"Makin' yerself look good an' gettin' hired." The doxy slid inside with the man, and Zhi looked down and sideways at Flit. "I'm tryin' t'get at Thatcher's enemies sideways, fancy? Now, I'd do it meself, but I've got another angle t'work. So this, I need a good strongarm fer. That's what yer playin'. A good strongarm. An' I'm needin' ye t' ... learn some things fer me. After ye get hired."
She looked back towards the ramp, and started towards it. "Only honest men come at ye from th'front all th'time, flitter-mouse. Smart men use whatever angle suits 'em best. Remember that. An' don't draw attention t'me. Less ye step in it, far as anyone's concerned ye don't even need t'know me."
Then she was walking up the ramp, into the ship, down the stairs, into the belly.
It was still early in the day. It wasn't full, but there was still three tables full, and a few men and women scattered about solo. Zhi's doxy acquaintance was draped over the pirate as he sat at an ongoing card game. Conversation was muted and slow; like as not several of the patrons were nursing hangovers, or getting themselves started on a day or weeklong spree of drunkenness. They weren't rowdy, not yet. That suited Zhi just fine.
She picked a spot along the bar, near to the table she knew Yayabuko would pick for the meeting. She faced away from the room, hated not having nobody at her back, but kept her sense open. She had good hearing.
She looked back towards the ramp, and started towards it. "Only honest men come at ye from th'front all th'time, flitter-mouse. Smart men use whatever angle suits 'em best. Remember that. An' don't draw attention t'me. Less ye step in it, far as anyone's concerned ye don't even need t'know me."
Then she was walking up the ramp, into the ship, down the stairs, into the belly.
It was still early in the day. It wasn't full, but there was still three tables full, and a few men and women scattered about solo. Zhi's doxy acquaintance was draped over the pirate as he sat at an ongoing card game. Conversation was muted and slow; like as not several of the patrons were nursing hangovers, or getting themselves started on a day or weeklong spree of drunkenness. They weren't rowdy, not yet. That suited Zhi just fine.
She picked a spot along the bar, near to the table she knew Yayabuko would pick for the meeting. She faced away from the room, hated not having nobody at her back, but kept her sense open. She had good hearing.
