Tam fingered his chin thoughtfully and stepped up to the window. Looking out, he couldn't see anything out of place, but he wasn't really looking. Mostly, he was trying to sort through his thoughts and impulses to decide what Puck would want him to do.
....
What would Puck want him to do? He glanced back at the elf girl, trembling and fiddling. Armoured people, but with slaves with them? Knights even. The pieces of information did not fit together, like broken shards of clay that had been smashed out of recognition. It could mean many things, some of them unpleasant. But he had never been a quitter, he told himself firmly. He would do what he could, and see it through to the end.
Glancing at Cicero, he straightened, turning around in what he hoped was a decisive air. He needed more information, but clearly the only way to find out, was to talk with the armed strangers. "Go tell them that we want to meet them," he said, slowly pronouncing each word with care, so she would understand. "They must choose..." he thought hard for a moment, trying to figure out odds and numbers. "...two persons to speak for them. We will meet them in the alley behind this house..." He knew there were several ways to get out of there if things would turn too nasty.
But even if he felt he had wrapped things up nicely, he still could not help himself but to glance to Cicero to see if she had anything to add. It stung, but his head turned before he could stop himself.