-That sounds fine. Now let´s enjoy this lovely journey. Would you like to play cards? Somewhere I have a deck of cards and time would certainly pass a little faster if we play a few games.

Redknop fumbles about his pockets and finally finds what he was looking for, a used and weathered deck of cards. He smiles and puts them on the table in front of Bromley. He signals the waitress to fill up their ale-mugs again.

Bromley takes up the cards and deftly begins to shuffle the deck. He deals them out as another round of drinks are brought to their table.

-Here's a game my pappy taught me. It's called ‘Catch the Kobold’.

He then launches into the most convoluted and complicated set of rules Redknop has ever encountered. Still, they do make sense.

The morning passes into afternoon as the two of them sit, play, eat and drink.

As the sun starts descending Redknop stands up, yawns and stretches. He drinks the last drops of ale in his mug and places a few silver coins on the table.

-I better get ready. I am a religious type and I must attend to my duties. How about it, shall we meet here again for supper?

Bromley stands up.

-Well, I'm not one for missing meals now am I? And nothing makes a meal better than good company. I'd be happy to join you here for dinner.

He puts some coins on the table to help cover the cost of the afternoon.
-Until dinner time.

Bromley nods to Redknop and heads out of the dining area.

Redknop walks back down to his cabin. He takes his holy symbol and places it in front of him on the little table, along with all his tools and inventions. He starts to pray to his god, Gond. He hopes to become one day a Great Artificer, but that would require a lot of training and that he invent something great and spectacular.

When he has finished all his praying he lies down on his bed and sleeps for a while. He wakes up just before dinner and walks up to the common-room. He finds a seat by the bar and waits for Bromley’s return. While he waits he watches the gaming tables and listens to other peoples conversations, in hope of hearing something interesting.

There is a steady supply of players and the various tables are always occupied. From what little Redknop knows of gambling, this seems to be a good establishment.

The conversations around him are of little interest, mostly talk of what to do when they reach Selguant, what shops to see, what taverns to visit.

After a little while Redknop sees Bromley enter talking to the captain of the vessel. He finishes the conversation, shakes his hand and walks over to where Redknop is sitting.

-Well, good to see you again. Hope you had a fine time doing whatever it is you do. Any idea of what's on the menu for tonight? Where is the server? A fellow could die of thirst before anyone would notice.

-As a matter of a fact, I hadn’t even checked what was on the menu. I am so hungry I really don’t care. I saw you talking to the captain. Do you know him?

Redknop turns his back to the bar and drinks his ale, waiting for Bromleys answers.

Bromley sits and orders a drink.

-I know him a little, but that was just business talk. He hired me to test the security on board. Apparently a few weeks back some things went missing from an important passengers room.

He takes a sip of his drink.

-When the captain saw that I was travelling with them he asked me to check and see how secure the place is. Well, you saw the results of that little test yourself.

He winks and has another drink.

-Why would there need to be security tests? Has there been any trouble aboard this ship before? If I had known that this ship has some reputation of stealing and murdering in its past I would have rather walked. If there’s one thing I hate it is violence. I can’t stand it. But it is unavoidable, therefore I try to invent things that tend to end it very fast.

Redknop looks around the dining hall again, trying to see if anyone is listening.

-You know,he whispers, -you should see my mace. I have made it so it deals a lot of pain. Inside the head is a huge amount of salt and when the spikes hit someone they spray a little salt into the wound. It burns for a long time and normally people stop and try to clean their wound. Meanwhile I have the time to run away. You’re a rogue, you say. I could have some things that interest you, some very helpful things, things like my ‘clairvoyance-glasses’.

-Well, apart from the matter I just mentioned this ship has been clean as a whistle. That's why the captain asked me to look into their security. He wanted to know how to prevent another such incident. I told him.

He takes a drink while Redknops describes his mace and makes his observations on Bromley’s character. He holds up his hands in protest at the mention of the word ‘rogue’.

-Hold on there now, I'm no petty pick pocket or tomb robber. I'm a professional. I earn my daily coin by mostly entirely legal means.

He takes a drink and looks thoughtful.

-Still, those clairvoyance-glasses of yours could prove a might handy.

Redknop smiles, noticing how Bromley used the word ‘mostly’.

-My apologies, kind Bormley. Yes, them glasses can be very useful. But shall we eat now? I am ravenous.

As Redknop mentions dinner, a table becomes available. He and Bromley quickly move to occupy it as Bromley flags down a server. A quiet conversation between the two of them, then the server scurries off. A few minutes later and Redknop is treated to a truly wonderful dining experience. A couple of hours later Redknop finishes off the four-course meal; with wine pairings for each course; with a slightly warmed snifter of Brandywine from Waterdeep and a fine cigar from Harrowdale.

Between puffs Bromley explains to Redknop.

-I always include a celebratory dinner in my contracts.

Looking around the room Redknop only sees two other tables dining as they were, and from the look of their clothing they are probably used to it.

Redknop seems puzzled.

-Contracts….you mean the one you made with the good captain?

Bromley nods.

-Correct. Just like the one I made with the good Captain. I'm afraid that we'll be dining on more common fare at tomorrows dinner though.

-I don’t mind at all.

Redknop finishes the meal from his plate and orders some drinks. While he waits he watches the gaming tables and the other passengers.

-Well, how about we spent the night getting to know the other passengers? Maybe they’ve got some interesting stories to tell, who knows?

Bromley finishes off his drink and sets the glass on the table.

-Ahh thank you for the offer, but after a fine meal like that and after such a long day, these old bones are needing their rest.

He stands up.

-Iffin you don't mind, I think I'll be heading back to my cabin now for a bit of rest. Perhaps I'll see you in the morning and we can sample the breakfast offerings. Bromley nods to you, heads to the bar, gets a bottle and a glass then exits the dining area.

-Sure thing. Good night and sweet dreams.

Redknop sits for a while at the table and drinks his drink. He watches the other passengers and listens if he can’t hear anything interesting. After an hour or two he gets up and goes to bed.

Before laying his head down on his pillow he offers a few prayers to his god. After that, sure that his dreams will be sweet, he quickly falls asleep.