"A little," X admits, looking appropriately sheepish for the confession. "But you did convince me that nothing justifies the dishonesty."

It doesn't matter. The merchant's behind them. What X abruptly finds far more interesting than the moral question of whether or not to report the gross overpricing is the way Rutile reacts to what should be a perfectly ordinary query. The irritation vanishes, quick in that way non-readers have of wiping away whatever they're feeling -- and there's something else there, something X can't quite identify. It's gone before he can study it.

"Instantly," he answers Rutile's returned question, though curiosity still shines in his eyes, "and no. I've... actually been in a coma for the last month. I'm still catching up on what's going on. End-of-year holidays, it looks like."