I gave a gracious nod and accepted a mug of white might have been spiced cider. I took a seat at one of the table to allow Beren some privacy to catch up with his friend with whom he seemed to be conducting some kind of clandestine exchange. I was too tired from the long march to feel a lot of interest, trusting that whatever Beren was up to would have no ill effects for me. Some of the clientele were glancing at me sideways, a normal reaction to strangers than any untoward interest I thought, but it didn’t do my nascent paranoia any good.
 
I was about to open my mouth to ask if there was a bath house when it suddenly struck me that not only did I not need a bath, but I was as clean as I had ever been since arriving on the continent. I peered down at my apparently perfectly manicured fingernails in suspicion, pretty sure I had broken at least one of them in the frantic flight through the muddy jungle, but it was whole and perfect. In fact, there wasn’t a spec of dirt on me. I touched my hair experimentally and found it clean and smooth to the touch. A sparrow landed on my table and cocked its head at me. I cocked my head at it. The little bird hopped forward and began to peck at a few stray sesame seeds that a previous patron had spilled onto the table top. I watched it suspiciously. The bird looked up at me and winked. I opened my mouth to say I knew not what, but before I could do so the tiny avian spread its wings and flapped away, apparently satisfied with the confusion it had wrought.
 
Could this be something to do with the diamond I had found in the jungle? I resolved to keep my sudden and unexpected cleanliness to myself until I figured it out.