Café de Nuit

"I don't think we should get too close to an infected madwoman. Not until Klokuff has regained his spells at least. Was the woman safe in there, aside of her malady? Did she have food and water? Perhaps we could leave some provisions for her carefully, not getting too close."

The shop's painted signboard shows a stoppered clay jug juxtaposed with an open basket overflowing with fruit, bread, cheese, vegetables, and sausages.

The limner added words below the picture:
FOAGOLE'S
GREEN-GROCER
& VICTUALLER

Bennedict looks dubiously at the rain. He flips up the collar of his overcoat. "Well, let's go see what she has to say. Sometimes the raving of the mad holds truth."

Willun steps out into the rain, looking for a way into the building.
Finding a shuttered but not locked window on the side of the building, he undoes the latch with a hooked fish-knife, lifts the shutters, and crawls inside the shadowy room.

Randal follows.


Alwina waits under the edge of awning as the father and son search the grocer's shop for victuals.

"It is doubtless she should be cured," Klokulf states, "but indeed, lunacy may make her more informative along the lines we require."

Willun and Randal crawl back out the side window of the victualler's shop with their loot: a basket of food and a gallon-sized clay wine jug.

Back under the awning, the father and son show the basket's contents to Alwina: stale bread, withered fruit, and slightly moldy cheese--no sumptuous feast, for sure, but it's all edible.
The maiden unstops the jug and sniffs at the open neck.
Her dainty nose crinkles.

Willun says ''A touch of vinegar, but that'll be fine with fresh fish.''

Raen looks at the shop. "Perhaps this would be a safe place for you all to hide, if you don't want to risk a long trek away. Just saying."

alhoon wrote:Raen looks at the shop. "Perhaps this would be a safe place for you all to hide, if you don't want to risk a long trek away. Just saying."

Willun shakes his head.
''The pier isn't far. I'll feel safer being able to put out to sea if trouble comes up."

"That is reasonable." Raen looks at the sky but he's no good at predicting weather. "I suppose you can tell whether there will be a storm or something to retreat back to land, right?"

alhoon wrote:"That is reasonable." Raen looks at the sky but he's no good at predicting weather. "I suppose you can tell whether there will be a storm or something to retreat back to land, right?"

Willun chuckles.
''Of course. This is just a rainstorm. Nothing to fear.''


The rain keeps falling...

END OF CHAPTER