiped it.
"Your aunt haggled just like this the last time she came. No one in your family knows how to talk nice."
Vincent grinned from ear to ear.
Donald put his monocle back on and shuffled around behind the counter.
He went to the door, lifted the tapestry, and made a "please leave" gesture.
"You bought the goods, and I got the letter. Off you go. I won't see you out."
"Uncle Donald..."
"Go on, go on. I haven't even eaten yet. You two kept me at it all morning, and I haven't made enough to buy a single salted fish."
Before you continue