Roland gave her a look that said, quite clearly, that he wasn't letting her leave the subject there. But he nodded, tucking the broken hunk of glass into his coat pocket, and squeezed her hand lightly. "Let's go," he said, glancing briefly at Bert - close as they were, that was all he needed for confirmation - and turning on his heel. Over his shoulder, he added a little dryly to Bert, "I thought we'd taken the lesson, so far as breaking glasses was concerned."

"I took the lesson," Bert said, with none of his usual humour. "I also took the lesson that, seeing as you're the one with the looming ka and Al's the one with the Touch, I'm the best choice for shooting the shit out of magical things. And Kaine was none too keen on waiting."