Swamped

You decide that you might as well work with what you've got going on.

"It's funny how often things seem to go my way," you say, as if you're talking to yourself more than him. "I mean, it's not that I don't get into trouble - I ended up here, after all - but even when that happens, it usually turns out better than expected. Why, one time I was in a carriage and we were held up by highwaymen. But when they got to me, one of them dropped the loot they'd already taken on his foot. Then he let out a loud shriek, which startled the horses. They ran over another of the robbers, and the third was flung from the carriage as it started moving. The driver calmed the horses down, and we were able to get everything back."

Crook starts looking very thoughtful.

"Didn't go so well for those highwaymen, by the sounds of it."

It didn't, by your telling, did it? That suggests a useful theme to go with in your other stories.

"Guess not. At the time I was just relieved, but when I thought about it later, I realized that sort of thing had happened before. Once, there was this crooked merchant who thought I'd be an easy mark - and really, I was. Was all set to buy a ring from him for my sweetheart at the time. But just as I was handing over the money, he tripped and the ring shattered, and that's when I realized it was just colored glass."

He's loosening his grip. You've probably got him thinking that the way to use your luck is to be nice to you, not rough. But he's still probably not going to let you go. So you decide to see how much you've convinced him.

"But I don't know. Maybe that was all just a coincidence. Not much use reflecting on it now."

"No," Crook mutters. "Not much use, really."

"I have to say, though, I'm really curious about this place. There's a lot I don't even know about my home base, and I just can't help but wonder how your fortress is different."

"Too bad. Got to get you back to the cells," Crook growls.

"Fair enough... but maybe there's something you could show me on the way? No need for a big detour, just give me a taste of it."

Crook seems to be weighing his options. You've clearly got him wanting to find out if your supposed "luck" will rub off on him, but he also obviously doesn't want to get in trouble with his superiors.

"Well..." he mutters after a while. "I guess there is one place we could take a quick look at. But that's all!"

"All right. What is it?"