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	‘What are you talking about?’ Amber spoke so softly it was barely audible. 

Jack asked, ‘What’s her name?’ He referred to the girl at the bar.

‘You mean Marianna, Jarlin’s daughter?’ 

‘Ah, Marianna,’ Jack confirmed and explained. ‘See, Amber, since I arrived, I’ve been watching Marianna attempting to wash the cups and plates that I suspect have been used by customers yesterday. Now, the act itself isn’t a bad thing – of course it’s good to keep things clean for the clientele. But the problem I have is that the water in the bucket she is using to dunk the dishes in is so dirty that it’s brown. I can’t even see a trace of soap in it, either. And the towel she is using to wipe the dished dry looks like it has never seen the inside of a cleaning tub itself. Basically, it would have been more hygienic not to wash the dishes at all. I have no idea how you people manage to survive under these conditions.’ He paused to frown, conceding, and added, ‘But I get it. You have very little hygienic awareness. But I’m sure your immune systems are strong as hell, stronger than mine would be under the same conditions. So yeah… I’m feeling a little reluctant at the moment.’ 

Amber was lost for words about this, having understood about 1% of what he had just told her. ‘Okay…’ she said, ‘…so I was right, then. You really are an eccentric crazy man. Where are you from, Jack?’ She asked the question leaning back in her seat as if she had just learned that she was talking to an escaped lunatic. 

Jack sighed. ‘A long, long, very long way away from here. I doubt you would have heard of it. And, yeah,’ he didn’t appear offended or surprised, ‘I can see how someone in your position would see me as eccentric.’ 

‘So what are going to do for a drink?’ She had to ask.

He shrugged. ‘I’ll probably just go down to the river. Seems safer.’ 

‘Ah….’

They stared at each other for a long while, and it became apparent that she had forgotten her end of the deal. 

‘Your turn to spill,’ he reminded her. 

She appeared confused for a moment, then remembered. ‘Oh, yes right, of course.’ She gathered her thoughts, quickly rehearsing her story in her mind before sharing….