« A well-fortified city in the face of raids by the Mandarnan Basilicas and the tribes of the other nations of Tinsitala. Garken is a caravan terminus, warehouse and large market for minerals, oils, slaves, precious woods, your Lanteen glassware, Coble's musical instruments, Beynary balms, mandaman immortality fluid, Szegedy garnets and dozens of other products. The Garken market is a colourful and stimulating spectacle where fortunes in goods are exchanged with a wink, a nod or a heartbeat. The Merchants' Union maintains an efficient yet rigorous police force, which ensures an oasis of almost unreal tranquillity. There are no bandits, thieves or quarrelsome thugs in Garken; they are captured as soon as they occur and are dealt with definitively. That is why Garken is a haven for righteous and honest men; under no circumstances do you risk illicit dealings, scams, acts of obscenity or violence, unless you have lost all taste for life. »

« "If things get to the worst, we will use funds to use this method universally dubbed "the old Infallible": taxes! Just pressure people until their shoes squeak! Kings alone should have the privilege of using money. It's far too good for ordinary people." »

« What's best: cheap submission or expensive independence? »