"Thankee-sai." Bert gave Eunyce a winning smile, pushing himself to his feet, and cocked his head to one side. "They're still shooting," he observed, to Kaine. "Half a minute more, then I'll head out and get them." He didn't particularly want to interrupt the fighting. Not without a reason. It felt to him as though everyone involved could use a victory, even if it was only over brute animals.

"Is she going to be alright?" he asked, looking over Eunyce's shoulder at Alice's limp form, every inch the concerned parent. It would almost have been funny, except that for once in his life, he was deadly serious about his concern. He'd already lost one of Rebecca's girls. He wasn't sure he could take losing another.