O-oh… that, yes. [It’s not that Basil hadn’t considered it, but that is a new observation to him. He got a little caught up in the very strangeness of such a place, considering.] I was going to say, the big stalls affect everyone in line....

[His fingers weave among themselves. Once, he might have been bold, blithe enough to simply ask the shopkeep what’s happening. Conversations with strangers feel like landmines these days…

[But this boy isn’t so bad.]

Do you… have any idea why they’re doing this?