"Speaking as the girl frequently leading them into temptation, that's a pretty accurate summary," she says, and sometimes this is benevolent, sometimes it isn't--she has specific aims in mind for this journalist (which she's considering letting Rhade in on), but it's always pretty conscious, even when she pretends otherwise.

Her cynicism about people's natures is wholly without bitterness. She doesn't expect honesty or "goodness" out of anyone, but that doesn't bother her.

"You have yourself a deal." She already knows some places. "The man is called Sandor Zendak. Slovakian. Mid-forties, maybe a little older. Brown hair, brown eyes, wears a lot of corduroy. He'll look out of place, a bit mussed, but comfortable. He's an anti-Xenian journalist for one of the papers here."

Her voice is perfectly matter-of-fact, but she does keep it low, because she doesn't particularly want a lot of eavesdropping.