The tailor's daughter stood with her hands clasped behind her back, leaning against the shop door, looking out onto the street. There wasn't much to see; almost no pedestrians were about. The sun was blazing, casting a stark line between the eaves' shadows and the glaringly bright street. Staring at this line for too long strained her eyes. She could faintly hear a tune played by the band at the dance two nights ago. Two young men had danced with her to that melody; the second one had taken her behind the house after the dance, and they had kissed for a while, but she actually found the first young man more handsome. Too bad he was too shy, she recalled, tapping the rhythm of the tune with her right foot. Her bare toes crossed that blinding line several times.
She had already noticed the one-eyed man standing by the street. He had been there for about three minutes, mostly with his back turned, occasionally looking around as if waiting for someone. When he turned to the right, the tailor's daughter could see the black leather eyepatch covering his right eye. Not having had a chance to see the other side, she became curious about his left eye. How small his world must be, she thought: blind on the right, and surely squinting with the left in this bright sunlight.
Moments later, the man's back expanded slightly, then resumed its original shape as his shoulders fell, as if he had sighed—his waiting was over. The tailor's daughter thought that if he moved in any direction, she would see what his left eye looked like, but unexpectedly, the one-eyed man turned right towards her, standing about six or seven steps away. She saw his left eye: it was not tired as she had imagined, but lively, as if proud of its double workload. Realizing her stare was impolite, she was about to look away when the man smiled and walked over to her.
"Good afternoon," Elin Tias said.
"Hello." To ease the awkwardness, the tailor's daughter continued, "Are you here to order clothes, sir?"
"I was planning to, but now it seems I can't. I've been standing here waiting for someone, as you probably saw, but she didn't come."
"Is she your..." She glanced at his ring finger. No wedding ring. "...female friend?"
"She often complains that I waste too much of our time together, which I guess she has a part in. But that's what being partners is about. Speaking of which, it's rare to see a girl dressed like you at this time."
"I'm not a girl. I'm seventeen."
"Of course, of course. I meant, with the archbishop passing away less than ten days ago, many people dress like they're in mourning for the rest of their lives. But you, in this purple-red dress…"
"Do you think it's inappropriate?"
"No, I think it's wonderful. Regardless of how people dress on the street, I'm destined to see half the world in darkness, so the remaining half should see something bright and cheerful."
She smiled, looking aside. "My father made it. He wouldn't want customers to see me dressed poorly."
"No doubt. I'd say, both you and the dress alone would make him proud. Together, he's the luckiest father in the world. Can I meet him?"
She laughed a bit before answering. "Do you still want to order clothes?"
"Actually, I've been meaning to come here alone for a while."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I heard that your father has some wisdom that ordinary people don't possess. I want to seek his advice."
She pressed her throat with her right hand. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Today hasn't gone well for me. The person I was waiting for didn't come, and I got all sweaty waiting in the sun. You've lifted my spirits, don't make me feel down again."
"Well, why didn't you just say so? You just want to see my father."
"When I first saw you, I thought you seemed like a friendly girl who wouldn't refuse my request to see your father. Your smile convinced me that this visit wouldn't be in vain. You made a small mistake by trying to dismiss me with indifference now. If you had done that from the beginning, maybe you would have succeeded. Oh, another mistake—you have a beautiful smile."
"Alright, alright. I'll take you. Come with me." She turned and called for her younger brother inside the shop. A moment later, a boy of about eleven or twelve, wearing glasses, came out.
"What?" he said.
"I'm taking this gentleman to see Dad. He has something important. Watch the shop for me."
"I'm doing my botany homework. I still have to write my speech for the school celebration."
"Stop complaining. All this studying is useless; you'll eventually have to take over Dad's work."
"Stupid woman with no vision. Go find a man to marry already."
"What did you say?"
This argument was an unexpected turn for Elin, but as soon as her brother turned his back, the tailor's daughter dropped the matter. To alleviate her displeasure and show she didn't mind, she took Elin's hand as they went upstairs.
The door to the tailor's room was ajar. She asked Elin to wait outside and peeked in.
"Dad, someone wants to see you. He wants to hear you talk about some things."
"Has he shown the sincerity needed to learn the truth?"
She withdrew and told Elin, "I forgot to mention. To hear my father speak, you need to..."
"Oh, of course."
Elin took out his money pouch and untied it. As his fingers reached in, the tailor's daughter tiptoed and whispered in his ear, "Usually, two silver coins are enough. I'll tell my father you're sincere."
"Alright." Elin placed two silver coins into her palm, letting them clink. Just as she was about to withdraw her hand, he grasped her wrist, signaling her to open her fingers again, and placed a third coin silently. "This is to thank you," he whispered, "Don't let your father know."
The tailor's daughter clenched her fist and gave a light shake. "You're nice." After saying this to Elin, she knocked on the door and called, "Dad, it's okay," then turned and headed back down the stairs.
Elin entered the room. It was a study, but at least two-thirds of the shelves were empty. In the center of the room, on a reclining chair, the tailor lay with his head back and eyes closed, his right hand hanging over the side with a homemade cigarette between his fingers. On the table beside the chair were papers for rolling cigarettes and two small piles of tobacco. Elin recognized it as a type that was banned for sale, only allowed for medical use. The room was filled with a sour, bitter smell; it was clear the windows hadn't been opened for a long time.
"Please don't lock the door." The tailor did not change his posture or open his eyes. "Have a seat."
Elin sat on another chair. "They call you 'the one who knows the truth'," he said.
The tailor opened his eyes and sat up a bit. "You're a businessman? I can tell from your clothes. It's a bad habit of mine, don't mind."
"It's fine. I'm about to be a businessman. I'm planning to open my own shop."
"What kind of business?"
"Cheese. Something everyone loves," Elin said as he glanced around. "It seems the earthquake didn't affect your shop much."
"We did lose some tableware. But overall, this neighborhood fared well. We were fortunate. This shop has been in my family for three generations. According to my father, my grandfather's lifelong wish was to move the entire family and the shop to another place. Back then, this area was still called Queen's District, the hardest place in Stormwind to do business. My father couldn't fulfill this wish, nor did I, but it seems that turned out to be a good thing. If you don't mind me asking, your eye, it wasn't because of..."
"Oh, that was an accident almost a year ago. Nothing to do with the earthquake."
"And your family is alright?"
"No one was hurt, and that's the best you can hope for. What more could one ask?"
"Family is the most important thing."
"Indeed."
The tailor stubbed out his cigarette on the table.
"Indeed, as you mentioned, I am 'the one who knows the truth.' Since you brought that up and aren't here to commission clothes, it must be to inquire about those matters."
"I'm very interested."
"May I ask, are you a follower of the Light?"
"No. To be precise, I was in the first few years of my life, influenced by my family."
"So... you won't be offended by hearing things that might go against the teachings of the Light?"
"Certainly not."
"Then why do you want to know the 'truth'? If it's just out of curiosity, I suggest you leave immediately."
"Even curiosity can be either proper or improper. I am here for a very proper reason. I believe the 'truth' you know is of great importance to the entire country. For various reasons, it cannot be publicly spread among the people yet, but that will happen eventually. Or rather, it is something we must not forget."
"It seems you have made up your mind."
"Of course. I am prepared."
"The truth... is something that must be earned. Only by paying a price for it can we truly appreciate its importance."
"I already gave your daughter..."
"That was to test your sincerity. What I am about to reveal is quite dangerous, sir."
"Alright. I understand."
Elin reached into his money pouch, pondered for a moment, then took out five silver coins and placed them on the table. Seeing that the tailor still seemed unwilling to speak, he added five more. After all, he could take them back later.
"This will suffice, sir." The tailor neatly stacked the coins into two small piles. "I will tell you everything these eyes have seen, in full detail."