The Trader's Creed

Iralia, Operation: Stormfront

The bunker was hot and stuffy and there wasn't much anyone could do about it. There was a poker game going on at a table with several of the troops playing off some of their paychecks.

Broom broke off from the poker game since he was tapped already and didn't want to loose what little money he had left. He saw that Pretty was up and he went to him like a moth to a flame. 

"Hey Pretty, you got any cigs?" Broom asked. He stood at the foot of the bunk. Pretty was reading a western novel and peered over the book to see who had interrupted the best part of the scene.

"What kind you want?" Pretty asked Broom; he leaned over and dragged a locker out from underneath his bed.

"Le Morte's if you have 'em" Broom said.

Pretty opened the locker and moved a few things around and ended up tossing Broom a package of Le Morte's.

"Cool!" Broom stated. He tossed a couple of bills at Pretty. 

"Pleasure doing business with you," Pretty called after Broom. He turned over to Max and said, "I can't see what you like about that mag."

Max glanced over from his bunk; he was engrossed in an article in the Fortean Times. Something about string theory and a paperclip.

"It's educating," Max replied.

"I've got something for yah," Pretty said. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a zippo lighter and tossed it.

Max caught the zippo and looked at it. The design on it caught his eye.

"Well, I'll be," Max said. "Where did you get this?"

"Ancient trader's secret," Pretty said with a wink. "Besides, I owe you man."