"It lets her summon all dishware, technically. When we're in the city they've been making money using it for long distance communications."

"Huh. Dishware themed magic. What's the one here do?"

"When it killed my grandmother it also got a cat, which now has wheels instead of legs. Things that come out of it often have cactuses growing out of them - there was a pillow which would pop a seam if you pressed it, bats would fly out...then it'd repair itself...there's a lamp that sheds darkness and is too hot to get near...a box that things fall through after a minute - alphabet blocks that are strung together so you can't use them to spell things..."

"...I should be able to think of a use for infinite bats but I can't."

"Me neither! I guess you could eat them in a real pinch but I don't think there's much meat on bats. I will ask Rabka about hers -"

"Do people let other people use their magics?"

"Not usually. What if something comes running out to bother you, and all. But it might be worth buying the rights if he'd sell them." She makes a face. 

"Low on cash?"

"I mean, yes, but that's short-term, I was more thinking that he sounds like a thoroughly unpleasant person."

"I see, ma'am."

"You know that you can say whatever's on your mind, right?"

"Of course ma'am."

Sigh.

Aya does not know what she was expecting.

She doesn't explain herself. She goes back to work.

So does Aya.

Amait's brother comes to stay with them! (He'd stayed longer in the city for business reasons.) This visit is less upsetting than the last one; he has a habit of paying slaves whenever they do anything for him, but has not committed any terrorism.

The slaves predictably hover. Aya doesn't; there are no things purchasable with that amount of money that she wants and doesn't have and she'd get jostled.

He debates with Amait whether she should let her slaves buy their way out - "and then buy another, if you need the numbers, but it's a better incentive and mildly less evil."

"You don't think I'd just increase demand, make the industry more profitable?"

"Depends on a couple things - the foreign market, mostly, since it's not easy to enslave a free person - it'd definitely be a good idea if you can end the international trade."

"Gives people more incentive to make their slaves have kids -"

"And to keep the kids alive, which means giving them longer with their parents."