<div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/A9z45fq.jpg)</div><br/>The steward shook his head no.<strong>"Your familiarity with the manse will not be required for this particular job.    If you would sign the agreement of privacy?"</strong><br/><br/>He turned the page to Miyuki and gave her as long as she desired to read it.  There were some words she didn't know, they sounded very legal, but the large majority of the contract was very straight forwards and as he had described.  It seemed whatever this job was, secrecy was paramount, and Miyuki sensed it might even be paramount over her skill.  Once she had signed the agreement he nodded and took it away and put it in a drawer in his desk before explaining further.<strong>"Once a month Lord and Lady Saari host a very exclusive gathering for only the invited guests.  You will show up two hours before sundown, servants will see you groomed and dressed in whatever style is appropriate for the evening, which may include no garments at all.  When the proper hour approaches, usually after sun set, you will be given your instrument and led to the station you will attend.  Once there you will be blindfolded and deafened, then either sit or stand for the next two hours.  Your job is only to play the composition or compositions that are given to you.  There will be a short break after the meal course, during which you shall rest with the other musicians in the servants areas of the manse, then you will be blindfolded again and led to your final station.  There you will preform for a period of no longer than four hours, though in all likely hood it will only be another two hours, if tradition holds."</strong><br/><br/>He straightened up,<strong>"At the end a servant will fetch you, bring you back to the servants quarters, you will be free to don your normal clothing, and one of our guards will escort you home, a nice purse of coins in your hand for the evening's work."</strong><br/><br/>He cleared his throat,<strong> "I had to test for the distractions however, because, ahem.... Some of our guests do not always understand that artwork like yourself is to be observed, and not touched.  We have had one or two incidents with one of our guests being a little over zealous in... ahem... deciding he wanted to touch the musicians.  Should such a thing happen, our house staff will quickly correct them.  But we wish the music to play on without interruption.  For it does not present as seemly to call attention to the fact that one of our distinguished guests has forgotten his place and manners.  Does this make sense?"</strong><br/><br/>If Miyuki agreed, he nodded and said,<strong>"The next banquet is five nights hence.  As I said you will be expected to be here two hours before sundown.  At the end of the night you will receive eighty five gold coins.  Along with the fifteen today that's one hundred gold coins for a single night's work.  Should you preform well and be invited back, you can expect similar payments."</strong>Certainly a hundred gold coins was a massive fee, and likely one that was largely dependent on all of the factors so far, privacy, skill, and the acceptance that she'd likely be pawed at and expected to continue preforming as if nothing had happened.<br/><br/>Just then the door opened and Miyuki turned to see a familiar face, that of madam d'Saari entering, already mid sentence,<strong>"Algers I need to...Oh." </strong>Then the woman's eyes lit on Miyuki and they widened,<strong> "Oh!"</strong>It was obvious that she was startled and surprised and wasn't used to that,<strong>"You, what... what are you doing here?"</strong><br/><strong><br/>"Madam d'Saari, this is Miss Miyuki d'Konayama,"</strong>Miyuki couldn't help but notice the way that the steward had flipped her name, and also had added the 'd appellation which denoted some form of rank or social status.<strong>"She has just signed on to be the featured bard for this months gathering."</strong><br/><br/>Madam d'Saari smiled and tapped her finger on her lip and practically purred,<strong>"Actually Miyuki and I have met already Algers, that's why I was surprised to see her here." </strong>Then turning to Miyuki she said,<strong> "Tell me dear, are you free for a walk around my gardens?  It's been a while since I had company that I could talk with woman to woman."</strong><br/>