"Hardly." Roland frowned a little, hands in his pockets, and glanced at Bert, who was looking around with some interest. "Truth be told, you're like to get most of them back. No sense in dragging guns halfway across two worlds when there's no-one left to bear them."

So much for jokes. He was even less in the mood for fooling than usual; the bitterness of grief crept into the edge of his voice, despite his best efforts to keep it level, and he tensed a little. It wasn't Wei's fault that he'd happened to touch a nerve; truth be told, just at the moment there was little to Roland but raw nerves.

Clearing his throat, he nodded to Bert. "Cuthbert Allgood, my brother in all but blood. Bert, sai Wei."

"Hile and well met," Bert responded, with consummate politeness and a thoroughly overwrought bow.