Four Feet to the Target (LM, The Desert, Observation/Conversation)

[Kezia]

Her frowning is followed by his own. "Right... well, money sounds like a good guess, I suppose." He keeps quiet for a moment. "So... you say you don't necessarily fully trust her? You know of something else she might be involved in?"

"No, no, not a hint of anything like that, although I admit I haven't actually spent that long around her, but..."

She shrugged, and gave a rueful grin.

"Someone in this city, from that lofty vantage, seeming genuinely innocent? It... leaves me with suspicions."

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

"No, no, not a hint of anything like that, although I admit I haven't actually spent that long around her, but..."

She shrugged, and gave a rueful grin.

"Someone in this city, from that lofty vantage, seeming genuinely innocent? It... leaves me with suspicions."

He nods, his expression still serious. "That sounds smart." He then looks around again. "Think there's any looking around here that might help with any of these suspicious?"

[Kezia]

He nods, his expression still serious. "That sounds smart." He then looks around again. "Think there's any looking around here that might help with any of these suspicious?"

"Not safely. A Ra'Shari asking pointed questions about a Dahabi? An excellent way for that Ra'Shari to meet with an accident."

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

He nods, his expression still serious. "That sounds smart." He then looks around again. "Think there's any looking around here that might help with any of these suspicious?"

"Not safely. A Ra'Shari asking pointed questions about a Dahabi? An excellent way for that Ra'Shari to meet with an accident."

Another wry smile. "Good point. Not much better on my side, I suppose... but I guess could try. What would you want asked, and to whom?"

[Lamis Naaji]

"Oh, you're looking for apples for your mount! Take my words with a grain of salt then: For as good as I am at advising humans, I have little experience advising beasts. My brother's many cats never ever listen to me for once. Well, they don't listen too much to him either, but since they do his job in his stead, he cannot really complain. He is a ratcatcher you see."

As for the pistachios, I didn't pick them on the tree myself, but Abu says they're from a field half a day on camel back upstream, picked during the last hours of sunshine, then moved during the night to be delivered on the market just before dawn.

Al-Haddar racked his brain to remember who was this Arash one. From context and through elimination, should be the Invindi guy.

"Arash hum? I'll keep that in mind.

You say your khadi, so I guess you aren't from here? Came in the city especially for the tournament?"

Lamis nods, swallowing the nut that she thinks is not quite so fresh as all that, but at least doesn't seem to have been unearthed from someone's forgotten stock of three years back or anything. "News passed among the trade networks while we were reasonably close, and I thought, 'why not?' I get to see the city, maybe see the fabled sorcerers, find some pretty trinkets for the little cousins. Those last and fresh news will make me pretty popular for a week."

She smiles slightly, "Cats and your own children are the best company if you want to be ignored completely, it is said. Horses are much more biddable." After a moment of thought she asks, "Wait...ratcatching is an actual job? They hire people to do that? I'm a bit afraid to ask what they do with the rats they catch...other than apparently let the cats have them." She'd seen some of the poorer sections of the city now, and now rather worried about whether she should switch to a meat free diet while in the city and unable to tell the provenance of what vendors were putting into their dishes.

[Kezia]

Another wry smile. "Good point. Not much better on my side, I suppose... but I guess could try. What would you want asked, and to whom?"

"Oh, nothing too dangerous... just if anyone knows the history of a certain young lady's role in her family..."

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

"Oh, nothing too dangerous... just if anyone knows the history of a certain young lady's role in her family..."

He nods, looking around. Was there anyone he could approach that looks like they had ties to the right people - but would still stop to talk to the likes of him?

"So... what's the name of this certain young lady? I'm not sure I could approach the right people here, but let's see..."

[Kezia]

He nods, looking around. Was there anyone he could approach that looks like they had ties to the right people - but would still stop to talk to the likes of him?

"So... what's the name of this certain young lady? I'm not sure I could approach the right people here, but let's see..."

"She is Soraya al-Menjari. And I sincerely hope that you find nothing to validate my paranoia."

[Faruq Al-Farhan]

He nods, looking around. Was there anyone he could approach that looks like they had ties to the right people - but would still stop to talk to the likes of him?

"So... what's the name of this certain young lady? I'm not sure I could approach the right people here, but let's see..."

"She is Soraya al-Menjari. And I sincerely hope that you find nothing to validate my paranoia."

He nods again. "Well, sometimes finding nothing is better than not knowing. But... we'll see"

[Kezia]

He nods again. "Well, sometimes finding nothing is better than not knowing. But... we'll see"

"You have my thanks, Sidi."