Free The Mountains Rise by Michael G. Manning Page B

were frequently at the center of that, performing a function almost like
     a bank in that they traded on credit and kept a ledger of what had been brought in
     and what had been sold. The previous summer’s shearing had been a good one , and Daniel’s family had a significant amount of credit at the store, recorded by
     the number of wool bales they had brought in.
    But the price for the peas was excessive. While still young, Daniel knew that last
     year they had bought peas for only a tenth of a bale. “That seems like too much,”
     he told her.
    She shrugged, “They haven’t brought much in yet. The price will drop in a few weeks
     I’m sure, but for now…”
    A surge of irritation ran through Daniel. He was older now, halfway to sixteen, but
     it was clear that Alice thought she could treat him like a child. As his emotions
     shifted , the door in his mind opened again , and he saw the world again in that strange state of hyperawareness. He ignored it
     for a moment, more intent on their exchange.
    “We’ve been coming here for years Mrs. Hayes. I don’t think my parents would be happy
     with that price. It doesn’t seem fair,” he replied, hiding his annoyance.
    Her aura shifted, moving through strange patterns. “I have to be firm on the price,
     Daniel. If I made an exception for your family I’d have to do the same for everyone.
     We have to make a living too.”
    Was that amusement?
    While her face was serious , he felt certain that her aura was conveying a different emotion. She was looking
     down on him.
    “I doubt you’d try to charge my father that price if he were here,” he noted, trying
     to remain reasonable.
    Her expression softened into one of mild pity, “He isn’t here, though.”
    Daniel felt it clearly now. While her face was sympathetic , inside she was laughing. A thought occurred to him then as he remembered the patterns
     that Brenda’s aura had taken during their…tryst. On impulse he reached out with his
     mind, touching her aura and shifting it slightly, moving it closer to the pattern
     Brenda’s had been in.
    She might give me a better price if she felt differently, he mused.
    Her facial expression went blank for a moment, but she gave no outer sign that she
     had felt any change. “If you don’t like the price, you’re welcome to come back another
     day,” she said, sticking to her position.
    Daniel heard the difference in her voice however, a faint tremor. He took a step
     closer, moving to within a few feet of her. “I don’t like the price, Alice. Are
     you sure you couldn’t come down just a bit?” He kept his face smooth, adopting an
     expression of sincerity.
    Alice took a step back, as if uncertain, a strange thing for the normally confident
     negotiator. Her eyes met his , and as they did he touched her aura again, shifting the pattern further, closer to
     the state that he associated with arousal.
    Her nostrils flared slightly and her pupils grew larger. Wetting her lips nervously , she held still, “I might consider it, though it would be unusual for me to do such
     a thing.”
    Daniel knew it was working now. He had the upper hand , and for once it felt good to be the one in control. “I think perhaps you should
     give them to me for an eighth,” he said, aiming for a price below even the usual exchange
     rate.
    Her eyes started to harden, she was a stubborn woman by nature , but he stroked her aura again, sending ripples of pleasure through her body. Somehow
     his extra sense could register even more information than just her aura , and he could tell she was flushing as blood rushed to her cheeks and—other places.
     “That’s too low,” she said even as she squirmed imperceptibly.
    She doesn’t know it’s me, she just wants to get me out of here before she embarrasses herself, he realized. He just needed to make her aware that he knew exactly what she was thinking
     about. Leaning in , he did the unthinkable and reached out to run his fingers