Not much point negotiating a cut with a load of corpses, now is there?

You can tell Drissa Vendil that our friends are her friends now.

No, I don't think you will.

Take your time, outlander.

You're not seeing the full picture. If she carries the skooma, knowingly or unknowingly, then she is the smuggler. The law can't touch us here, no matter what songs she might choose to sing to the Ordinators.

You're not wrong there. And her loyal crew is already costing me drakes for every day they hold up the operation. Very well. Tell Drissa Vendil that her repairs will be going ahead, in exchange for a little extra cargo. If she does well, then there might be a little extra cargo waiting for her in Hlerynhul too. And, here, take this. For your troubles.

That's where you're wrong. The crew must not know about the skooma. One more person who knows, is one more who can talk. And haven't you heard the saying "loose lips sink ships?"

So, Drissa wants a cut? She has a reputation for both loyalty and discretion, so I don't doubt she'd be an excellent smuggler. But her cut takes a slice out of my pie. What benefit do I gain to offset the cost?

Get away from me, n'wah! I don't want your help.

With Ithis Randaro gone, it doesn't matter anymore.

Thank you again, %PCName.

I know what you've done, %PCName. Do you know how hard it is to find a good crew, especially in a shallow-water town like this? Leave now before I really lose my temper.

If you think you killed Ithis Randaro for my benefit, you are sorely mistaken. Now repairs will take even longer while the dockworkers figure out what to do, and my opportunity to get in with the Camonna Tong is lost.

You've convinced Ithis to cut me in? This is going to make a big difference to my bottom line. Here, I owe you more than my gratitude. Take this amulet. It's been a boon to me more than once, but I'm wise enough not to need it any longer. Go well, %PCName.

Ithis Randaro is a reasonable mer. It's only proper that I should get a cut. But I need you to be my agent in this. I can't go in there, into the kagouti's den, and negotiate it myself. These Camonna Tong types are cutthroats and snakes -- I'm just as likely to get a knife in the back as a handshake. You, you're a neutral party. They've got no reason to harm you, as long as you don't give them one.