When Marvey looks up to find me, I'm in the middle of crouching down to examine a bit of treasure half-hidden by the body of a Goumin who'd valued his orders to protect it more than his own life. As I crouch, I sever his head from his shoulders, planting the tip of my kaijin sword in the dirt and levering down its blade like I use the knives in the galley to slice scallions. His body seizes once and goes limp, revealing the artifact he'd been clutching so desperately.

When I notice Marvey's looking, I grin at him, lifting my plunder over my head in my off-hand to wave at him. It's heavier than I'd expected. Maybe it's made of a precious metal under all the grime and scuffing. "Got a shiny!" I call across happily.

I don't know what I'll do with it - I'm a poor musician at best - but maybe it'll be useful for waking Marvey up in the mornings when he pretends to be deaf to the world. Or maybe it'll have no purpose at all. But it's shiny, and now it's mine.