Salem smiled and shook his head at Keshin. "As nice as it sounds to 'take a load off,' I don't think it's in the cards. This bar has a way of keeping things far too interesting." When Keshin offered their help, Salem paused for a moment. "Actually..."
He closed his eyes and tried to feel his way around the bar with his new sense. As far as he could tell, every 'mana-based soul' that he could feel corresponded to a visible person... except for those that corresponded to Yeerks. There was no reason to believe that someone might be listening in nearby. Still, there was always the chance he was missing something. It occurred to him that Mar appeared as simply a darkness within the darkness... was there any chance Rathien was the same way? Would he be able to feel him if he was?
The beeping in his skull remained steady.
"There's a hunter who's tracked me here," he began. He glanced around. Where had his 'briefcase' gotten off to? Actually... that was it, under his stool, wasn't it? It must have been kicked there by mistake at some point. Strange how nobody seemed to notice it until it was needed. This bar...
He picked up the case, cracked it open, and sent a few thought-speak commands to a device inside. After a moment, what appeared to be a miniature, solid version of Rathien appeared to float in the air above the case.
"This is Rathien," he said to Keshin. "He's Ildari. Tracked me here, but has so far neglected to actually attempt the kill, and I'm not entirely sure why. Good hunter. Patient, observant and thorough, but he has this sense of predestiny that makes him easier to surprise. Among other things, he has active camouflage that makes spotting him visually a challenge." He smirked and snapped the case shut again, causing the projection computer within to shut off and the image of Rathien to disappear. Would it be asking too much for Keshin to kill the hunter? It might. Hmm... might I make a lighter offer, then, with flexible pay options?
"All I'd really need, if you could, is an extra pair of eyes. Just enough for early warning, if he does make a move. Try to figure out what his game is here. Although..." he looked back to the shelf of wines and liquors behind the bar, "if some... fatal accident... were to befall him, there might be some additional money to be had. In fact..." he glanced to his left. The bartender was there, well within earshot, but was absently wiping a once-silver tankard with his dirty bar towel as if nothing were going on. Funny how easy it was to stop thinking of him as a person. Salem found himself wondering, not for the first time, what the bartender's true nature was.
He shook his head and started again, "In fact, it might be even better if he were to simply fall unconscious. I've a little present for him."
Al grinned when Mar and Ewa approached the table. "Mar," he said, nodding at the man. "Hello again, Ewa," he said to her with a smile. He then proceeded to introduce everyone at the table, gesturing at each person as he said their name. "Ewa, Mar. Mar, Zorish. Zorish, Ewa." He paused for a moment to let them think he was done, then continued, "Zorish, Mar. Mar, Ewa. Ewa, Mar. Everyone, me. Me, everyone. Everyone plus me..." he looked after Garreth, who was by now across the room and locked in conversation with the other robed man. He hesitated, to make it as painfully obvious as possible that he was coming up with this on the spot, "Um... that's... brother... Jeffry. He's a monk. From..." he frowned as he looked at the two robed men across the room, then looked back at the table, grinning "Planet Needs-Help-With-Fashion-Sense. You know how monks are. Always on the go." He rolled his eyes melodramatically and laughed.
He turned to Zorish and shrugged, "It's a small community," he glanced at Ewa. She'd called Zorish a Sub-Visser? "Think of it as visiting a small town, Sub-Visser. You'll have to forgive us local yokels for being curious about someone who so perfectly resembles our very own Terenia." He took a sip from his own glass, then nudged the full one left by Garreth towards Mar. "If I might ask, what would you rather discuss?"