‘I think,’ Doc said, mulling his over, that there are people in my world who would very much like to see such a policy enacted.’
Her fear of the Elves quite forgotten for the moment, Malina stared at the noisy throngs milling about in the streets, her Pixie nose catching the spicy-sweet aroma of exotic foods, the crisp smell of brand-new fabrics and newly manufactured items of metal and wood. To their right, the tarpaulin had been removed from the top of a huge ox-drawn waggon, and she watched with longing as ornately carved wooden chests, fashioned from rich, dark woods and inlaid with opalescent nacre, were unloaded and taken into a nearby shop, along with huge urns of brass and bronze, packed together, for protection, with rolled and folded exotic rugs between them.
Looking up between the buildings, she could see flocks of pigeons wheeling about the city; there were coloured pennants hanging from beneath windows, and on the top floors of many buildings were high arched windows, taller and wider than any she had ever seen before. Here and there were tiny, ornate windows of all shapes, set deep in tiny alcoves, and had she still been able to transform into her tiny winged form, she would have longed to go up to them to explore.