"Just paying the land tax for the hell of it, why not."

Did you know that the land tax is TOO HIGH. They should CUT the land tax and increase the INCOME TAX.

Terrence mentally pumps his fist at his successful maneuver.

"Did he bring the archeologists out himself? Maybe he wanted a reason not to keep farming it."

"No, he stopped farming it way after the archaeologists. Hasn't farmed it since '26."

"Gosh."

...Is there a way to opt out of seeing the contents of this guy's land?

Do we know when in 26. She's not interjecting unless Terrence fails to ask this because the weird foreign girl interjecting seems unlikely to help but she very much wants to know.

Sal is wondering the same thing. Specifically if the danger actually started in October of 1925.

"So that would be nearly two years even it's been empty?"

"Yep!"

"Wild. Well, I didn't know there were mounds about at all, so. Anywhere else nearby you can tell me about?"

WELL. it turns out they have a LOT of gossip about Clare Melford and want to share it with the strangers who have heard NONE of it.

GREAT. Terrence will hear them out and make :O faces and remarks as appropriate.

Does any of it sound relevant. 

It does not especially sound relevant.

He'll share a little bit of relevant university drama, just so it's not one-sided in retrospect. The more scandalous bits.

Do they also want to hear about the play with no dress rehearsals that caused a riot?

YES.

The play got stopped partway through by a ?Japanese antiques dealer? for some reason.

Inscrutable Japanese people, probably.

Just a light conversational topic.

(Not to be a killjoy, but does William Jing even understand that reading the King in Yellow's bad for people? You think he'd at least care about his roommate.)

Small town strangers don't need to know personal details like that? What they need to know is the juicy gossip so they can gossip barter.

(See, this is why Oscar does not have many friends, he doesn't say).

Also it's very fun to shit talk Estus in a way that won't get back to him.

 Are you lot trying to pick a fight with Terrence. Sal isn't actually sure whether an argument over irrelevant matters will be bad for their local reputation or not.

Well, it's part of the business. Terrence smiles and makes noises as appropriate, if rather stiffly in some bits.

...But it might inspire their audience to find and read the King in Yellow, so hey.

So sorry your favourite play was an amusing disaster, Terrence.

He is sorry about that too. But that's fair. It was wack.