[Among Tradeliners, one's word pledged by contract is everything, so when he makes her this promise, she doesn't doubt it. If someone breaks their word, she won't trust them again, but everyone gets the benefit of the doubt first. Assume peaceable contract. An old habit, even if it's gotten her into trouble before. She leads him over to a table. It's not exactly cool inside, but being out of the sun is a relief.]

Thank you. Yes, they're the trouble. The Skeksis are bird-creatures. A pack of thieves calling themselves tax collectors. The locals were afraid and meekly handed over their property, but some of us incomers resisted them and tried to drive them off. The locals think that the uncomfortable temperatures are a punishment for that. I can't tell if it's superstition or if there are actually climate controls operating in this bubble universe, but either way, they're sulking.

[And that's it, in a nutshell.] Shall I get the first round? What'll you have?