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Yukari thought about the suggestions, particularly what to do about the beacon. Yukarii began to speak in a sonorous tone of voice as she recited a story.
The clever Fox was always sneaking into the Farmer's chicken coup and stealing chickens and eggs. Farmer always yelled, "I'll get you next time fox!" but Fox merely laughed at Farmer as she fled with her meal and looked forward to the next time.
This happened many times and Farmer could never catch Fox. Farmer bought a dog but Dog failed to catch her and was cast out of the farm to roam the wilds alone. Farmer put up a fence but Fox simply climbed it. One day Farmer got smart and put a bell around his chickens necks. When Fox came the next time she stole a chicken and began to run. This time Farmer chased her, the tinkling of the bell leading him on, and Fox realized she would take him straight to her den.
Fox ran across hungry Dog that farmer had cast out for failing to protect his chickens and she offered Dog the chicken if he would take it and run in a different direction. Dog agreed as his master's treatment still hurt and took the chicken running from Farmer while Fox used the distraction to slink back to the farm.
Farmer never caught Dog and when it got late he gave up and went back home. Farmer found to his surprise tha tFox had come back while he chased Dog and took another chicken and could not understand how he could chase Fox and yet she came back. He did not understand that you cannot out trick Fox and he did not understand you should not betray loyal Dog.
Yukarii focused on the present again and said, "We should be like Fox and find a Dog to take the beacon for us. Dog can lead the Kez away from us and it will be too late when they realized what we have done."
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"That would be a laugh, indeed. Except we don't know anyone who'd...."
Xindyra facepalms herself.
"Focus, girl....." and she looks back up.
"We could go to the port, and request a package to be delivered somewhere far away."
Dr Munroe smiled at Yukarii's story and noted, "Xindrya's right. Our original destination was the free port of Carina. From there we could easily send a package anywhere, even to Kez! Given the naval blockade of Essex Island and our food situation I think we probably have to go there next anyway."
(fail)
Carina sounds like a good destination. Shall we get moving, then?
"I guess that's our best bet," Edwin replied. He hated leaving the Nautilus unguarded, but they wouldn't be able to face the Kez forces when they came back.
An attempt was made to secure the doors. Edwin with Xindry's help managed to make sense of some of the Nautilus's systems although they lacked context to make sense of most of it. Still they discovered that some systems obeyed voice command in Githyanki and they instructed the outer doors to open only on their voice command. The system informed them because it had been a very long time since the command crew had issued any orders their command codes had been revoked and it accepted their order. Nobody was convinced that this was a long term solution, this new order would time out eventually and besides there where other unsecured ways in. Still it was the best that could be done under the circumstances.
With everyone safely aboard The Dawntreader the mooring lines where unhitched and with a whirr of the motors the two vessels gently drifted apart in the predawn. Initially The Dawntreader gained altitude before turning away on a vector that in some weeks should lead them to Scallop Island (named after its shape - it vaguely resembles a scallop shell) and the notorious free port of Carina.
As the sun rose above the haze line the voyage was blessed with a gorgeous sunrise with beautiful salmon like colors in the sky. These gave way to a few hours of glorious sunshine before a weather front rolled in along with a steady drizzle.
Over the next few weeks The Dawntreader made steady progress descending over the first day, descending ten thousand feet to a much more comfortable altitude. The air was considerably warmer (heavy winter clothing was not longer required) and easier to breathe. Life aboard ship settled into a steady routine although grumbles over the food started to get louder with every passing day. All the interesting food had been eaten long ago and there was only so many ways the ship's cook Andrew Segal could prepare canned meat and grains.
For most of the voyage not a single ship was seen as you flew among the clouds but when Brenar judged you where two days from Carina the lookout noted trading vessels in the distance going this way and that. The frequency and number of these ships steadily increased over the next two days and it quickly became apparent that Carina was very busy. Many of the ships seemed absolutely filled to bursting with people.
"Refugees..." noted Braenar sourly, "We're out of the loop, the Kez must have invaded somewhere."
"Sure looks that way Braenar." replied Dr Munroe as a small group gathered on the starboard rails and gazed at the queue of air ships waiting to dock.
This part of Oberon was hot and muggy, Scallop Island was quite low lying and about twenty five miles across, it boasted a central bowl like area which was farmland criss-crossed with stone walls. Its main produce was a mix of bananas, mangoes and other exotic fruit. Low hills surrounded the farmland and several small streams wound their way down, fed by tiny portals to the elemental plane of water. These collected into a small river called the Oozse which cascaded over the edge into the interior, leaving shimmering rainbows.
Carina itself was nestled among the hills and it had extensive docks. The port's houses where a mix of brick and wooden constructions, many poorly built and shabbily decorated.
After a few minutes silence, Dr mused, "With so much traffic, we're a drop in the ocean here. That's good for keeping a low profile although I'm worried we're going to get gouged when buying supplies... Also this place has never had the most stable governance, thieves, gangs, pirates and outcasts of all sorts make their home here. Add ten thousand or so refugees and who knows what we're walking into."
Dr Munroe pointed to a small hill about a mile from the town where there was a ruin. "Braenar, see that old folly there? That's got a number of large iron rungs in it which we can use for mooring. We could moor in town of course but if we moor here, we see any unwanted attention coming."
Gruffly Breanar replied, "Aye, I like the sound of that. Should be safe enough for people to stretch their legs if they stay close but Carina has a reputation - I'd suggest you only go there in a group of at lest four and return before dark."
Half an hour later, about 11am the Dawntreader is moored up next to this small folly. It's a squat two story tower with a number of large airship mooring rings sunk into the stonework. The place is abandoned and the scrub grass surrounding it is knee high.
There is a trail about 100 yards away that looks to be used by farmers to deliver goods to Carina. The way there is obvious, follow your noses :)
Yukarii was relieved the locked the door to the ship behind them, more or less anyway, and retired below decks as they set out. When evening fell she had called out Yukaari and the pair fell upon Marek with a ravenous hunger that kept most people awake for quite awhile until they finished. The rest of their time traveling was fairly quiet, baring the occasional night where Yukarii "entertained" Marek-kun.
When they finally approached their destination Yukarii came up on deck, wincing at the bright light after having been below decks, and looked at the sheer volume of ships around them. She listened to what the Professor and Brasner said and realized just how bad that meant things were. This was a lot of refugees to see in one place.
Yukarii's eyes widened when she caught sight of something on the far side of the town. "It is good we are docking here Monroe-sensei, look there," she pointed to what she had spotted, "That ship flies the flag of Kez." She looked at the others and said, "We must be careful."
(pass)
She explains the political situation to her friends.
Carina doesn't really have a government. The town has a Mayor who has little to no power. The gangs rule here, the most prominent of which are the 49ers, the Red Hand, and the Farmers. The 49ers run the ale houses and the brothels, the Red Hand is basically a thieves guild, and the farmers form a collective with a virtual monopoly on food.
(fail)
Zendara doesn't see the sail that Yukarii mentions, but she nods and says
Yes, we should stay well clear if we wish to continue our mission and not get caught up in this war.
(pass)
If you guys want to explore, there's said to be an abandoned silver mine about ten minutes walk from here. A hundred years ago it was supposedly very productive but after a terrible accident it shut down never to reopen.
"I've heard about that before, yes. Imagine that, farmers actually influential enough to do so. I wondered why the gangs hadn't enforced influence on them to start with."
Likewise spotting the Kez ship, she frowns slightly.
"Agreed, Yukarii, two gangs and a vessel from an agressor, our days here could be turbulent."
She grins. "Who knows, maybe something could happen. Say, tensions rising between the gangs and the Kez."
"Leaving all sorts of things to be rediscovered, or salvaged."
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Edwin observed, "That Kez ship has seen recent action, and has suffered heavy damage. I can only guess that it's come here to make repairs. We should keep well clear of it; there looks to be heavy security."
When Zendara mentioned the old silver mine he said, "Let's head into town and buy supplies before we do anything else. If something does happen, we want to have fresh stocks already loaded on the Dawntreader."
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Dr Munroe nodded, "Perhaps its best if a smaller group checks the lay of the land before the rest of us go in. I'm worried about what the situation will be like and besides if would be foolish to leave the Dawntreader without adequate guard. See if you can make contact with the some of farmers, might be possible to get some sort bulk discount although that might end up being merely expensive rather than daylight robbery."
The dirt and gravel trail bore two deep ruts left by carts with copious hoof prints and traces of manure here and there. It was easy going and just as well for the air was hot sultry and the further inland you got the more annoying the mosquitoes became. All around were unfamiliar shrubby plants with a faintly exotic smell. The high ground had no trees but the bowl shaped farm land had several large copses, you presume the whole area was forested once.
It takes half an hour or so to walk into town and on the outskirts there was the beginnings of a shanty town, with many dwellings little more than tents or repurposed wooden boxes. Many of the people looked desperately poor and a small posse of very young children started following you, hoping for coins or pointing and giggling at some unshared joke.
The town proper was better built, mostly brick and entirely covered with white plaster. It looked pretty from a distance but up close the plaster was peeling and it had a faded shabby feeling. There was a lot of people about, mostly humans with some demi-humans. In general they are deeply tanned from the beating strong sun. Many seemed listless and the most common activity seemed to be chewing some nasty looking greenish purple leaves. This seemed to leave a tell tale discolouration of the lips and hands amongst those chewing.
There where no signs, but it was clear that some of the roads where better and more traveled than others. Wisely deciding to avoid unfamiliar alleys you pressed onwards and the buildings seemed to improve as you entered what must be a better neighbourhood. Here and there you noted shops of all sorts with increasing frequency until you found yourselves in an area with nothing residential. You seemed to have had a stroke, the narrow lanes opened up into a wide piazza with an open market.
There where dozens of stalls selling street food, silks, spices, live poultry, weapons of various descriptions, air ship surplus, and half a dozen other things.
Let it be known that on Noon of the fifth day, that knave Eliott Harris will reap his just rewards for profaning the honour of Eloise d'Tarren. He is condemned to a night and day in the stocks and to be stoned afterwards in market square.
Yukarii left the ship with her companions to gather information and supplies. The walk into town wasn't bad but the part they reached first wasn't so good. The shanty town was rude and poor and she saw the children following them hoping for handouts of some kind.
Yukarii stopped and smiled at the children for a moment and then said, "Maybe you can help us out little ones." She gave them a slight bow in the traditions of her homeland and said, "I am Yukarii," she straightened and then continued, "and these," she gestured tot eh others, "are my friends. We are in search of a place to buy lots of food for a long journey. Do you know anyone who might be able to help us?"
When they reached the town proper Yukarii noticed how there was a strange color on the hands and lips of the people chewing some kind of green-ish purple leaves. She wondered what it was, not that she wanted to try any, and observed those around them partaking of the stuff. She finally approached one nearby woman and asked,"What are these leaves that you are chewing?"
The answer she retrieved was intriguing but it did not make Yukarii curious to try any. If anything the way the woman reacted put Yukarii on edge and she decided that it would be best to leave well enough alone. She quickly caught up to her companions as they continued on their way.
Yukarii noticed something out of the corner of her eye despite the glare of the light from above. She spoke just loud enough for the others to hear and said, "We have someone small following us. It might be one of the children from the shanty town."
Once they reached the market square Yukarii found she was of little help. She found the light suddenly too bright in this more open space and the knowledge of someone following them was distracting her. Even worse the people in the market seemed to have problems with her accent and she simply couldn't make herself understood to them, or at least that was how they acted towards her anyway. The sign she saw about the man being punished also distracted Yukarii. The thought of such punishments had no honor. Granted she didn't quite understand what the crime meant but they should at least give him the chance to redeem himself by performing seppuku.
Edwin walked with the others on the way into the town. He noticed the general poverty of many of the inhabitants and was pained to see their plight. He stopped to buy some sweets to give to the young children following them.
He stopped to talk to a grocer about making a bulk order, only to learn of the difficulties involved. "Could you tell me where to find your cousin? I'm willing to make it worth her while."
He saw the notice about barbaric punishment to be meted out to one Elliot Harris. It sounded horrible, but he wasn't sure whether it was advisable to get involved in the matter.
(pass)
(fail on the follow up roll within that one)
I heard some women crying over the upcoming death of someone that got involved with a girl named d'Tarren, and they said she was betrothed at SIX YEARS OLD to someone named Harris Taunton. What kind of a place is this to bind a girl to a future that young? Enforcing marriage contracts made that young, and with the death penalty? Seems unjust to me.
When Yukarii says that someone is following them, she turns around and says
Hey little one, do you want something? Are you hungry?
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"Taunton? Now where have i....ah!", it dawns on her.
"Taunton is one of the families that form the farming mafia coalition gang."
Yukarii kept an eye out for the shadow, whoever it was seemed pretty skilled. She hadn't seen any sign for at least quarter of an hour but she had a feeling they where still there, watching from the shadows.
Edwin spoke to the grocer asking to meet her cousin promising to make it worth while. She nodded saying "Well in that case, nice to meet you! My name's Alyssa. Clara will be at Cafe Ericola this evening, she always has dinner there when visiting. I'll be happy to introduce you."
Yukarii stopped and smiled at the children for a moment and then said, "Maybe you can help us out little ones." She gave them a slight bow in the traditions of her homeland and said, "I am Yukarii," she straightened and then continued, "and these," she gestured tot eh others, "are my friends. We are in search of a place to buy lots of food for a long journey. Do you know anyone who might be able to help us?"
Most of the children had got bored by now but there where still three ever hopeful ones following the party. One little girl perhaps four or five clutching a torn grubby doll's seemed to be the bravest and her eyes lit up when Zendara mentioned food. Her tummy rumbled loudly and she nodded as the little boy and girl behind her giggled.
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Zendara reaches for some travel rations, and then realizes that she doesn't have any on her.
She approaches one of the stalls, not trying to buy in bulk for now, but just some rations and street food for herself and treats for the kids.
How much? she asks.
If she gets a little food she can share with the girl with the doll, she does, and as the girl eats she casts mending on her doll, restoring it.
Edwin replied to the grocer, "Pleased to meet you, Alyssa. My name is Edwin. Can you give me directions to the Cafe Ericola? What time should I meet you there?"
After he finished talking to her, he let the others know, "I've arranged a meeting with a farmer about buying supplies. Dinnertime at a café near here."
Xindyra is letting Zendara occupy herself with the children, instead scanning the surroundings.
She has a feeling the children wouldn't be intentionally be a distraction, but there's this thing called female intuition, that suggests there is someone looking for an opportunity for...something.
When Edwin comes back with the information of the arranged meeting,
"Nice. What's the name of the place?"
Assuming he says the name....
"Ericola? Ericola....Ericola.....oh!", her index finger goes up as the bit of info pops to mind with a smile.
"I've heard of that place from a trader. He said the chef makes a great steak.........and also, the place is pretty much a steady hangout of the 49ers."
* Izzard's Folios: A cramped two story bookshop known for its precariously balanced stacks. Most of the books are of a mundane nature although high quality copies of university texts are available. Rumors suggest items of a magical nature are available to a select clientele.
* Morgan's smithy: General iron mongery such as horse shoes, shelf brackets, bottle openers and similar. Small selection of superior swords and daggers.
* Edward's bows and fletchings: A good selection of bows, and crossbows including some rumoured to be enchanted.
* The aeronauts bazaar: An open air market where the produce from all over Oberon is sold from hundreds of stalls. Theres no consistency to what is available but it's not uncommon to see air ship equipment and archeological finds on sale next to street food stalls and magic item emporiums (selling real or imagined charms and so on)..
Edwin asked around and reported to his comrades several interesting shops to visit. Izzard's Folios might be a place where we could sell the spellbook. And there's no telling what we might find in the aeronauts bazaar."
I want to check out Edward's... he specializes in Bows, and Morgan's would be a good place for other weapons. He runs a Smithy.
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The away team spends the day shopping, browsing the market and exploring the various shops. For the most part this was a nice change of pace from weeks stuck within the confines of The Dawntreader but with so many people crowded inside, Carina was crowded, noisy and smelly. Stories of war where everywhere and there was an undertone of fear, while officially neutral there would be no backup if something was to kick off. The presence of the damaged Kez ship was a constant topic of conversation and resentment with the general consensus that the sooner they where away the better.
By the time evening fell you where all tired and hungry so the prospect of a meal out was most welcome. There where a good number of restaurants and cafes all of which where packed which made you nervous about getting a table. You found cafe Ericola easily enough and strangely enough it was half empty when you took a table, the mouthwatering smells from the kitchen made you wonder why.
A young server by the name of Anna came by your table, gave you a warm greeting and distributed menus. The meal was clearly going to be pricy but it all sounded delicious and exotic.
It wasn't until you where half way through your main course before Alyssa (who had clearly dressed up for the occasion and was in an elegant grey dress) waltzed in along with her athletic looking cousin. One of the bouncers pointed to your table and they took the two remaining seats.
Alyssa spoke first saying, "Sorry it seem we're fashionably late, my fault entirely it took longer to close up shop than expected with all the crowds. Anyway please let me introduce my cousin Clara." Clara smiled, "Nice to meet you all!" She beckoned the server over and quickly rattled off her and Alyssa's order along with the second most expensive bottle of wine.
Things stared off with small talk with Clara explaining that her family owned a large farm on the far side of the island. They had some livestock, cows, chickens, goats but most of their land was devoted to arable farming. The main crop was wheat but they also had a couple of small fruit orchards along with a mid-sized plantation of various spices.
As the evening progresses and the delicious desert course is served Clara asks, "So. Alyssa tells me that you want to provision an airship with two to three months worth of food. To last that long you'll need dried produce, unless you've got an ice hold?"
Edwin approved of the Cafe Ericola; after the somewhat spartan meals on the Dawntreader, he felt they deserved to splurge a bit.
When Alyssa and her cousin arrived, Edwin stood up and greeted them, Please to meet you Clara! Edwin K. Whiskers at your service."
He guessed that the culture here favored getting to know each other before talking business. He engaged in small talk, complimenting the cousins on their choice of eating establishment along the way. When the conversation eventually turned to provisioning he replied, "We do have a small ice hold. I would guess that we'll need the majority of the produce to be dried, but some fresh vegetables would be welcome."
(fail)
(pass)
Zendara was enjoying dinner, but she wondered how much this was going to cost them, and how horrible this place seemed, turning people away in their cliquishness, as well as the even worse possibility of getting on some group's bad side and getting sentenced to death like the young man those women had been talking about... what kind of crazy place was this?
She hoped that this dinner didn't bankrupt them, and that they could find a way to do some good here.
Yukarii had little interest in shopping just then. She had the staff and it would prove very useful once she mastered it. Instead she looked at what was for sale and listened to what was said around her about the war. It was not sounding good from what she picked up and she was glad they would be out of touch with it for a while...she hoped.
When they finally reached the cafe Yukarii was very hungry and and looked over the menu to order something to eat.
She was to engrossed in the menu to notice anything going on around them as she tried to interpret what was available. She could read the common tongue well enough but some of the words made no sense in the context they were used.
When their guests finally arrived to eat with them, while Yukarii had finally ordered, she was still puzzling over some of the items on the menu trying to make sense of them. She looked up and nodded at the two women and said, "O ai dekite yokattadesu."
Xindyra, like Edwin, went exploring the town.
, and was particularly scouting out some spots where she could go shopping later on. Writing down the directions, she closed her journal and went to the café.
As they were enjoying the meal, her ear caught some disturbance going on near the entrance, and she briefly paused eating.
What's going on?......Oh boy, the old 'on the list routine'.
---------
With the duo attending their rendezvouz, she paid close attention to their manners.
Ah, i see. You have a hand in the monopoly, yet you are too cheap to buy your own share of the dinner.
With the team on limited budget, and luxureous wines potentially costing hundreds, Xindyra thinks up a bluff, posing the question as innocently as she can at the moment.
"Pardon me, but are you sure about that?
I have heard sky sailors saying, that a shipment of low produce was disguised as high quality wine, and shipped into town. Naturally someone of your reputation would not be served the lowest the café has to offer, but perhaps the golden middle will be a safer bet."
Xindyra takes a small bite of her dessert, "It is only overhearing, of course. The trouble though, is some rumors have some spark of truth to them. I wouldn't like a wine with a hint of toe cheese."
Alyssa and Clara smiled at Yukarii but you got the sense that neither of them understood what she said.
Clara nodded to Edwin and replied, "Even a small ice hold will make a big difference, we can provide vegetables and spices to make the bulk dried foods more interesting. Most ships have room for some chickens if you like fresh eggs, we can provide a dozen if you'd like. Perhaps you should come and visit the farm tomorrow. and we can discuss the details there? If you're so inclined you'd be welcome to taste some of our wines, the last couple of years haven't been that great but year before was amazing."
She then gave excellent directions to Whitegate farm and suggested that early afternoon was the most convenient time for them to receive guests.
When Xindrya spoke of substandard wines, your server Anna beckoned Marco the Sommelier over and he looked horrified by her tale. He protested, "I can assure you that all our wines are of the highest quality!" but in the end since the wines where imported Clara changed her order, choosing a substantially cheaper wine from the menu.
The rest of the evening passed without further incident beyond the bill which was pricey at 50 gold but it could have been much worse without Xindrya's quick thinking.
Zendara is amazed that some people keep chickens on airships, and they agree to visit the farm the next day in the early afternoon.
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Yukarii enjoyed the dinner well enough. It wasn't the kind of food she grew up eating but she found the quisine here to be acceptable after she had gotten used to it. She was mostly quiiet, enjoying the food, and had to work to ignore Yukaari telling her she should be taking that gorgeous waitress, throw her over the table, and have her way with her. Sometimes her other half could be more than a bit twisted.
Eventually Yukarii found her curiosity to be a bit too great to ignore and asked their two guests, "What can you tell us about this execution that is coming up? Did he really do anything?" That it involved some for of marriage contract was of little purpose to her as they were not unheard of in her homeland.
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Xindyra focused her eyes, on and off, at Carla and her friend, with a burning question just been fired off by Yukarii.
Edwin replied to Clara, "Fresh eggs sounds like a good idea. I'll check with the captain, in case he has a thing about livestock on board."
When Yukarii asked about the fellow seemingly scheduled for execution, he waited to see how the cousins answered, wanting to get an idea about their thoughts on the matter.
"What can you tell us about this execution that is coming up? Did he really do anything?"
Clara's glaze for a moment and she swallows before replying, "Uhh... Well I uh don't follow all the gossip in town but I heard he defiled the Cappa's daughter." And stopped there if that explained everything.
"Fresh eggs sounds like a good idea. I'll check with the captain, in case he has a thing about livestock on board."
"Er yes! Good idea, some captains sure can be finicky!" she seemed very keen to change the topic, "Anyway perhaps we should get going? I mean they'll probably want to close up before much longer."
Edwin wondered what Ciara knew about the situation involving the condemned man. She seemed to be eager to change the subject and wrap up the dinner. But he didn't see that advantage in pressing her on the matter, at least not in here. He did discreetly glance at the staff and the other diners to see if any of them reacted to their topic of conversation.
He waited to see if they needed to get a waiter's attention to settle the bill, or if one was going to ask them if they wanted anything more.
When the bill comes, Zendara settles it, adding a generous tip to ensure that the wait staff don't turn against them.
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The waiters come over a few minutes later and there was no trouble as you settled up. They wished you a pleasant evening as you stepped outside. It was much colder than before in fact you think anyone sleeping rough would be at risk of hypothermia.
Clara and Alara walked with you a little way before they needed to take a different road. Before departing Clara whispered, "Listen I know you're all from out of town but you nearly put your foot right in it by talking about the Cappa's daughter in his restaurant. He's real touchy about family as that poor poor boy is about to find out, there was literally nothing worse he could have done than fall in love with Eloise... Please for your sake as well as mine, try and pretend the gangs are not here. My family has to walk a delicate line, careful not to offend. We do business there because it is expected and so the Cappa can see we have no secrets..."
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Edwin said to Clara, "You're right, we're not familiar with the local dynamics here. Can you fill me briefly about the Cappa? I take it they're an influential family or something?"
Clara scratched her ear as she began, "Well..." She looked around surreptitiously and seeing no evesdroppers she said "Cappa means head of the family as in the leader of the 49ers. The current Cappa is Castro Gurez, and one way or another he or his lieutenants control most of what goes on here. I've met him twice, he's not much to look at except there's this, I don't know, aura him. It like he can do anything he wants, as if terrible violence is but moments away but he chooses not to. When he wants to he can be charming, urbane and witty. Thing is he has a terrible temper and there are dark people who cross him vanish. Take my advice and stay well away from politics, as long as you're just here to trade they'll leave you alone."