"I suspect I have more questions than you have time in the day," Alain responded with a little smile, and then fell silent, thinking. That pause also gave him time to push down the tears still threatening to well up, and to pull himself together. But it was hard to think through his pounding headache and dry throat - he felt, in all honesty, as if he had the worst hangover of his life. Even with what he'd said, there was more than a little temptation to crawl back under the covers, bury his head in the pillows, and sleep until it all went away.

Instead, he settled for taking one of the mugs and trying to moisten his throat a little. He felt better for it, and, after a moment, said, "I guess I ought to start with the most important. We're looking for our friend, and his wife. Have you seen them, or heard word of them?" Another sip of water. "I don't doubt you'd know them. Roland is tall and thin, with blue eyes you'd not forget in a hurry, and Nariko small and dark, very beautiful, very sharp. Both would be carrying guns, and maybe injured."