“Only when it comes to the traits I admire most,” Palamedes counters, but then grows serious again. With a murmured thanks, he takes his cup of tea and wraps both his hands around it.

“It is decidedly more difficult,” he agrees. “But to be clear, Cecelia, I do not want to prophesyze disaster any more than you want me to. I only mean: our dangers here are many. We both know this intimately. And I have good, rational reasons to believe that one of those dangers may one day be John Gaius.”

He sips his tea. “I am only suggesting that we watch and wait. And perhaps not take everything he says at face value. Is that so very extreme?”