The girl is far too preoccupied fiddling with her fishing wire to pay any attention to you.

The girl is far too preoccupied fiddling with her fishing wire to pay any attention to you.

"Hi!" The girl glances up briefly. "Thanks for helping with my hook."

"How's it going with the shrimp?"

"I've caught a few!" Her face is a picture of joy. "And I haven't dropped anything this time."

"Thanks for helping me, too. That was very kind."

"That's okay. I like to help people." A face of youthful innocence grins back at you.

"Good luck with your shrimping."

"Thanks!"

The father turns away from you and shoots a warning at his daughter.

"This what you were looking for?" (Offer him Wiśnia Schnapps 'On-Tour'.)

"Huh. Yes, that's my bottle." He takes it from you. "Thanks, I guess."

"Does this mean we can talk to her again?"

The man nods, then takes a refreshing sip from his bottle.

"Shouldn't she be at school?"

"Not for two weeks. Normally her mother looks after her, but I've got some time off myself, so I'm doing it."

"We're spending quality time together."

"Yes, and that can continue now I've got my drink back." He takes a swig.

"We were, until you dropped my bottle in the water." He gives her a disapproving look.

"How's the shrimping going?"

"Not bad."

"They eat cat food. It's gross."

"There's a secret jail in this building. You should probably get out of here."

"Nice try, but we're not moving. We got to this fishing spot first -- it's ours."

"Well, I tried."

"And it failed. Stop trying to steal other people's spots and find your own." He rolls his eyes.

This is useless. This man has only one thing on his mind.

For all you know he could be working for them. Try to think before you give yourself away to everyone.

"I'm being serious."

"So am I. This is a sought-after placement, all the local shrimpers want it."

"Do I look like I'm here to do some fishing?"

"Those knee-high boots are perfect for wading. I see your game."

"Those waterproof boots are perfect for wading. I see your game."

"Those long boots are perfect for wading. I see your game."

"You're topless, like me. I know the advantages it brings -- being able to dive in at a moment's notice. I see your game."

"Hm, you're not wearing anything that would give you an advantage. Which means you're either just that good, or you're an amateur."

"I'm pretty sure there's a secret jail in this building. You should probably get out of here."

"Do you know what's in this building next to us?"

"Dunno. Looks abandoned. I only come here to catch shrimp."

"You've never seen anyone go in, or come out?"

"No."

"I did!" She raises her hand, as if she's in class. "It was an old woman. She had glasses and brown hair."

Kids always exaggerate the age of adults. She probably wasn't that old.

"How old do you think she was?"

"Hmmm." She has a serious think. "Like, probably 78."

'Like', 'probably'. Low effort.

Minus 25 years and you might be closer to the truth.

"There wasn't an old man with her?"

"No, just the woman."

Unobservant.

"Did she look scary?"

"She looked like my old teacher."

Useless comparison.

"Mrs. Silva? You liked her, didn't you?"

She looks up at her father and gives him a firm nod.

"What was she wearing?"

"Yellow and black stripes. Big trousers." She stretches her arms out wide to demonstrate how big they were.

Now that you can use.

"Did they look expensive? Like she had lots of money?"

"They were nice... but I wouldn't wear them."

"Where did she go?" (Proceed.)

"Through the door. She was arguing with the door."

Talking to the woman on the intercom. So there's at least two of them.

So there's two of them in there, at least.

Must be someone on the other side.

She's in spy school now, class in session. Pump the shit out this infant.

"Do you know if that's the office of the Noscorrentes Review?" (Point to the neraby building.)

"Do you know how to operate industrial machinery? I'm having some problems."

"Industrial machinery..." he mutters, then raises his voice. "You better not be trying to drain the water-lock. C'mon, I asked you not to do that."

"I'm not your daughter. You can't push me around."

"Excuse me? I do not push her around. I'm trying to keep her safe. I can tell you don't have any kids..."

The young girl looks away, pretending to be amused by something in the water.

"I am."

"Well then I'm not helping you. Can't you just leave things as they are? Let them be."

Definitely not your style.

"Industrial machinery... you better not be trying to drain the water-lock. That would spoil our shrimping."

"Of course not." (Lie.)

"You better not be." He dips his eyes at you suspiciously.

"Is this water lock still functional?"

"There's a room on the other side of the water with lots of buttons. I followed a yellow lizard inside."

The GM who was guarding that room said it was where the water-lock controls were located.

Look across the water.

A ladder descends from a catwalk. Next to it, a large pipe comes out from the wall, and next to that is a small row of windows.

That has to be the control room. It meets all the requirements.

"Did you press any of the buttons?"

"No..." She looks down, sheepishly.

She pressed all of them.

"Do you want to try that one again?"

"I just pressed a little red one. It didn't do anything, I promise!"

No shame on the kid. It's a feat of extreme will to pass by a red button and not press it.

"Thank you, I'll go investigate." (Conclude.)

"Uh," he blurts out. "When you do, could you not lower the water, please? It would spoil our shrimping."

The assignment does not care for 'shrimping'.

"No promises."

"Tch. All I want to do is relax. Why is that always so hard?"

"I'll try to avoid it."

"Please do."

"You may order your daughter around, but I will not be controlled."

"I asked you nicely. Come on."

"Have you seen anything unusual around here?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary."

"But daddy," the little girl begs. "I told you, I saw a door in the water."

A subaquatic passage? Now we're talking.

A secret jail would need a secret door...

"What kind of door?"

"Like on a ship. With the wheely thing." She mimes turning a locking wheel. "There might be something scary behind it."

"Mi corazon. C'mon," her father pleads. "I told you not to make things up."

"Mi corazon. C'mon," her father pleads. "Let's focus on things that are real. Like the bottle that you dropped."

"Is there any writing on it, or near it?"

"No, I don't think so. It was just a door."

"Did you see anything else in the water?"

"Only some shrimp. They're really hard to see because they have invisible skin." She beams, proudly.

"Not my bottle, that's for sure."

"I need to check out this door." (Conclude.)

"I can show you it! But I need to wait as my eyes sting a little." She rubs them vigorously.

You can smell the chemicals in that water from here. You'll have to find a way to drain it.

It's a water-lock, which means you can drain it. That's your best bet.

"If you're down there and see a bottle of schnapps, bring it back up, would you?"

"About your missing bottle..."

"What about it?"

"Would you like a beer instead? I've got one you can have."

"No, I want my schnapps. Beer is for relaxing after I get home from work, not during my time off."

"Have something a little stronger." (Offer him a Mezcal Shard.)

"No thank you. I'm not a fan of mezcal." He scowls with distaste.

"Here you go." (Offer him a Wiśnia Brand Schnapps.)

"I don't want your schnapps, I want mine. Besides, that's the cheap stuff -- I had the 'On-Tour' edition. The strong stuff."

"This what you're looking for?" (Offer him Wiśnia Schnapps 'On-Tour'.)

"Ha! Yes, it is. But you're not just going to give it to me out of the kindness of your heart, are you?"

"If it will shut you up, sure, have it for free."

"Deal." He grabs the bottle and immediately takes a swig. "Ahh, lovely stuff. Thanks."

"You can have it for nothing if you stop giving your daughter a hard time."

"Chuck me a few sol and it's yours."

"Sure. Here you go." He exchanges the bottle with you and immediately takes a swig. "Ahh, lovely stuff. Thanks."

"No, it'll cost you the full retail price."

"Huh, I never pay full price." He turns to the little girl. "Down you go, get that bottle you dropped."

Not many would stoop so low as to use their daughter's suffering as a bargaining chip.

UNDERCUTTING THE SERVICE YOU'RE PROVIDING WITH A CAPITALIST MINDSET. UNACCEPTABLE.

"Pay up or you get nothing."

"That's not how this works. I will get something, as my daughter is going to get the bottle she dropped into the water. My bottle."

"An experienced haggler -- respect. You can have it for a few sol." (Lower your offer.)

"Don't drag her into this."

"I'm not dragging her into anything. She made the mistake in the first place so she must make up for it."

"Then the offer is gone."

"That's how I understood it."

Say nothing.

"It smells in there."

"Nothing."

"Don't get my hopes up like that."

"Have you seen anything else strange around here?"

"There are weird sounds coming from that boat over there."

She points in the direction of an unmoored houseboat floating nearby, off the southern shore.

Noise is carried on the wind towards you. Sounds like someone kicking open a tomb and cannibalising the dead.

"Good luck finding your bottle." [Leave.]

"Uh-huh." He nudges his daughter. "Alright, kid. Down periscope."

"Ugh."

"I'll leave you to it." [Leave.]

"Don't step on the shrimp, they make your shoes smell."

"Happy shrimping." [Leave.]

"Uh-huh."

"Bye." She waves enthusiastically.

Not now. [Leave.]

"Hello!" She waves at you.

The man ignores you, taking a swig from his bottle instead.

The man breaks his attention for a second to look at you, then looks away again.

"Is this your doing?" He stares at you, huffing angrily. "There's no water and that means no shrimping."

"Does this make up for it?" (Offer him Wiśnia Schnapps 'On-Tour'.)

(Shrug.) "My needs are more important than yours."

"That just about sums it up, doesn't it? I can barely get one day of peace anymore. Everyone has the same plan -- to stop me relaxing."

"It's okay, we can still do some shrimping. I think there's lots down there still." She peers over the edge.

"Yes, we can try, mi corazon. Just ignore this lady. We're not speaking to her anymore."

A bottle of expensive schnapps like the one he lost may change his mind...

"Do something else. It's a big world."

"I want to go shrimping with my daughter. That's not much to ask. But no, everyone else has other plans."

"Sorry, it was an accident." (Lie.)

"You've ruined my day -- maybe my entire week. I'm supposed to be relaxing, now look at me."

"Can we just go home now?"

"I said we were going shrimping and damn it, caracolito, we are going to catch some shrimp."

"Go on, it must be down there somewhere."

"But it's all slimy."

"What's down there?"

"My expensive bottle of schnapps. She dropped it in the water, so now it's drained, she can go and get it for me."

Drinky sinky.

"It was probably an accident, no need for an inquisition."

"It was an accident."

"I know, caracolito, but it's still your fault, so you have to find it." He turns to you. "Don't you agree?"

A man's gäng is his own. Not our place to intervene.

"Why don't you, a grown man, go and get it?"

"What are you, the canal carabinero?" He looks at the uniform you're wearing with concern.

"Whatever." He turns to his daughter. "Come on then, down you go."

"What are you, the canal carabinero?" He looks at the cloak you're wearing with concern.

"What are you, the canal carabinero?" He looks at the hat you're wearing with concern.

"What are you, the canal carabinero?"

(To the girl.) "You should do what your dad says."

"Thank you. See? This lady agrees with me -- you need to find daddy's drink."

"But daddy," the little girl begs. "I don't want to."

"That's not the point, caracolito, okay?" He raises his eyebrows. "You've got to learn your lesson."

"I'm staying out of it. This is between you two."

"Sure. Good." He nods, then turns to the girl. "C'mon then, down you go."

Arms crossed, brow furrowed -- not a hint of paternal care.

"I know, caracolito, but daddy can't catch any shrimp for dinner if he's thirsty. You dropped it, so you have to find it." He turns to you. "Don't you agree?"

"Unbelievable. I hope you're proud of yourself."

The girl shakes her head, wet ponytail slapping against her bare shoulders.

"It was an accident."

"Your fault for having children." (Shake your head at the man.)

"Don't force her. She's only young."

"Don't worry, I'm her father. I'm just trying to teach her a lesson."

"She dropped my expensive bottle of schnapps in the water. Now it's drained, she can go and get it for me."

"I'm going down there. Can I help?"

"No-no, she must learn her lesson." He looks at her, then at you.

"Oh what the hell. It's my expensive bottle of schnapps. She dropped it down there when the water was up. If you find it, I'd appreciate it if you bring it back."

"At least we're spending some time together. Right?"

Alternative wording

"See? This is fun."

"I guess." She kicks her feet.

Alternative wording

"Yeah, it's okay."

"Well? Did you see it?"

The shirtless man has eyes on you, but he's speaking to the girl who just clambered out of the canal.

"No, but..."

Observe the scene.

"Daddy can't catch any shrimp for dinner if he's thirsty. So, come on, back down you go."

He dips his fingers in the canal water and flicks them at her.

The water is an unnatural red-brown colour and smells faintly of sewage.

"What are you looking for?"

"My expensive bottle of schnapps." He nods towards the canal. "She dropped it down there."

Drinky sinky.

"That water looks rank."

"I'm not swimming."

"Yeah, but she is."

"She dropped my expensive schnapps down there. I saved up for that bottle for ages." A frown.

"You shouldn't eat shrimp from it either."

"We've been eating these shrimp for years, and we're doing just fine." He shrugs.

He's half a foot shorter than your average Portofiran male.

"They taste strange."

"No, they don't. Anyway, you should be diving. You dropped that bottle so you have to find it." He turns to you. "Don't you agree?"

"Don't be like that..."

"Like what? I'm just trying to have a nice day with my daughter, but she has to go and make it difficult."

"Is that your daughter?"

"Yes, but she's not in my good books. She dropped my expensive bottle of schnapps in the canal."

"We better pack up our stuff." He sighs. "Come on."

"I'm doing it, I'm doing it," she insists, clearly not doing it.

"What are you up to?"

"We came here to do some shrimping, but that doesn't seem possible right now."

"What's that barge doing here?"

"Not sure, it seems to be stuck in the water-lock. Maybe it's broken again. It happens from time to time as it's so old."

"Any idea how to get the guard away fom that door over there?"