It smiled, its eyes crinkling, and said, "If you cooperate, I can even give you a reward."
'That sounds reasonable... but if that were the case, then its husband shouldn't have worried about the other patrons disagreeing.'
Mai Mingle glanced at the others, then turned back to face the wife.
'They're wary. They don't dare offend the woman who's looking for the faces.'
The wife, apparently understanding her, brushed her long hair behind her shoulder and said, "As a show of good faith, I'm willing to give you a hint right now to find the next face. I can't tell you the location directly because of the rules. But trust me, this clue is very difficult to spot. If I don't tell you, you might not find it even an hour from now."
'So, whether or not I agree to cooperate with the wife, I can get a face right now?'
"Go on," Mai Mingle said. 'Those two words shouldn't break any rules.'
'Regardless of whether the wife was lying, it wouldn't hurt to listen first.'
