The new barmaid at the Clockwork Stag was now securely a part of the atmosphere. She smiled; she made conversation that wasn't grunting. Vicka enjoyed her new dayjob immensely. All sorts came into the Stag. It was only a matter of time before her sort cropped up and tonight was the night.

"What's your trade, love?" Vicka asked, setting the mug down before him. It always did to be personable, but she liked this fellow's manner.

"Tinkering," he said. "But m'writ says that I'm properly a smith."

"Can I see?" Vicka asked. He produced the paperwork from a pocket. It looked good, like the real one that she had. She said so. He preened; it had been his brother that falsified the papers.

His name was Birge, a spokey fellow who liked a little misadventure or two. Vicka asked after the Yellow Eye, but that wasn't his tribe and he didn't know so many of them. No, he was from the Black Hand. Not drifting, but there was a group of them what had a bit of business to clear up in Vienda and they would only be in long enough to see to it.

Vicka got called to serve another fellow, and another, but she kept coming back to Birge in the end, all night. He was funny; she liked his tattoos and his odd, tekaa way of speech. His fingers curled over his mug in an interesting way. She liked this kov.

"Mrs. Vanmoor, y'said?" he asked.

"Widow," she clarified, and when she swapped out his drink, she brushed her hand against his and let it linger for a moment. "Call me Vi."

"Gets lonely, doesn't it, Vi?" Birge quipped, and she smiled and winked. He laughed.

The gears in her head were turning by the end of the night. He was still there, even though she couldn't remember the last time he'd called for a drink. She grinned as he relinquished his mug to her for the final time.

"We're closing up, love," she said.

"Aw!" Birge said. "I was just beginning to like you, rosh."

"Stop," Vicka said, laughing. She paused and then leaned close. "You have a place tonight, do you?"

"Do I?" he asked, folding his arms.

"You might," Vicka said, tugging at a sideburn. "Shall I show it to you? It mightn't be up to snuff with what you're used to."

"If you're there, I won't even notice," he promised. He winked. A fellow after her own heart.

She asked him to wait for her while she ducked into the back and arranged things. The only other employee she crossed was Ted. She had never seen Ted do anything useful. Vicka untied her apron and tossed it to him.

"Tell Mr. Oranos I've got a pressing engagement," she said quickly. Vicka fluffed her hair and adjusted her dress-to-bosom ratio. "You close up tonight, alright, Ted."

As she trotted out the door with her kov on her arm, Vicka hoped that Ted wouldn't fuck things up too terribly. Mr. Oranos must be floating around somewhere, anyway. "C'mon," she said, pulling Birge along. "I live just down the way."