Is she blushing? I figuah this might be a business thing - pull that shy an' charming thing. It's fetching, though I should let her know I ain't in the habit of going to whores so she don't waste a nice performance.

"Your pardon, sir. Yes, I am Miao...I am sorry, have we met?"

"We ain't," I say. "I'm Nu, an' I know Parras some, so I recognise you from her description." An' cos theah ain't exactly many Chinese women in town, but I don't say that. Think we'ah probably both quite aware of being in minorities, ayuh. "She always speaks well of you," I say. "Hope your business weren't too disrupted by what went on Monday," I add.