Jane's known plenty of people with limps, it came with the territory: mining accidents, animal related injuries, war wounds. Sometimes, just pesky old bad luck. No matter what the cause, it's not pleasant, and it's not convenient.

Jane's known plenty of people with limps, it came with the territory: mining accidents, animal related injuries, war wounds. Sometimes, just pesky old bad luck. No matter what the cause, it's not pleasant, and it's not convenient. (Joe reminds her, almost daily, that old injuries can make even easy jobs a challenge -- usually right around the time there's work to be done.)

So when there's only one table left at the outdoor cafe, and they were both heading for it until each noticed the other, the redheaded woman inclines her head and gestures to the seating.

Her accent is a distinct western tang, but there is an underlying Georgian flavour there. "You look like you'd do better with a sit down," she said.