[ It's a hard question, when he doesn't know where her shoes are. He can imagine himself in danger somewhere, afraid that no one is coming. He can also imagine himself not in danger at all, on the verge of pulling off something magnificent, annoyed that anyone pried into his business instead of trusting him to be fine.

(If it had been as long already, for this conversation, as it will be before Yseult and Flint return, that second scenario would feel much less likely.) ]

I would... I don't know. I think I would be glad to think that someone was looking. But my employers were temporary, you know. It wasn't the same.