Robert looks up from his book when he hears the gasps. He is completely bewildered. For a moment, he contemplates taking out his revolver in case someone's getting violent. Only for a moment, until he asks Karen.
"What's going on over there?"
"Stroph put down the Dirty Rag (TM). He's been here for nine years, and no one's seen him put down that rag. They tell stories of it... being clean once".
Realizing what has happened, Robert joins in on the gasps, but is soon interrupted by Karen.
"What are you reading there?"
"Oh yeah, it's one the newfangled [thread=525911]"interactive AARs"[/thread].
Karen takes a look at the book, before turning her attention to the scrawled papers at Robert's side.
"More England can into Space?" she asks, nodding her head at the papers.
"No. It's my own concoction, two concoctions in fact. They seem to have fine reader base, but an oddly quiet one. I'm not sure whether it's 'cause I write well enough to leave them speechless, or if they're taking their parents' advice and keeping their mouths shut if they don't have anything good to say".
Karen picks up the [thread=515871]scraps[/thread] of [thread=513683]paper[/thread], and heads toward Stroph and the bar with them.
"What are you doing?" Robert asks.
"Perhaps the patrons, being talkative people, have something to say!".