The Bonanza had changed dramatically. The handful of stalls and shops had grown. Thousands of people, most of whom looked like they came from Ankmapak, were busily browsing, buying and selling. Kat fluttered next to my shoulder, her batwings a blur.

  “How many?” I did not sound overawed or terrified; I was calm and collected. I was exploding with sparkles, but that had nothing to do with my emotional state.

  “Since yesterday? Another fifty stalls, and all the shopfronts are now spoken for.” She settled on my shoulder and scowled at any man who stared as they passed us.

  “Cross your legs, Kat. For the love of dignity.”

  She slapped me on the ear, but adjusted how she was perched.

  “A lot of the houses are occupied now. People are moving here even if they aren’t traders. The rent is cheap, relatively, and there’s no chance they’re going to end up under siege in some podunk little town.”

  “Or if shit gets real in the capital,” I muttered.

  “That as well.” She nodded sagely in the corner of my vision.

  “Rents can go up then?” I did not physically rub my hands together, but spiritually, I mimicked Greed.

  “They could, but Bob—”

  “Do it.”

  “Fine.” She sighed. “Five per cent?”

  “How much can we push it?”

  “Tribulation’s smoky balls. Bob, the higher we push it, the less we will get, and we’ll have to wait for the original contracts to expire before we can change those. Honestly, three per cent on new signers would be best, and then we reassess in a year when the early adopters get to review.”

  “Five.”

  “Fine.”

  We walked in silence for a while. The noise and smells of the city seemed to have followed me. Chimney’s belched dark smoke towards a fake sky that pooled in places above us before hidden vents sucked it away.

  Alchemists, smiths, leatherworkers, purveyors of dubious marital aids. We had it all. Food was available from restaurants and mobile carts, filling the air with steam and the taste of burnt meat.

  The population appeared to be mostly middle-class. No one looked too shabby, and while there were a few people whose clothes looked like they might have been minor nobles, they were definitely a minority. Everyone seemed to be busy as well. There were no lollygaggers. They were either shopping, selling or hurrying about as though they had a mission.

  Bunnyborgs patrolled in pairs, seeming to crop up every hundred feet or so. Their mana-cannons were retracted along their backs, aiming up at the “sky”, but the glowing red eyes and the occasional slurp as they pulled on their nutrient paste were an ever-present reminder that people were expected to behave.

  “Any thieves?”

  “A couple. Salnia dealt with them.”

  “Ouch.”

  “In light of your… affliction, it was deemed that anyone who steals needs to be shown the door very firmly.”

  “I assume the door in question is the one from the ledge in my old lair, and they don’t get a parachute? I growled.

  “No. You still need to move the dungeon core, so that room is still on lockdown. That and Tim only put a handful of people on the automated defences whitelist. We’ve maimed three cleaners thus far.”

  “Huh. Best to do something else with the thieves, then. What did Salnia do?”

  “Do you really want to know?”

  “Probably not. I assume it wasn’t pretty?”

  “She’s… inventive.”

  “Good. How long until we’re full?”

  “Pedro has been handling the contracts, and he’s busier than a three-titted hooker.”

  “Charming, Kat. How long?”

  “We already are. We’re filtering the contracts based on people offering services we need, and prioritising them to round out the town.”

  “The Mill can help?”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “This place is the same size as the Mill, now. We need plumbers.”

  “Doesn’t the dungeon sort all that out?”

  “We’re looking to harvest the nightsoil for the farming floor. The dungeon will simply, ah, relocate it outside.”

  “So somewhere at the foot of Mount Bob is a massive pile of shit. Great. Don’t the unibunnies produce enough of the stuff?”

  Kat flapped her wings and flew down to a nearby food cart to order a pair of… meat on sticks? When she came back, she passed me one. “We’re producing enough robobunnies, we’re impacting the size of the population.”

  “How many bunnyborgs are we up to now?”

  “Nearly six thousand. You need to make another delivery to the dwarves by the way.”

  “Damn. After the arena match.” I lied. I had no desire to head back to the dwarves anytime soon, but I was contractually obliged, so I didn’t really have a choice. “So we need Dunnikindivers, anything else?”

  “Do you want to see the paperwork?”

  “No.”

  “Then don’t ask.”

  I stopped, nibbling on the street food and looked up at the sign in front of the store next to me. “Tex’s Timeless Trinkets” announced how all the finest Pap would be available within at bargain prices. I reached out and pushed the door open.

  Inside, it was gloomy; the items were the kind of things you’d expect to find in a Voodoo lady's boudoir. Candles had dribbled wax down to hang like icicles from the edges of the shelving. Skulls, stuffed animals, and weirdly glowing items that gave me the willies occupied most of the shelf space.

  “Tex?” I called.

  “He’s probably out the back. He spends a lot of time sleeping.”

  “TEX!”

  “Jesus, what? Who the—Bob? Hey man, good to see you!”

  Tex stumbled through a bead curtain behind the counter, tucking his tunic into his trousers as he came. He had no boots on, fluffy pink socks sliding across the tiled floor.

  “You working for Phillpot?” I demanded.

  “Nice to see you, too, Tex. How’s things, partner? Been a while. Thanks for giving me my first break in this world. Gee, Bob, you’re welcome, it was my pleasure, and I’m fine, thanks,” he said in a sing-song voice.

  “This is a subsidiary of Phillpott’s Emporium of Pap, isn’t it?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “Kat, we got anyone who can check for demonic parasite spies?”

  “Maybe Nimbra?”

  “Get her on it.”

  A lump of Tex’s shadow separated and flowed up into an eye-like orb. “I guess you got me.”

  “Nyal.”

  “You’ve been in my shadow all this time?” Tex was aghast, his fists opening and clenching.

  “Indeed, you have unusual tastes in… entertainment.”

  “Shut up!”

  “Mortals. You’re all so uptight. At least you heated it through first. I could only imagine if it were cold, it would spoil the mood.”

  “Shut up.” This time, it was me desperately trying to avoid having any details shared. “I need to see your boss. I’ve got some more feathers for him.”

  “A contract was signed. I’m more interested in you, Bob. A blend of light and shadow, two patrons. It is… remarkable.” The voice still sounded like nails down a chalkboard.

  “You know about that? Is there another lump of you in my shadow?”

  “No. We promised not to spy on you. I am fascinated with your plans for this dungeon floor. A town within a fortress, completely self-sufficient. You’re exporting magical items and high-tier alchemical products. You’ve come a long way.”

  “What does Philpott want, Nyal?”

  “He wants in.”

  “On the Bonanza? Seems like he already is. And it seems like Tex is abusing his relationship with us to help him.” Kat shot an angry look at Tex that caused him to cover the more vulnerable parts of his anatomy with both hands. Unfortunately, he only had two hands, so his indecisiveness about protecting nose, throat and balls left him looking like an extra from a Madonna video.

  “This idea of… subsidiaries. Franchises. It’s intriguing to him, well, us. Have you considered branching out into training services? Certain arts are frowned upon within the Empire, but you could establish schools for them in the Unnamed Dungeon in safety. You’ve already dabbled in necromancy and have the blessings of both light and shadow.”

  “Nyal, why the hell would I want a school for warlocks in my dungeon?”

  “I’m with Bob. It seems we’re already infested with demons. Why invite more?” Kat added coldly.

  “Because we’re very useful to our friends. Do me one favour, please. Speak to Phillpot when you’re back in the city. I understand you’ve got a fight coming up in the arena. It might be nice to have the inside knowledge on your foes? We could certainly assist in that regard.”

  “I have to see him anyway, he conned me into a contract, remember?” I grumbled.

  “Please recall I also bollocked him for being so dishonest and forced him to offer a fair price. The things I did to Phillpot in his dreams as punishment…”

  I narrowed my eyes at the apparition. “Pretty sure he gets off on that kind of shit, Nyal.”

  “I made him wash a never-ending pile of crusty dishes, and do laundry by hand for weeks in his dreams. He did not enjoy the experience, I assure you.” The voice, rasping and harsh, was undeniably correct.

  “You made him wash his own undies in his dreams?”

  The floating eye of shadows formed a fanged maw below the vertical pupil that grinned unpleasantly. Then the maw flowed and spun, becoming the pupil before closing to return to its original state.

  “I’ll go visit him. I could use his help on something as well.”

  “I’m sure my pet will be amenable to assisting you in your endeavours in exchange for favourable treatment in the Bonanza.”

  I nodded and stared at the eye, which hovered unblinking, for a good thirty seconds. I tipped my head slightly to nudge Kat, who was perched next to my ear again and got punched in the temple for my trouble.

  “Erm, any chance I could have a private word with my minion, Nyal?”

  Apparently, demons didn’t know how to read the room. Tex paled slightly and shuffled back towards his masterbatorium behind the bead curtain.

  “Of course. I shall look forward to our next conversation.” Nyal imploded and vanished with a faint pop, which was followed by an unpleasant slurping noise.

  “Tex…”

  “I didn’t know she was there, Bob! I swear.” Both hands came up defensively, then as Kat took flight, they once again flickered about to try and protect his vitals.

  “Kat, I think some kind of punishment is in order?”

  The pixie cracked her leather-clad knuckles, rolled her shoulders, which was an unwise move due to the nature of her current costume, then uncoiled her spiky whip and let it dangle below her as she drifted closer to the nervous human.

  “Oh, I agree, Bob. Other than Pedro, who is doing it deliberately, I haven’t fractured anyone's family jewels for a while.”

  “He does it deliberately?” Tex squeaked as his back hit a wall. He had missed the curtain and the escape it promised. His colour drained even more as the realisation sank in.

  “Guy’s a freak. I think I have an idea, though. We need a priest to oversee Bulb’s temple in the Bonanza, and brother shining buttcheeks here is just the man for the job. Now I just need to find someone to fill the same role for the god of wealth…”