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-----As the woman pushes herself off him, Gimplefwick sees he is surrounded by three of the mercenary customers. As one of them helps the woman up, another one looks down at the Dread Pirate and sneeringly says, "Hey, watch where you’re goin’ ya little runt!"
-----Seth stands up and in a loud voice so all the tavern can hear, "Everyone, welcome the famous pirate and singer Saucy Jack!" he points at Gimplefwick. "Young lady, help the Pirate up to the stage so he can lead us all in some good sailor songs."
-----The girl steps back wide-eyed as two of the mercenaries help the Dread Pirate up. Even though the man who yelled at Gimplefwick still glares at him, the rest of the customers cheer for song and more drink.
-----Seth claps the Dread Pirate on the back and whispers in his ear, "Welcome to show business, let's sing some songs. You start and I’ll follow on the harp. I have not seen Kazel yet. Let’s sing some songs and then steal their money when they are drunk."
-----Seth turns to the crowd, "Let’s have a big cheer for Saucy Jack the Bold Pirate, remember these songs should only be sung with a fresh ale so sling those old ales down your throats and get ya selfs a fresh one."
-----Gimplefwick looks somewhat sheepishly out at the crowd, then starts in a raspy voice,
-----"What do you do with a drunken sailor,
-----What do you do with a drunken sailor,
-----What do you do with a drunken sailor,
-----Early in the morning?"
-----He then continues, through seemingly interminable verses, each one growing more obscene than the last.
-----"Arrr. Now for the Ballad of Barnacle Bill the Sailor," Gimplefwick begins singing a song that is so obscene that the prostitutes in the audience blush with shame.
-----The audience begins to clap along with the music Seth and the Dread Pirate make. A moderate amount of drinks are served up, although no money is tossed at the feet of the musical thieves.
-----After the pair plays through another song, they suddenly see two men moving toward them. One man stands about six feet and wears a blue tunic of a merchant. His hair is brown and a short beard clings to his face. His brownish eyes have a slightly peculiar look to them.
-----The second man stands slightly taller than the first. His face is framed in curly black hair and his eyes have an amber color to them. He wears studded leather over his muscular torso and a long sword at his side. The look in his eyes reflects a somewhat dull intelligence.
-----Just as Seth and Gimplefwick finish their song, the man in the blue tunic points at them with his tan-colored gloves. "Hail, my fellow citizens," the man says in a nasal tone to the customers in the tavern, "it is most unfortunate that I must disturb you all, but this one, this very day passed to me, a lowly merchant working in the town’s market, this very handful of false golden coins." He keeps his hand pointed at the Dread Pirate as he throws down what appears to be gold coins with his other hand. The dull sounds that the "coins" make are not the brighter tones the gold currency of Hearthorn would make.
-----Several of the customers stand, some looking stunned at the coins the man threw, some staring at Gimplefwick. The man continues, "I further demand that this one be searched to my satisfaction." Here he turns and looks the Dread Pirate straight in the eye. "It is my belief that this is the carrier of the bad money that has been plaguing this fair town!"
-----Gimplefwick stares at his accuser, aghast at the story, "My friends, I find your story very doubtful. As some of these patrons can attest, I am a regular here and am both insulted and shocked by your vile calumnies!"
-----Gimplefwick gestures at the two men, "I don't even recognize the two of ye, not to mention the fact that I just got back to town this very day. Furthermore, since I don't even recognize ye and ye be slandering me good name, I doubt that ye be merchants at all. If ye are, then why don't ye tell the good people here what it is that I bought from ye. Then I'll open me pockets and we'll see if I have whatever it is that I was supposed to have bought from ye. I think it far more likely that you have been duped, my good man. Even if I were to have such coins, it would only prove that I have been misled as well."
-----Suddenly a speculative gleam enters Gimplefwick's eyes as he looks at the two men, "Actually, I think it likely that ye are part of this counterfeiting ring and are just trying to pass the blame to some other party. I posit this as me proof. Let us call the town guard and go view your merchant tent and your wares. If you even have such, then I will open me pockets, though that will prove nothing, except that I was fooled as so many others have been. On the other hand, if ye don't have a merchant's tent and wares, then we'll know that ye are caught in a falsehood. And if ye are telling a lie about being merchants and ye are slandering me good name, then I think it likely that ye are implicated in this conterfeiting business! So, let us call the town guard right now and go establish your credentials. Guard! Guard!"
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