Choking down the derisive laughter was hard. Zhi stayed quiet an awkward few seconds as she worked at strangling the impulse, and then carefully said, "there, ah, ain't no numbers in th'Reach, sir. I'll. . .uh. . ." she made a face, considering. Barnacle's Reach was old, and badly organized. Once upon a time, buildings had names that were well recognized, and the narrow, zig-zagging streets had been also named and counted -- but that'd been before fortunes had turned and the wealth had dried up. New growth had sprung up, built of wood and shoddy hanging bridges and stairways. It was a mess to navigate, perhaps especially because it was vertical as well as horizontal.
"I'll. . .meet yer man at th'edge," she concluded, dismissing the idea of a map out of hand. "It's. . .not a place t'wander, Master Lalataru. I wouldn't want yer man t'get shanked. Yeah, at six-an'-a-half bells -- " she gave him the name of the street that brushed along the edge of the Reach, the one that was easiest to find.
"I'll. . .meet yer man at th'edge," she concluded, dismissing the idea of a map out of hand. "It's. . .not a place t'wander, Master Lalataru. I wouldn't want yer man t'get shanked. Yeah, at six-an'-a-half bells -- " she gave him the name of the street that brushed along the edge of the Reach, the one that was easiest to find.
