Lavinia felt the turbulance as well and held her drink to the side to avoid being spilled upon.  It churrned a little and a few drips landed near her shoes on the floor.  No real harm done, she imagined there'd been far worse on these floors. It was becoming more clear to her that he was, indeed, a simple speaker.  This did not mean that he had a simple mind, not at all.  Her father was a simple speaker and she found him to be brilliant.  It just meant that his was not a magniloquent tongue.<br/><br/>"No, I currently have no pets, as I am prone to leave at, how you say, the drop of a hat.  It would be unfair to have a dependent companion and leave it so frequently.  This is why Tiggie stays with my father.  He cannot go anywhere, as he is a professor at the University of Paris."  She took in the rest of her drink and savored it in her mouth, whirling it with her tongue.  In this business, she knew every drink could very well be your last.  "What is it that brings you to this mission, Monsieur?  If you don't mind my asking."