The soft light of the early morning shines through a dim little window on the curiosity shop.  Dappled does its rays shine upon the well-swept floor, across boxes and crates of trinkets and talismans which each share a humming, neon glow.  For the moment, the air is still and cold as the soft padded footsteps of delicate slippers putter across the room to release a large pile of leather-bound books upon the storefront counter, much to the sighed relief of their owner - who, admittedly, was out of breath.  Not that he would admit this to anyone.  

Of course, the flush in his cheeks betrayed him to his associate who was kind or possibly indifferent enough not to comment.  They shared a brief look, a nod, before the slippered merchant pulled back from the counter and busied himself with smoothing out a piece of parchment laying atop said books.

"Here are inventories and processes, as agreed upon.  I trust you'll want to take it from here, yes?"  The merchant said, avoiding eye contact as he read over the contract one last time.  His question was met with a tug at the paper, which caught him a bit by surprise.  He released it immediately, lest it rip, then looked at he who would stand in his place during his absence.  "Eager to move on, aren't we?"

The man, standing tall and similarly dressed stroked his long, charcoal beard scrutinized the parchment before nodding to himself and grunting.  He then looked up at the merchant over the paper.  As the merchant was shorter than most, this involved some impressive angling.  He sighed, in a gruff voice.  Still, the merchant chose to focus his eyes on a dusty patch of the counter where a display case had once been.  "I trust everything is in order?"  he asked his bearded associate, who until that moment had remained silent.  But the question was really more of a formality, as the merchant could sense that his new tenant would be less than happy with the terms of their agreement.

And just as he'd thought it, there it was.  The man slapped the parchment down on the counter top.  "No deal.  This is not what was agreed upon."  The merchant looked up from his cleaning, but was soon intercepted by a quick grab at his robe by the bearded man.  He turned sharply and looked the man in his cold, gray eyes while he pulled his hands from the counter, twisting his wrists and clasping them awkwardly behind his back.  "I'm doing you a favor looking after this place, you know.  If you think you can just wander off with the expectation of any more than 30%, you're dreaming."