"Say!!! I just had an idea. That basilisk has probably been roaming around the area since before the Fall of Phlan. Doesn't it stand to reason that some one or more of its petrified victims may have some first-hand news of the Fall of Phlan? That kind of information could make us ALL very wealthy!"
"I believe we did glean a few useful tidbits from the books. Let's at least try to get the reward for what we found, since we are here at the hall and we have the books. Coins are lighter than books after all. "