The sohei leave the Jade Dragon Inn immediately, and the innkeeper returns from the kitchen, having heard them leave. Confirming this with her eyes, she calls back to the kitchen: Cancel that large order! Cancel it! ... Hai, hai, they left...
Search Posts
Answering the rapid-fire questions quickly and honestly, the innkeeper seems distraught when asked about strangers, and slowly points out the adventurers, face lowered in shame. She then quickly bows to the sohei before scurrying off to the kitchen to make their food and pour their drinks...
Giggling and seemingly somewhat enchanted by the Little Lord, the innkeeper hurries off to find some peanuts and rice, which she crushes and boils together, making a hardy and delicious peanut butter rice dish, custom made for Perpireen, Lord Protector of the Worldly Gate... I hope this is acceptable, my lord... says the innkeeper as she sets a steaming, sprite-sized bowl (teacup) of the custom dish before him...
Like an angel of mercy come to end their suffering, the innkeeper brings pots of hot tea with lemon, and pitchers of cold water... Singing sweetly in Japanese: Rise and shine! Rise and shine! Sun is up, end sleepy time! Rise and shine! Rise and shine! Sun is up, end sleepy time!
Plucking a 1,000-gold-piece emerald seemingly from behind the innkeeper's ear with a sleight-of-hand unrivaled among tricksters, the Cat Lord overpays the innkeeper, kisses her on the lips, and says, Merci, Madame... no more fried cat... for me, oui?That'll be 10 golden tael, Cat Daimyo! says the innkeeper, bowing and smiling... Stunned momentarily by the Cat Lord's kiss, the innkeeper blushes and smiles, looking down... She sincerely promises: Never again, my handsome Cat Daimyo!
That'll be 10 golden tael, Cat Daimyo! says the innkeeper, bowing and smiling...
Aware that she has grievously offended her honored guest, the innkeeper kowtows to the Cat Lord, pleading in Japanese: A thousand pardons, honorable Cat Daimyo... We will cease this barbarous practice from now on, I swear!
The innkeeper seems both surprised and happy to see the gaijin she thought dead for certain return to the Jade Dragon along with another, a kitsune... Japanese: Welcome back, travelers! Long time, no see, hai? Hahahahaha!! Come in! Make yourselves at home! We have delicious noodles in house special broth, with hibachi grilled shrimp, chicken, beef, dog, cat, or octopus! The innkeeper, curious and in wonder about how the gaijin survived the infamous "hospitality" of the Shogun, serves them a heroes feast indeed... The bottles of saki are drained by the dozens, and an epic celebration ensues!
Saisho ni, watashi no men o aisuru hanashite iru tori, imaya jōdan o itte iru hanasu tori! Japanese: First a talking bird who eats my noodles, now a talking bird who speaks gibberish!
The innkeeper nods in understanding, and then replies: Anata no kazoku ni itte keii o arawashimasu. Watashi wa anata no yōna kawaī on'nanoko ga sugu ni shōgun no saibansho ni yūri ni naru to kakushin s*#$e imasu. Japanese:
Go and honor your family, then. I'm sure a pretty girl like you would soon find favor in the Shogun's court. She shrugs and smiles at Ihrin in a sisterly way...
Dārin, kyūden ni itte wa ikenai. Shōgun wa anata ni fuyukaina shigoto o ataerudeshou! Japanese: Do not go to the palace, dear. The Shogun will set you to unpleasant tasks!
The innkeeper quickly takes Mwikali's gold, ten times what was asked for, with a greedy smile... a few seconds later, looking at the lovely African Witch, her greedy grin becomes a genuine smile of gratitude. Japanese: I said ten silver tael. Or ONE gold tael... Did you mean to pay me ten times the price I asked, pretty lady? We can certainly use a nice gratuity right now. But I don't take advantage of gaijin in my inn.
The innkeeper of the Jade Dragon Inn tries to pretend not to notice the stern, xenophobic rant of the sohei in the street outside, but the nervous stress is visible on her haggard face. Japanese: So far, your bill is up to just 10 silver tael, or one golden tael, folks... That covers the African lady's food and wine, and the two rooms... I assume you'll be needing them both?
Japanese, softening when she hears the "gaijin" speak Japanese: Ah, you say our words well, my dusky darling! Let's see what's in the pot for you, my dear... The innkeeper rushes off to The kitchen, where she scoops steamed noodles and aromatic chicken broth into a bowl with a pair of chopsticks, and delivers that, along with rice cakes and a cup of sake (rice wine) to Mwikali.
Japanese, with a "We don't usually accommodate barbarians" look on her face: Fine... There's a room with a view of the palace gardens upstairs for five silver tael per night, with a king-sized bed and our best furnishings... or a more modest room downstairs by the kitchen with four cots and two footlockers and a chamber pot for only two tael nightly...
The inside of the common room of the inn still smells of seawater, but the staff have done their best to mop up the floodwaters... As the heroes enter the inn to look in vain for the Rabbi, the innkeeper looks up from mopping a puddle behind the bamboo bar, and her dark eyes widen at the sight of "gaijin" in her beleaguered inn... But customers were money, which she desperately needed for repairs and to make up for a dire loss of business... Dono yō ni watashi wa anata no hito o tasukeru koto ga dekimasu ka? Anata wa shukusha ga hitsuyōdesu ka? Inshoku? Japanese: How may I help you folks? Do you need lodging? Food and drink? |