“ Greetings and a fine day , Goodmaster ,” was what he settled on .
The innkeeper put his mug away and tucked the oily rag into his belt . A raised eyebrow told Jona that the other man was either leery of strangers or unused to such manners . “ Aye , I suppose . All things considered .” There was a pause . Perhaps the innkeeper was considering not extending hospitality . “ Can I offer you a room to rest your head ? If you ’ re looking for a drink , I ’ ve got a little , but today ’ s cooking won ’ t be done till evening . Not many folks in before then , you know ?”
“ That ought to suit me plenty ,” Jona said . He rolled the tarnished silver piece over to the innkeeper , who caught it more deftly than his thick fingers would have suggested .
Scrutinizing the coin , the innkeeper said “ That ’ ll cover you . Let me show you to your lodging .”
There was no more hesitation in the heavy man ’ s voice or body language , now that he had the coin in hand . Not a terrible start , at least there had been no pitchforks this time . Of course , that could change as Jona caught the death scent once more through an open window and fought not to choke on it .
The room itself was nothing to write a letter home about . A south-facing wall under an eave had a single shuttered window , and a small fireplace with a polished mantle would provide plenty of warmth at night . There was also a copper washbasin and stool . Though the mattress was clearly straw and not feathers , Jona had slept on worse . The innkeeper also handed him a single tallow candle and what at first appeared to be an overlong snuffbox , but upon opening it Jona saw it was fuel for the rushlight stand on the windowsill .
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