(A picture stolen from elsewhere)
Unwilling to lose a customer who had come to him of his own accord, Skatter quickly composed his expression and began his enthusiastic introduction:
"Numbers 2 and 6 on Daffodil Street are terraced houses. The tenants of that house ended their lease a week ago, so it happens to be vacant!"
"Both houses have complete facilities, including sewers, gas pipes, fireplaces, and meters. Number 2 has exactly the same layout and natural lighting as number 6."
"A fine house like this is perfect for a distinguished gentleman such as yourself, and the price is absolutely fair. The weekly rent is only sixteen soli, with a seven-pence furniture fee. You need only pay four weeks' rent in advance as a deposit."
Skatter trusted his judgment. The young man before him was impeccably dressed and carried himself with distinction. One glance was enough to tell that he was not short of money.
Or rather, one glance was enough to tell that he was not the sort to rent a house from the Tingen City Housing Improvement Company.
After all, they primarily catered to working-class people with genuine housing difficulties, the sort whose dozen or so children were crammed into a single room. Never mind detached houses; they did not even have many terraced houses.
But perhaps the young man merely wanted somewhere to stay on Daffodil Street. Perhaps he was renting the house to keep a mistress. Who knew?
Skatter did not care about any of that anyway. As long as the house was rented out and Gold Pounds found their way into his pocket, nothing else mattered.
Never mind keeping a mistress-even if the man were a wanted criminal, that would not stop him from renting out the house...
No, wait. The latter did call for