Z'phir approaches the group standing by the statue.

[Theran]I have the name of our target: Kuper. He was last seen headed east, towards Jerzen Road.

If your pets would like to come along, bring them. As long as they don't get in the way, we won't have to put them down.

"She's a thinker," he says in response to the thief. "You do right by her and she'll get you out of this pit faster than any stranger's purse."

Glancing about again, he reaches into his pocket for a Throalic Copper Hammer and offers it to the boy.

"Tell me, do you work with any larger gangs? We're looking for a fellow in a purple scarf and fancy boots. We can pay for help in flushing him out of his hole."

The dwarf children, apparently not speaking Theran, watch Z'Phir warily.

But the boy recovers fast and snatches the coin...

"Its just us two," he says, "but there is someone, someone with fancy boots, said he'd initiate us as thieves if we ever bring him a good prize."

He gives Atrii an appraising look, "you got a better offer than that?"

"He'd initiate you if you bring him a prize, you say?" Gavrael looked about furtively. "I think we might have just the thing."

Atrii returns the coin to his pocket and looks to Gavrael, wondering what he has in mind. He fingers a silver, but doesn't produce it yet.

The girl meanwhile is unravelling the puzzle, "a horror," she opines, "likes people to suffer, so the food would not kill you, it'd actually probably keep you healthy, despite making you feel sick. The trick is you'd want to die, and not be able to. And that'd make you feel worse. The horror would love that. But once you knew that the food made you stronger you could turn your strength to your advantage."

She grins.

(Oops! I missed that, sorry. He can take the coin. When he asked if I had a better offer, I misunderstood.)

The boy looks at Gavrael appraisingly, "what've you got?"

Grabthar is still there, in case anyone was wondering, just keeping an eye on things, and keeping his own counsel. He's not one for gabbing unless he has something to say.