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Message: <blockquote data-quote="orsal" data-source="post: 1336247" data-attributes="member: 16016">Jo Guilan gives Zhangsun a strange look. What was he getting himself into? In the tavern he had struck Jo as rather wiser than he now shows himself. He had mentioned only recently leaving his temple; perhaps he has lived too cloistered a life to develop a healthy suspicion. Jo contemplates taking the goblin aside, possibly with Atella, to discuss the matter, but realizes that it was precisely the humans' whispering that had made him uncomfortable. Not wishing to provoke suspicion or hostility, he decides to speak openly, choosing his words carefully in the hope of not giving offense, although there is no way to say what he feels needs to be said without taking that risk. He deliberately addresses himself to the friendlier human, the one leaning on the polearm, in the hope that he'd be more receptive to reason:"Good sir, I hope I do not offend you when I point out that we know nothing of your situation, your needs, your suspected offence, your activity on this ship, even your identities. Your friend has suggested it is of no concern to us, and I will not argue with that. Perhaps you are indeed innocent, in which case I wish you the best in your effort to clear your names. Perhaps you are in fact guilty as charged, in which case your invitation is to become a partner in crime."You of course know the truth, but we do not. That is quite fair. We are neither judges nor watchmen; it is not our job to determine whether your purpose is legitimate. But by the same token it would not seem reasonable for us to join you with no idea what we are joining. I hope you can recognize this. We have introduced ourselves, and explained to you the purpose which brought us here. You have neither introduced yourselves nor given more than a cryptic explanation of your purpose. That is fine with me; it is not my concern, nor that of my friends here, if you do not choose to make it our concern, and I should leave you to your business while resuming mine."Then he turns to Zhangsun and continues, still within everybody's hearing range: "My friend, of course I speak only for myself; if you wish to join these humans, that is up to you too. But I hope you realize the danger you could get yourself into if you too hastily join up with two strangers. You do not know of what crime they are suspected, or whether they are indeed innocent, or  what they hope to achieve on this ship, or what they want you to do if you join up with them, or even who they are. A simple courier job such as the one that brought us here need provoke no questions; what these humans request of you is no doubt much more complex, and as a friend I urge you to consider its implications more seriously before you decide whether to throw your lot in with them. The wisest course would seem to me to be neither to help nor to hinder them. And of course," he now turns to look back at the humans, especially the suspicious one with the whip, "in that decision we would intend no enmity to you."He studies the humans as best he can, ready to reach for a weapon if they do, but leaving his hands empty until he sees a hostile move from one of the humans. He also flashes a glance at Atella, waiting to see if Atella seems inclined to accept the invitation.</blockquote>

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