cool metal coin
The cool metal of a coin rested in the palm, its weight unexpectedly slight. Around it, the market pulsed—rows of nearly matching wares displayed at incrementally different costs, each seller proclaiming individual merit. This wasn't about fact; instead, voices rose to emphasize small differences, obscuring any common source. Repeated offers and counter-offers blurred even the most solid objects as they passed from hand to hand, demonstrating how value shifts with each exchange—a subtle erosion of what was once known.