"Red Maggie?" you ask, a little concerned about the look on Menno's face. "Whose that?"

Seamus pipes up first. "Why, she's the pretty thing across the way, proprietress of the Red Berry Inn!"

Great. "Yeah, I tried to talk to her earlier, but she doesn't have a phone. She said I could stay at the inn if I could come up with some money."

Menno chimes in. "Maggie is as hospitable as any from Quickbeam." Seamus is nodding encouragingly along. "But, she will not give something for nothing. And you've lost your wallet." Menno reminds you, utterly unhelpful. He glances at Seamus again, whose stopped his nodding in favor of giving you apologetic eyes. Menno continues. "Nothing to trade either. She would take a trade, but other than the clothes on your back what could you give?"

You start to tug on the leather of your neckalce, but Menno holds up a hand. "No, Maggie would not take that." Why do people have such a wierd fixation on this random necklace? It makes yo you think you stumbled onto some wierd ornithology cult.

"She's a business-woman all right," Seamus is nodding again and lifts a shoulder. "Needs to make ends meet, same as any. Even so, she's not a fool. She would not take your amulet." How Seamus knew what was hanging around your neck, you don't know. Some unspoken signal by his old pal Menno? Seam pauses. "Say- how about this. Since you're a friend of Menno's I'm happy to give you something small, but enough to buy you Red's good grace. He pulls open desk drawers, feeling around.

"Ah!" he pulls out a silver-looking ring with an off-center design carved into the face. "Here, please take it! A piece of tin I've no use for."

Menno looks a joke at his friend. "You shouldn't let Ksenija bully you, Seamus," he chides, laughing.

Seam is abashed. "Aye, aye, I'm a bleeding heart I am! Had to let the woman make a sale or my conscious would keep me up all hours! Here you are, young friend." He holds out the ring and you hesitate, but take it.

"Uhm, thank you for this, its.. nice. But I have nothing to give you, unless you want this?" You start to pull on your necklace again. Outside you hear a crow caw.

A quick look of consternation crosses Seam's face, but he pulls his smile back on. "No need for trade amongst friends- even new friends!"

Menno claps you on the shoulder. "I'll square your account with old Seam here, not to worry!"

These two remind you of the old guys from The Muppets, but far less funny. "Well, if you're sure..."

You can't take any more of Menno and Seam's bantering, but Red Maggie is a piece of work.