"It's funny," she said. "Not in a laughing sort of way. More in an ironic sort of way. Oh." She hadn't explained what 'it' was. "I just mean to say...I was going to make you a similar offer. I'm hoping to be able to supply a lot of dried herbs. Even if I'm not a healer, I know which ones are good for things. Perhaps you can make use of them."

Whereas others were scoffing a little at the barter system in place, Ariadne actually liked it. Money was a terribly useless things. Bartering created relationships. Partnerships.

And those? Those made a society become a society.

"And I'd like to see your library too. I don't get enough time to read, but I enjoy it." Also, she was remarkably proud of her own literacy.