The other hunter's acceptance of the Dollmaster's offer caused Gehrman to tighten his eyes as he looked at the three of them. He stood up from the table, and after he reached for his leg in reaction to his injury he said: "You may have ensnared that one in your grasp, but I am not so easily swayed. A slave you shall never make of me, not even in the face of death. I am willing to co-operate until this Puppeteer is wiped from the face of the earth, but it shall only be a temporary alliance. You shall look for your subordinates elsewhere, or you shall strike me down where I stand. Gehrman, vanquisher of Dolls, has spoken."