A curt nod serves as her only answer to the first question. Some things she has no intention of discussing aloud if it can be helped. They had, which is why she'd finally accepted she needed to be here at all.

Elizabeth keeps her eyes on Guppy and slowly lowers her chin, as if expecting him to feel a sudden desire to revise that last question.




"How what?" is almost an afterthought.

Surely Demeter will be back soon with those books she'd requested?

Surely?