Thieves World 3 – Shadows of Sanctuary by Asprin, Robert

intrepid mythmaster.

Then there’s currency – or why we call it Thieves’ World. Since no one knows how

the currency works, the townsfolk have no choice but to steal from each other.

We sort of agree that there are copper coins, silver coins and gold coins – but

we don’t know their names or their conversion rates. We say: a few copper coins;

or we get very specific and say: nine Rankan soldats -just in case someone else

is writing about soldats that weren’t minted in Ranke. But how many soldats make

a shaboozh – or does it work the other way around? It probably does.

Someday I’ll create a money-lender for the town; making change in Sanctuary has

got to be an art form. It won’t do any good, though. Citizens and authors alike

will find reasons not to visit my money-lender. They’ll set up their own rates

of exchange. The Prince will debase the currency. Vashanka will start spitting

Indianhead nickels in his temple. I won’t let that stop me. If the editor won’t

tell me how these things are to be done, I’ll just have to start telling him.