"...The copper kettles are pretty old, and it set me back a lot at the time to find and refurbish the make I wanted -- but this place is what I'd dreamed of building for years, and it deserves all the attention it gets." Alain DeMuer walked backwards the last several steps past the brew kettles in the back of the Silver Mark Pub & Brewery. He and Morana were alone here; the bartender was in the main room along with only a handful of patrons, as it was still pretty early in the day. The House leader was dressed in a relaxed but professional manner, doing a good job exuding the energy and innovation expected of a business and political leader his age, in spite of what had been a very stressful week.
Sharp heels click-clacked on the flooring as Morana walked a few steps closer to one of the kettles. A faint smile curved up her lips; she flipped sable hair back over her shoulder and looked up at the top of the kettle. ?You do seem to attract quite a bit of attention,? she paused a heartbeat, two, ?here. Enough to keep a new pub and brewery above the water when most ventures of this type here collapse within a month.? Amber eyes slanted sideways to DeMuer; she tapped her pen lightly against her lower lip.
He smiled, hand settled into his pants pockets as he leaned on the edge of the counter. "I've been saving money ever since I started into private investigation, so I had plenty of start-up capital, and poured it into a fixer-upper. We went with three varieties of lager, pale, amber and black, so we could keep sales up through all seasons; we've also pursued deals with local bars and taverns to maintain strong sales right out the gate."
?Mmmm.? Absolutely non-committal, that sound. Pen made quick and cryptic notes before she turned to Alain and smiled, brilliantly. ?You have some quite competent executives working for you, Baron DeMuer. Mr. Aurene was both professional and thorough. Do you delegate the management of this project as well? And how much leeway do you give your managers?? Flipping through mental files and angles, potential articles.
"Thank you," he said to the executives, but to the follow-up question, he shook his head. "No, I'm afraid I couldn't -- when I opened this place, I only had S.P.I. and the Division bringing in most of the income, and Kaldi -- co-owned with the former governor, Kitty Helston -- didn't have any big returns, so I had to devote a lot of time I didn't really have to getting it off the ground. But I've had the help of one of the Red Dragon Inn's own bartenders, Atalanta, in tending the bar and all kinds of responsibilities around the brewpub. Without her, really, I don't think this place would be possible.?
"Whenever I can, I like to give my managers as much leeway as humanly possible. I pick the most capable and innovative minds I can find, and I don't think they could do their job as brilliantly as they have without lots of room to maneuver. If I can't trust their instincts, why would I put them in charge?" he added with an easy, charming smile.
Sparkle of amber eyes lit her expression. Click-clack through the room brought her to the counter. She didn?t lean against it; her posture was too good to slump so. Her rich voice was practically a purr. ?That is a good question. So you trust your managers?? Delicate lift of one sable brow while she stood with pen poised over pad to capture his exact reply.
"Of course," he said plainly. There was a playful smile in his eyes -- he knew and she knew this wasn't the kind of answer a journalist could take advantage of. Sometimes he gave her a lot, other times, nothing.
It all depended on what you were looking for. Her brilliant smile reappeared, and she appeared fully satisfied as she made note of that answer. Another long string of notes ? illegible to anyone unfamiliar with her particular short-handed code ? followed the two word answer. ?And what?s your course ahead, Alain? You have a barony to protect as well as your many investments here in the city. How much political power do you plan to leverage??
Sharp heels click-clacked on the flooring as Morana walked a few steps closer to one of the kettles. A faint smile curved up her lips; she flipped sable hair back over her shoulder and looked up at the top of the kettle. ?You do seem to attract quite a bit of attention,? she paused a heartbeat, two, ?here. Enough to keep a new pub and brewery above the water when most ventures of this type here collapse within a month.? Amber eyes slanted sideways to DeMuer; she tapped her pen lightly against her lower lip.
He smiled, hand settled into his pants pockets as he leaned on the edge of the counter. "I've been saving money ever since I started into private investigation, so I had plenty of start-up capital, and poured it into a fixer-upper. We went with three varieties of lager, pale, amber and black, so we could keep sales up through all seasons; we've also pursued deals with local bars and taverns to maintain strong sales right out the gate."
?Mmmm.? Absolutely non-committal, that sound. Pen made quick and cryptic notes before she turned to Alain and smiled, brilliantly. ?You have some quite competent executives working for you, Baron DeMuer. Mr. Aurene was both professional and thorough. Do you delegate the management of this project as well? And how much leeway do you give your managers?? Flipping through mental files and angles, potential articles.
"Thank you," he said to the executives, but to the follow-up question, he shook his head. "No, I'm afraid I couldn't -- when I opened this place, I only had S.P.I. and the Division bringing in most of the income, and Kaldi -- co-owned with the former governor, Kitty Helston -- didn't have any big returns, so I had to devote a lot of time I didn't really have to getting it off the ground. But I've had the help of one of the Red Dragon Inn's own bartenders, Atalanta, in tending the bar and all kinds of responsibilities around the brewpub. Without her, really, I don't think this place would be possible.?
"Whenever I can, I like to give my managers as much leeway as humanly possible. I pick the most capable and innovative minds I can find, and I don't think they could do their job as brilliantly as they have without lots of room to maneuver. If I can't trust their instincts, why would I put them in charge?" he added with an easy, charming smile.
Sparkle of amber eyes lit her expression. Click-clack through the room brought her to the counter. She didn?t lean against it; her posture was too good to slump so. Her rich voice was practically a purr. ?That is a good question. So you trust your managers?? Delicate lift of one sable brow while she stood with pen poised over pad to capture his exact reply.
"Of course," he said plainly. There was a playful smile in his eyes -- he knew and she knew this wasn't the kind of answer a journalist could take advantage of. Sometimes he gave her a lot, other times, nothing.
It all depended on what you were looking for. Her brilliant smile reappeared, and she appeared fully satisfied as she made note of that answer. Another long string of notes ? illegible to anyone unfamiliar with her particular short-handed code ? followed the two word answer. ?And what?s your course ahead, Alain? You have a barony to protect as well as your many investments here in the city. How much political power do you plan to leverage??