"When it comes to giving out minting powers, I don't like to play the odds."
"Why was there anything for me to find last winter, then? Why hadn't you taken care of that one way or another?"
"Unfortunately, I don't have infinite magic to spend on the task of locating and cracking open hidden coin stashes," she says. "Or I would be."
Boy, is Libby's head ever going to explode if she gets a look at Bella's bandolier, which now loops via magic through an extra several feet in the treasure chest tucked away in the lair.
Pause.
"Look, we've established that I am very curious and very impatient and probably not going to blow up the world. Is there any chance I can buy answers to my questions with coins?"
"...Maybe," says Libby. "I'm reluctant to say yes unequivocally. There are questions I'm refusing to answer on general principle, and questions I'm refusing to answer on very specific principle, if you see the difference."
"If you run short of coins," Bella says, "consider issuing me a price list. Although my curiosity doesn't swamp my understanding of game theory and I won't let you establish any precedents that leave me in a permanently terrible bargaining position."
"Sure," says Libby. "Anything I'd be tempted to price just out of reach, I probably shouldn't be selling, anyway."
Bella nods. "I didn't think that would escape you or I wouldn't have even brought it up."
Bella's silent for a moment, then says, "You can give out my email address to any magic folks who might want it, by the by."
"To what extent do I still need to be concerned about you spying on me and my friend - or trying?" Bella inquires.
"I would not equate your words with the whistling of the wind," Bella says. "But I wouldn't take it on faith that you were telling me the absolute truth either. It'd be some information, but certainly no guarantee."
"My previous reason for spying on you was to determine how dangerous you are," she says. "I don't have a new one."
"See, that's even better than just telling me 'no'," Bella says. "Especially since you conspicuously didn't mention whether you have a reason to spy on my friend."
"So long as I am around," Bella says, "no. And I have no plans to stop being around."
"Only if you believe me, and I'm not sure you do. You've expressed a lack of confidence in my skill as a judge of character."