//------------------------------//
// 86 - Market Day 
// Story: Fading Suns: A New World 
// by David Silver 
//------------------------------//

The church's ship became far less lonely as another descended to land on the same pad. There was only so much room, and the two became close together for lack of elsewhere to land, but no damage had been done to either, and they rested comfortably side-by-side.

Merchant guards marched out with cocky smiles and their weapons held easily, a far cry from the religious stiffness of the church vessel. Father Gregor approached their ship, closer than Laud could be and reaching them far in advance. "Welcome to Equestria," he bade with a wide sweep of a hand. "I am no legal authority here, but it would be rude to not offer warm greetings."

The merchant descending the ramp nodded towards him. "Good day, Father. Have you also come to trade?"

"Oh, no, I'm afraid not." He held up a hand in the negative. "Just to greet a new neighbor. We have the supplies we need for now. I am Father Gregor." He gestured towards his ship. "We have come to see and take measure of the locals."

"Yeah? What do you think of them?" Free information was never a bad thing and he looked at Gregor shrewdly. "What should I expect?"

"Friendly, naive, but with a hidden blade beneath the softness. Do not assume them to be children though they wear the face well."

The merchant whistled softly, a smile growing. "Sounds interestin'. Ah, here they come now." He looked across the pad to where Laud and Mayor Mare approached at a steady hike. "May as well stick around." He waved down the ramp, his eyes moving to other merchants. "Get us set up for browsing."

Mayor Mare dipped her head as she came into conversational range. "Welcome to Equestria," she greeted in her equine tongue. "There are rules," she added in a language the newcomer could understand.

Laud nodded softly at that. "Welcome. The local trade laws are simple; no selling what could be harmful without complete instructions on its safe use. We have endeavored to see to proper literature being made available for most gross categories, but the details are where devils lurk. This trade post is under Hawkwood control, and resides within the pony--" He gestured to Mayor Mare. "--lands, their nation of Equestria."

"Nice to make that official." He reached into a pocket and drew out a small disk. With a press a hologram came into being above it. "With the guild, all official. We're here to do some nice even trades. 'magine we'll be loading up on local curiosities and artwork more than industrial goods?"

"You would be mistaken," countered Mayor Mare with a confident smile. "Though we enjoy simple pleasures in this town, we have a great many processed goods to offer. Of course, we have artistic items as well." She turned to the wall that surrounded the landing pad. "You can see examples of our work surrounding you."

Father Gregor brought his hands together in a pious display, bowing forward. "It is good to see this is proceeding smoothly. Would that all denizens of the stars could come together with such open arms."

The merchant tucked his identifying hologram away. "All the better. The name's Ken. And you are--" He nodded towards Laud. "Laud Mountbatten I assume?"

"You are correct. Did they announce me ahead of time?" That saved some time. "I hold dominion over this port of exchange, but I will not stand in the way of legal trade. That is much the point of it. There is a modest 1% trading tax, to upkeep and expand on the facilities. You understand."

"1%? I've seen worse." Ken shrugged at that. "We'll pay up before we go. We're setting up shop right this moment. Should we expect visitors soon of a more mercantile nature?"

Mayor Mare tossed her head towards the entrance to the pad. "Soon. As..." She reached up and slid into her translation collar. "Assuming you can assure their safety," she said in two languages at once. "We can skip setting set hours, unless you'd prefer them?"

Laud flipped out an additional collar, offering it towards Ken.

"You already have working translators?" He accepted the gift and soon had it on. "Let's keep it simple. Daylight hours. My men need to sleep as much as anything else."  A thought visibly occurred to him. "You sleep during the night, right?" His voice echoed, repeating his human words to equine ones faithfully.

"We do." She turned for the exit. "I'll see about informing others that trading can begin."

With her departure, Laud gave the barest of glances at Gregor before stepping forward. "These people do not need anything you'd normally consider so much as grey."

"That a law or a suggestion?" Ken waved a moving box down the ramp, his men not pausing in their work. Not all were men; females were mixed in, working with equal fervor to set up their temporary trading station.

Gregor held up a hand. "Let us not approach this in a confrontational way. These are a pure people, largely devoid of the crueller human vices. I agree with Sir Mountbatten here that we should not be the ones to despoil it."

"I'm afraid I'm not getting what you're suggesting." He descended the ramp past the both of them and rapped on a box. "This one's full of food." He didn't stop, marching right past it to where a row of swords were being set up on an ornamented rack, each gleaming in the light. "Basic weapons, not at all different from what you have on your own hip. I trust these are fine?"

Laud followed with a faint frown. "You know the swords and the food are not the issue."

"Well, weapons grander than that will have a price to match." He threw open the top of a chest someone else had just put down, revealing a line of single-handed laser pistols. "The locals don't have fingers, which limits how much use they'll get out of these anyway."

Gregor dipped his head, keeping up with them. "They are trickier than you already know."

"They'd figure it out," agreed Laud.

"And if they want to buy it, I shouldn't sell it? Nothing illegal about these last I knew." Ken plucked one pistol from its resting place, though he held it in a way that was far from ready, the muzzle pointed downward and holding it by the barrel instead of anywhere near the handle. "Beauty, isn't she? You have one?"

Gregor laughed gently at that. "I am a dedicant of Amalthea. I deliver peace and succor. It would be a strange day when I required such a thing."

Laud, on the other hand, had less excuse... "I prefer the sword."

"Never fired one? I know they can be rare, but you are a noble, rare just means you have to want it." He offered it towards Laud. "Not a replacement for the blade at your side, but it never hurts to be prepared for different situations. Ah, this reminds." Just as suddenly he was putting the gun right back where it came from. "Locals. They don't support universal credits I feel safe to assume?"

"Let us refocus. They will trade. They have gold and gems and excellent craftsmanship. A pony artisan finds their craft early in life and dedicates themselves to it, usually without pause or reservation. Like a well-mannered son or daughter taking after their parents, they try to be the best. What I want is to keep things that are too dangerous out of their hands."

"They don't have those, so that's easy." He shrugged softly, likely imagining the hooves that Mayor Mare had trotted off on. "Look, I get it. You're worried about these." They had arrived at what was becoming a marble-countered stand. On display was a glass case with a dizzying variety of pills and hypos, each with a little label that a pony wouldn't know how to read. "You don't want your little horses enjoying the drugs."

Laud's eyes fixed on the display. He recognized some of them. There were combat drugs, medicinal drugs, a few he knew were 'recreational' drugs. Not that he'd played around with them! Well maybe once... "Yes, this is exactly what I want to avoid. They have their own medicines and--"

"--Fantastic." Ken clapped his hands together. "Can't get much more fair than that. Medicines for medicines? I can't wait to see what they have."

"Which is fine," growled out Laud. "But they don't need this." He thrust a finger down, pressing it over the top of the clear plastic over a specific pill.

Gregor leaned over to have a look at it. "Oh..." It was a stimulant that could keep a man with a smile on his face for an hour. "I would be hard pressed to imagine a productive use for that."

"Not everything is about productivity. Are you their lord?" He looked towards Laud directly for a change. "Are they your serfs?" His tone implied he doubted that was the case.

"It is my responsibility that the trade here does not harm them, a task given to me by their Lady, Princess Celestia." He suddenly snapped his fingers. "Alternative. The drugs, if I tell you to just not sell them, you'll be more subtle about it. Instead, I only want these sold to actual doctors. They have them. I'll even inform the local hospital that you have a bonanza of drugs that may be worth trading for and you'll get a nurse in here likely ready to do business."

Ken clapped his hands with a bright smile. "Now that's more like it. I knew we could do business like adults. Yes, certainly, send your professionals. I prefer doing business with people that understand what I'm selling in the first place anyway. Just be sure they have translators." He tapped at the cuff that had been dutifully repeating everything he said in equine as he talked. "Speaking of that, we don't need this right now." He slipped it free, but held it, ready.

"If you have explosives?" He paused there until Ken nodded. "Save those for ponies who work in construction or mining. I also want a document of who purchased what, ideally with their profession attached. Ponies are not shy about revealing what they do, so asking should be enough to get that information. They should be buying what is relevant to their job, or it should be harmless. One or the other."

"My... more human customers usually prize their privacy, m'lord." He reached to the right as he went, trailing along a rack of suits being set up. "Now these will have a hard time moving..."

Gregor shook his head softly. "Though they are undressed as often as not, they see clothing as a luxury item and enjoy looking good when the situation demands it. If you can tailor them to fit, you will find buyers."

Laud thought of Rarity, the local seamstress. "I can think of another professional that will want to visit. If you tell them you have to keep a list, I doubt a single pony will shy away. If one does, they were likely already feeling guilty, and you wouldn't want to abide that, would you?"

"Perish the thought," lied Ken nakedly. "Then we have agreement? If it is not a basic commodity, I will inquire on their profession and make sure it is related. What of ponies--they are called ponies, you said?"

"Correct." Laud was eyeing the dress suits. They really were nice, and he hadn't had one like home in quite a while. "What of them?"

"What of ponies that want to learn? Do they have scholars and the like, who will want to have things just to have them? Nobles who want to collect?"

Laud's teeth set. There were wealthy ponies, and studious ponies both. Either could end up buying something dangerous and go right about making trouble.

But what did he do about that?