Relieved sigh.

"What are we doing instead?"

"...I'm still working on that."

"I'd like to help."

Sigh. "I'm open to suggestions."

"Well... Are we prioritizing getting paid anyways, keeping anyone else from completing this mission, specifically keeping the Sun Summoner out of a mercher's hands..."

"I think... our priority has to be stopping anyone else. I made a strong play to get the job exclusive, and if someone else winds up with the payout, my reputation will never survive. And that will jeopardize everything I've built so far."

Serious nod. "It'd be worse than us just outright violating the contract, I think? People double cross each other over contracts all the time, given all the secrecy here it'd wouldn't be any harder for Dreesen to point fingers at us if we did everything correctly than if we didn't, and we could twist the he said she said to our favor."

" - Dunno if it'd be worse than selling out. Like, Ravka would probably pay up for information on any efforts against the Sun Summoner, and also giving them that seems pretty likely to piss off at least the merchers."

"If it's discovered that we gave them the information intentionally."

"And we are very good at secrets..."

"And then the Ravkans would do our work for us, stopping anyone from taking their Sun Summoner."

"And we'd still get paid, and 'Ravkan attack dogs stopped us' isn't a particularly embarrassing reason to fail a job."

"Mm."

"I think that's workable."

Smile. "It's one plan, at least."

"Yeah. For now- we need to get ready for a trip, and do what we can to pull the ladder up after us here."

Serious nod. "We need a way across the Fold, and information on who else is moving, how, when, and what their resources are."

"There are Ravkan refugees in Ketterdam. I know I've seen some that are western. I can track them down."

Nod. "And some of the brothels have Ravkan girls."

"They may know something."

"Or at least know where the leads aren't."

"That can help too."

"A lot of angles to attack this from - and we'll want to get enough general information to switch plans if we need to."

"Knowledge is always the most versatile weapon."

"Then we're one of the most dangerous pairs in the Barrel."

"Indeed we are."

"Then here's to keeping it up."