"Isn't it a bit... provocative, letting them have a building here?" asked Gallo.
"Jah, und so?" replied the Chapter Master, warily.
" No, no, it's no big deal. Really. It's just that the Terraversans might not like it. Mardieran flags flying over the island again..." he let the implications hang.
"Zey vill just haff to deal viz it." replied the gruff Essenlander. Gallo made a mental note to buy a small, well-manned vessel, and have it permanently moored at a quiet dock.
"Why even bother? What is Mardier going to give us in exchange?" he queried, changing his tack.
"Trade." came the reply. "For four years, Mardier hass had no konnection wiz zeir colognes. Many sousands of miles of oceans. No friendly ports. Zat changes now! All zeir ships will komm zu Nola Mar. Efery one gets taxed, efery one spends zeir pay in our taverns. Ve sit, und smile, und collect coin." And you couldn't really argue with that, Gallo conceded.