No reason to.

The owner sidled up to Marianne's chair, leaning on it without putting enough of his body-weight on it to make its legs creak. "Everything okay over here," he asked, looking around the table and finding everyone focused on the man in the blue cloak and assuming he was some kind of spokesman for the group. Phoebe tried to make her eyes a little less wide in panic and turn her lips into as close to a smile as it could manage.

It would be so easy, Sagus thought. Just tell this guy what he'd hired and what she would eventually try, and she'd be led away and never heard from again. Her fate wouldn't be any of his concern. If anything, it would feel nice to know that not only was there one less siren on Tyren, but without whatever part this one played, her little chorus of evil would be rendered powerless. So many lives could be saved with one simple accusation...

"Actually, I was wondering what kind of live music you had," Marianne said, wanting to help find out whether this siren was a threat, and to prevent Sagus from putting an innocent being to ****. "Our hostess here said she would be part of it later, right?" Phoebe nodded and gulped while the owner gave a professional smile.

"Indeed, she is," he said. "In fact, she's the only part. Well, unless you count her lyre. She can practically perform magic with it, I tell you."

Sagus sneered. A siren, a 'liar', sonic spells. As expected, those things just went together. He took another glance at the water-demon, that hideous amalgam of bird and woman that only he could see, before sending her to her rightful place at the gallows.

"...wait, she plays alone," Sagus asked.

"That she does," the owner replied. "I know that might not sound impressive, but believe me, she's well worth hearing on her own!"

It didn't make sense. There had to be three sirens in order for them to cast their seductive spell, but that was only as far as researchers knew. If there were any records on what a siren could do solo, he hadn't read them. Even so, the magic was done through song, and the way the proprietor told it, it sounded like she wouldn't be singing at all.

"Is she a popular act?"

"Weeeell, I wouldn't mind if she brought in one or two more tables's worth of customers," the owner said sheepishly. "But, the people who do listen like what they hear. At least, when she's up on stage. I wouldn't think they'd be quite as appreciative of the sound of dropped drinks, now would they?" He shot Phoebe a hidden glare and she gulped hard.

So easy. Just tell the truth. Let the damned sea-whore die.

"...it's hardly her fault she dropped them," Sagus said. Saying this would sting, he knew. "Anyone would have, after someone ran up to that window there..." He indicated one of the windows that looked out at the road. "...and shook his genitals at her aggressively. It must have been quite the shock." Everyone looked at Phoebe to corroborate the story and, after shaking off her surprise, she did exactly that.

"y-yes. Yes, it was quite the shock. To...see that. So suddenly. He, uh, must have been a madman or something to have done that."

"He certainly looked like one," Rebecca said.

"And here I thought this place was nice," Sophie chimed in, almost adding something about the prices being much too high for such a lewd part of town before remembering she no longer needed to scam for food.

"Oh, it is! It is," the owner insisted. "And I promise you, if I see the no good loon who **** such a sight on you, I'll make his face as tender as our steaks. Oh, and speaking of which, our special this afternoon is a free mini-steak plate for people who have the fortitude to stay after such an ordeal. Interested?"

"I suppose so," Rebecca said. "Though, our friend in the blue here is so sensitive. I don't think she'd ever seen a man...in that state before."

"...mini-steaks and complimentary rolls?" The owner paused, weighing how much damage a flasher could do to his business before sighing subtly and adding "...with cheese?"

"Agreed," Marianne said, with some excitement. She blushed softly and shrunk back some. "i like cheese."

The owner smiled a little, despite how costly this hush-appetizer had just become. Who could think of money when such a pretty girl showed such enthusiasm for food? "I'll start making them right away. In the meantime, you should take the rest of their order, songbird." He walked back to the kitchen in a small rush and, when he was out of sight, Phoebe pulled a chair from another table and sat down heavily on it.

"thank the Lady," she muttered more than once toward the ceiling. "And thank you. I...I could tell you didn't do that because you were worried about me."

"No, I wasn't," Sagus said, some bitterness returning. "If I thought you were using this place to cast your unholy spells on innocent people, I'd have cut out your tongue myself." The cloaked women stared at him in dumbfounded shock. They couldn't recall hearing him ever say something like that to a woman, or something that looked like a woman. All but Rebecca thought him nearly incapable of it until they saw it themselves.

"...you've met sirens before, haven't you?" Phoebe waited, but the silence answered for her. "so, why didn't you tell mister Barrel? or just...kill me yourself?"

"Like I said, if you were casting spells here, I would. But you aren't. The owner of this place isn't under your control, not enough people come for you to be using magic to draw in audiences. You're a waitress, instead of living in a palace somewhere. You're almost powerless, aren't you? You're just a solo act. and always will be, i hope."

"Don't say that!" Sagus looked at Phoebe, discovering something he had never thought possible. A monster's eyes leaking tears.