Derot locked eyes with Kadricke.
"Oh, please," he said. It wasn't like the Coalition was any big in the potion business. Their losses would be minimal. That wasn't why the Coalition was doing this.
"I know what you want, and you," Derot leaned forward without breaking eye contact with Kadricke. "...Know what I want. Somewhere, there's a deal to be made. We just need to find the middle ground. There's no reason we both can't walk away here satisfied." Derot leaned back in his chair again. The ball was in Kadricke's court. He just had to wait.
Kadricke was silent. He also did not look away from Derot, even when the other merchants looked at him.
"You're right," Kadricke eventually said.
