Silence fell over the room, and the lights dimmed, illuminating the stage where the auctioneer appeared. Thomas watched as he began the auction with an artifact from the East, dating back centuries. The auctioneer continued speaking, but this wasn't what caught Thomas's attention. He was looking at the mermaid, puzzled by her behavior. Then he caught a glimpse of a familiar face, but he couldn't make it out clearly until he took off his mask and began pushing his way through the crowd until he reached the mermaid's side.
The mermaid looked at him as he sat down, her expression shifting, and she seemed more nervous, as if she recognized someone. A small wooden mallet clicked behind him. The item was sold, and the crowd applauded. The mermaid clapped too, her gaze fixed on the hand of the person sitting next to her, who held a gold ring. Her attention remained on the ring until he looked at her, at which point she turned to face forward and continued clapping. Silence fell, and the auction resumed. One of the girls was wearing a striking outfit, which made him understand why the auction was being held in an enclosed space. It wasn't an ordinary auction. The bidding gradually intensified as they neared the end.
Thomas wandered among the attendees and noticed some people who seemed addicted to auctions; it seemed to be the only thing left to add some excitement to their lives.
Thomas didn't understand why he was there with the mermaid until silence fell again and the last item was auctioned. He looked up at the platform and felt as if time had stopped when he saw someone walking slowly toward the center. "It's her... it's Babel," he kept repeating as he watched her approach the center of the platform, wearing a green robe that shimmered with blue and gold, adorned with a pearl necklace, and over the robe a shawl of blue ostrich feathers, also shimmering green, fastened with a ruby pin. The auction was at its peak when the mermaid began to raise the wooden piece in her hand, displaying an exorbitant price. A frenzy erupted, numbers soared, and cheers of excitement filled the audience. Thomas didn't understand what the mermaid was doing when she looked at the person sitting next to her, raising the price even higher. He noticed the man's nervous movements and raised his bid as well. The price continued to climb until it reached two million gold pieces for the man sitting next to the mermaid, amidst whispers in the hall. Then the whispers fell silent with the final clang that signaled the end of the auction.
Thomas saw Bablin move away from the stage, disappearing behind the red curtains that were beginning to fall. He hurried after her, but when he saw her talking to the merchant about something, he approached her. "I think you've done more than what was asked of you," he said. The merchant then looked at the dwarf and gave him something to put in his pocket. He then took out the key and gave it to her. "I think it's waiting for you in the room if you want to know anything else before you go with the prince." Thomas understood from their conversation that the man who had been at the auction a moment ago was a prince, but he didn't know which country he was from. Bablin's expression was firm as ever, but he didn't understand what she was planning as she passed him. He tried to call out to her, but of course, she didn't hear him. He fell silent and hurried after her until they reached the room where he had been a moment before. "I think everything happened as I said," she said as she unlocked the door. Thomas looked to see who she was speaking to, but saw no one. "Are you sure today is the right day?" she continued. Thomas glanced at the shadow of the sundial on the ceiling, which cast a shadow in the shape of a person, then the shadow turned to light. He closed his eyes and heard another voice say, "I don't think it's the right time." "I'm sure it is." The light began to dim, and Thomas opened his eyes to find a young man standing before him. "All I want to know is if you want to continue." She looked at him confidently. "Yes, I do."