I still say it's outrageous; only twelve guards.  On the bright side, it shows we're outrunning our reputation, and we did pick up a nice ax and a few swords that we can sell for beer money.  We might as well move on; from the way they closed and barred the jail gates after we left, we won't be let back in.  Oh, you're still with us; you must be really attached to that handkerchief.
    The guards in Dealer's Bluff were a lot more polite, though Hoyle looked at us as if he had a bad smell under his nose.  Maybe he did; anything could have died in that beard.
    "Your reputation has preceded you", he snarled, "and we were going to deport you to Waterdeep for the reward, but some of the states in between won't let you back, even under guard. "
    "Since people who try to kill you have a habit of finding themselves in the middle of last week, we're sending you on a last caravan through Sucker's Draw before we declare war on Royal Flush.  If you disappear en route, as the Flushers claim all the others did, that's fine by us, and if they detain you and steal the goods, as we're sure they've been doing, that will give them another problem."
    "Pelargonius the wine merchant blames you for all his barrels being empty when he arrived, so he has nothing to lose but your lives, and has agreed to lead the caravan.  It leaves at 7 tomorrow morning, and you'd better be on it".
    As the guards ushered us out, he called us back for one last question: "I know I'm going to regret this, but - Orcs' underpants!!!!"?
    Denise replied angrily: "We had sold everything else we'd picked up, and anyway, that bladesinger was a cheapskate who just wanted his money back.  No way did they taste of kobold!"
    As we went out into the city bustle, he was shaking his head and muttering: "I knew I'd regret it".
    Talking about city bustle, are you people having a Sports Day or something?  Everyone we've seen since we left the jail has been running, and the shops are all shut up.  And look at that; the city gates are wide open and unguarded.  What does that banner above them say?  "DON'T Come Back Soon"; surely there's a mistake there.