greasy man named Mickey Kowalski,

her faded shirt and patched jeans. A lazy sigh escaped his lips

e looked like - a clueless kid with e

n Imperial piece known as the Venus of the Sea, was worth m

ined a blank

tation. Mickey raised an eyebrow - that had been too easy - but greed silen

saction

s and tossed the coin at her, the movement

when a voice, old and trembling with e

- youn

spoke of old money. His eyes weren't on her face. They were locked on her closed fist, burnin

world of rare antiquities, took a shaky step forward. "My

gnize the coin instantly, and this man - the way his hands trembled, the way he'd spotte

palm and offe

ble loupe from his breast pocket. He raised it to his eye, held his breath, and examined

expression had shifted - the lazy contempt was gone, r

p shattered

l," he whispered, then louder, his voice cracking: "It's truly the Venus of the Sea." He straighten

steady. "What a

ing fingers into the air. "Five million dollars

mill

hitting dry grass. Every head turned. Every eye f

unged forward, fingers hooked into claws - but Theodore's butler, Barn

nto something grotesque, a mask of pure, animal greed. He jabbed a trembling finger at June

garbage - tossed it at her like trash. Now

surface of a winter lake. "The transaction is c

u have any idea what the rules are down here? I say it's mine, and that makes

e girl was finished. A skinny teenager in hand-me-down clothes, no backup, no reputati

ed. He opened his mouth

a hand, cutt

asonably assured, that Barnaby s

"The rule of the market is simple. Once a deal is made, it cannot be undone." She let the

plug. His mouth worked, but nothing came out. He hadn't expected this slip of a girl

st all conviction, cracking at the edges. "The enforcers won't bother w

smi

ng, utterly devoid of warmth. The kind of

" she said.

ms emerged from the crowd. Their faces were grim, their eyes unreadable. The

ket's e

escaped - not a word, not a shout, just the n

re clutched the coin tighter.

h above the market floor, Jase B

staring down a grown man twice her size - and winning. Her back was straight. Her h

ive smile spread

. He didn't ca

xactly how this gi