Gerda shook his head. "Oh, he was suddenly so anxious to pay the right amount, he gave me forty-eight teloa overweight. I'll know him next time I see him, I'm sure. I marked him well for receipt."
He inspected his knuckles reflectively, then took the key from his belt and opened the chest.
"You'll want to verify my count, of course?"
"Oh, yes. Yes, to be sure. Have to be certain, you know. And there's your share of the fine and overpayment to be taken care of." The steward reached into the chest, removing bags which clinked as they were dropped to the table. He stopped, to look into the chest with a puzzled expression on his face.
"And what are these?" He reached in, to withdraw three obviously empty bags. He looked curiously at the thongs which tied their mouths, then shook them and looked questioningly at Gerda.
"Why, I ... I don't know." Gerda looked incredulously at the bags. "Certainly, I had no extra money bags."
"I should think not." The steward frowned, then beckoned behind him. Two heavily armed guards approached.
"We'll have to examine into this."
As the guards came close to Gerda, the steward looked closely at the bags on the table, then picked one up, opening it.
"Borowa," he muttered after looking inside and comparing the tally chip with the count tablet. He weighed the bag in his hand. "Yes, it seems to be about right. Certainly not overweight." He picked up another, then still another. At last, he looked up.