Bella wasn't actually listening. She'd heard what she needed; it was enough to know that he'd be paying for his room and all of his meals in advance. That kind of commitment wasn't often found, even in Vestrim's market district. Besides, who had ever heard of a broke gnome?

"Sure, sure there's a board by the entry, you can pin-up your poster next to Thaddeus' and if anyone comes asking for you I can have someone take down their name." 

He seemed decent enough, if a little much, but she doubted anyone in this part of town would have need for a reenactment performer or whatever he was. Maybe if someone was throwing a children's birthday party...

Anyway he was Lyra's problem now.

"Are you sure there isn't anything else I can getcha?"

The gnome looked up between the spoon in his left hand and the quill in his right. "Do you think there might be a secret system of tunnels buried beneath the city?" Rory blurted out with the same frenetic energy as his scribbling. 

"Emmm, I meant would you like an ale?" she laughed. 

"No thank you, no ale for me, too much work to be done!"

It didn't look like she was going to get any extra coin out of this one. Lyra sighed as she crossed the room to another table. On her way back to the kitchen, the gnome gave her a quick wave. 

"Changed your mind already? You're more fick--"

"--What do you know about those three suspicious characters?" he cut in with a stressed whisper, darting his eyes to the left repeatedly, "They're dressed in an ashy black and keep making a coughing sign to each other, must be a secret code."

She was already halfway back to the kitchen.
​
"Chimney sweeps" she hollered back at him.