"Nah, I think it's a third option. They just don't care. People here are really laid back on the bargaining front. It's not like back home at all." Seriously, how many deals has Howard made for a nebulous 'future favor' here?

"I don't know the first thing about ghosts. Maybe they're really sensitive." He shrugs. "Or maybe Perdido Beach needs more reasons to suck and 'ghosts in the mine' seemed like a great idea."