Play@YSDC

Already on the alert, Ivy also watches carefully.

[37] = 37
Psychology 60 1d100: [ 37 ] = 37

The two men looked at each other and shrugged. ”Nyatanga? Never heard of him,” said Lucius.

Absolutely, never tell a lie, 100% trustworthy!

Ivy has no reason to doubt them.

William nods. It's probably best that they haven't heard of him.

Alex almost tells the men how dangerous Nyatanga is, but thinks better of it. They wanted these folks cooperation after all, and that was liable only to scare them off. He does feel guilty for lying by omission though. Hopefully none of these men would find unwittingly themselves caught up in all this by helping them.

"He's a lunatic snake-worshipper, and a dangerous man who doesn't balk at killing. You won't be going anywhere near him; we're only making sure he's there, then getting out as soon as we do." Lawrence admits, shooting a harsh look at Alex; leaving these men in the dark would only be a greater risk to their lives. Lawrence was going to finish this once and for all, and he was going to do it as cleanly as possible.
"The risk is on us."

Jimmy sat back and whistled through his teeth. ”Sounds like a dangerous man,” he said, glancing at Lucius. ”Whadda you think, Luc?”

The younger man studied them carefully. ”We’ll be going out of our way and there’s the risk involved in this Nyatanga fella, so I reckon it could be an expensive job…” he said grimly. ”I reckon you’re looking at one hundred and fifty bucks, minimum!”

Ivy stifles a gasp at the exorbitant sum.

"Nothing but reprobates!" she hisses to Alex. "Bravo to Mr. Gilman for positively flinging what cards we have in our hand across the table for everyone to see!" she continues, glaring at Lawrence.

"Like my friend said, you won't be in any danger," says William. "We'll be the ones taking all the risks."

Bargain roll (35% skill) to negotiate the price:
d%

Alex too finds Lawrence's loose lips frustrating, but thankfully William speaks with the practiced ease of one used to negotiating contracts. Hopefully he could get them a good deal here-- otherwise they may as well buy a boat and make the trip themselves.

Jimmy pursed his lips and considered William carefully. ”Okay… … call it a hundred bucks and you’ve got yourselves a ride.”

Looking up at William he held out his hand to seal the deal.

"Agreed. Fifty bucks in advance, and fifty when we get back," says William, shaking his hand. A hundred dollars is still a lot of money these days, but he can afford it better than most, and the sailors now have an incentive to bring them back and not get scared and abandon them.

"Are they not men, Ms. Ripley? Should they have gone in blind, not knowing the risks of the job?" Lawrence shoots back through gritted teeth, his words dripping in venom; it is a discomforting thing to hatred focus and burn in those sunken, restless eyes of his, normally glazed-over or flitting across the room like billiard balls. He reaches into his wallet and pulls out fifty dollars in small bills, setting them on the table; it's not exactly pocket change for a farmer, especially these days.
"Spend it how you want- just come to the job sober."

Ivy rolls her eyes, drawing Lawrence aside in an attempt to get out of earshot.

"We have all been through a lot Mr. Gilman, but that does not excuse such a foolish display! Has it occurred to you that these gentlemen could be confederates of Nyatanga? Why, you have left us sadly bereft of bargaining chips! Throwing your money around - for shame!"

With a withering glare, she turns away from the man and addresses Jimmy and Lucius.

"There - the money is strewn before you. Do we have a deal?"

Lucius glared back at Lawrence, and pushed the table away from him so he could stand, causing the beer to slop in the glasses alarmingly. ”You said how dangerous this Nyatanga is. Don’t then curse us for putting a price on our safety! Take your money back if you want but you’ll be swimmin’ all the way! You’ll not find another boat this side of the Mississippi, I’ll make sure of that!” he snarled.

"She's not angry at you," says William. "She's angry at my friend. It's a personal thing."

"Let's all calm down," Alex suggests. "You've gotten your money, sir. I hope this will prove agreeable to you. It is quite a lot for a day's work; and I'm sure it could buy several weeks of libations."

Lucius grabbed the money off the table, rudely pushed past Lawrence and stormed over to the bar. Jimmy watched him go with a sigh and squinted at Lawrence, then the others. ”Three friends, eh? You’re doing surprisingly well for yourself,” he said dryly…

Looking back at William he said, ”When do you want to leave?”.

"I expect you and your crew will have slept off tonight's celebrations by tomorrow," says William. "We understandably don't want anyone to see us coming, so we'll want to approach in the evening, under cover of darkness. I trust your crew will be sober then."

Ivy sighs inwardly as Lucius lumbers to the bar. 'Fools rush in...' she thinks to herself. 'And we're all acting like fools...'

Still, at least this unseemly contretemps has bought them an extra few hours to prepare and she whispers as much to Alex.

”If by crew, you mean me and Lucius then yeah, we’ll be ready,” replied Jimmy with a short laugh.

”We sail with the tide so be there for 6.00am. Wharf 13 down by the docks. Look out for the ‘Bella Rosa’. Bring a blanket, it can get cold out at sea.”