"Just wondering what you guys've heard about the murder and all that." you say, leaning against their cart, "This kind of thing happen a lot around here?"
They all look very uneasy now, giving eachother sideways glances and shifting nervously. "Uhm..." Eddie says, looking to her boyfriend.
"A-a lot? No, of course not." Ed shifts in his seat, drumming his fingers on his legs rapidly, "I mean...that kind of stuff usually happens in the slums and stuff...not uh...not here..."
Rufus remains reticent, absentmindedly scratching behind his head.
"Things...this isn't normal." Eddie says after a short silence, "So, uhm, no, it doesn't happen a lot...can...can we talk about something else? Please?"
"Alright..." you say, a little confused, "What about you guys? What's your big plan here? What do you hope to do in the world of trading?"
Almost instantly the mood changes back to the upbeat, pleasant one it was just a minute ago.
"Oh, well!" Eddie says, once again dipping forward to show off her decolletage, "We're just small time now, but we certainly wouldn't mind some tips on how to get ahead from pros like yourself, Isaac!"
"We want to become a sort of postal service that operates outside of the government. Not...uh, like...illegal stuff, I mean. Like, a service you can use without having to pay the heavy fees the normal post has while maintaining the reliability and speed they have. Plenty of people have tried, sure, but they usually end up getting bought out or just destroyed by...uh...well, all the dangers going on out there."
Rufus frowns at this. "It's tough, but we don't really want help with that kinda thing. It'd be better to not be in debt with anyone, yeah?"
The others shoot him nasty looks.
"You guys know anything about Huetis?" you ask, "Anyone have any trade routes with them?"
They shake their heads. "No, not many people are permitted into the city anymore. Something happened and they just kinda...cut off most outside contact." Eddie says.
(Cont)