Kid sat down in a white-upholstered rattan chair in the lobby of the Colonial, not caring a whit about the ill looks he received from a nearby clerk. He accepted a coffee from Etienne, but set it down on a table at his elbow. The boy wiped sweat and grime from his temples; running was an exertion that made stark the lad's desperate need for a bath. Kid wiped his hands on the upholstery.
When his breath returned, the boy looked peaky. His cheeks were chalky white. The odor of day-old rum, vomit, and body odor wafted across the settee and filled Etienne's nostrils. "What? No. Ain't seen 'em afore, don't think. They said they gots work and said a ship's name," Kid shuddered before continuing, "that don't bear mentionin' 'ere. Best guess's they's treasure seekers, but lookin' fer diff'rent loot than us." Kid stood up. He drank his coffee and chicory in one go, grimacing at the bitter taste. "Let's go find us the others. Bound ter be 'round 'ere somewheres" Kid made his way back to du Tourbillion's rooms.
