1976

Thera looked like she might have wept on the spot, but I could already tell that she had long ago emptied completely her wells of tears. She emptied the bag of its contents onto the table before her and began to count the coins. "It should be enough to keep us for a few months, said Melena. Without looking up from the coins, her mother replied, "if we eat just one meal a day it might keep us for a fortnight. Then I pulled from my tunic the bag of golden pearls. I handed them all to Thera. She looked at me in uncomprehending shock. "Take them to the money changers tomorrow. They must not know where you got them. If anyone asks, your kinsman has stepped up for you. There should be enough value in these golden pearls to keep you for two or three years. And, if I can count on your hospitality, Madame, I am a skilled saddle maker, and I could restart here my craft and their marketing, if that is right with you..."