The Logs of the TDFS Tindome

Chapter 93: The Trouble with Elves

We arrive back at our ship uneventfully. Eïr hauls out the chest from… wherever it was. We look inside, to see that she has (just as she said) sorted all the different coins into categories. "There is one pearl-item left," she informs Finwë.

We look for any Darkholme currency; we figure that that would be the most welcome. We do find some, identified by Tala-a'zahd: the double-large gold coin has a caduceus with wings, and the single gold coin has a winged serpent. There are nine doubles, and eighteen singles.

He also points out some other coins that are readily accepted here, and indicates those that would have to go through a money-changer, and would be noticeably discounted. He suggests that we spend the 'foreign' currency with whoever will accept it, in the City. But for professional services, it is customary to pay in gold (and it doesn't have to be Darkholme currency).

We return to the Steward of the Harbor. Most of us wait outside, while Finwë meets with the Steward. It will take two to three days, since the records of foreigners are not marked as "fay" and "not-fay." The cost will be a double-serpent per day for his own work, plus a single-serpent per day for the work of an under-steward. (There are many records, and a sampling of the records indicates that there are "active" records dating back ten and even twenty cycles.) Captain Finwë thanks him effusively and pays him for the first day's work in advance.

We talk about the search process, and agree that they should search back in their records at least one thousand years, to make sure we get all the elves. Tala-a'zahd is a bit startled at the span of years we are contemplating, but says nothing. We return to Madame Fishilashi's for our next meal.

There, we encounter the good madame's nephew, Captain Deezhamaan Fishaal of the City Guard. He is dining here because there has been a disturbance in the area. He had to come here to oversee the release of certain irate Palace guardsmen, and to discourage such incidents for happening again.

We are probably the catalyst for these disturbances. Delicately, Finwë asks if it would be better for Madame Fishilashi, and the general situation, if we were to move back to our ship. Captain Fishaal, Tala-a'zahd, and we discuss the various aspects of the situation. We do not wish to cause a financial hardship for Madame Fishilashi either by staying or by leaving. Yet neither do we wish to cause trouble by our mere presence. We remain undecided, but we enjoy our midday meal.