[quote=@Tatterdemalion]“It is a long way to Terminus,” she exhales, her stamp-stained lungs slowly contracting. “Many of the things that hunt them would not give you anything but my death.” Forgotten, choking, erased from the Heart; and maybe a day after, or a century after, it would vomit forth your bones for some other explorer. She turns on you, as inevitable as a wave. “Give it to me. You will name a price.”[/quote]

Alone, on a boat, with the active attention of the Flood on them. This is, in fact, the nightmare scenario.

So, he ignores her. At least, at first. Fills his claws with the familiar mechanical motions of polishing. Deep breath in, polish on. Deep breath out, polish off. They may be about to sink, but he'll be damned if Sasha doesn't look her best when they do.

Finally, he delicately folds the rag and tucks the small jar of polish back into the forward storage hatch, before sitting pointedly between the Flood and Sasha. "You've got a lot of trains," he admits. "And it seems like you've got us dead to rights. Could capsize the boat, drag me down, and let gravity put paid to [i]Sasha.[/i]

"So, there's a reason you aren't doin' that. Maybe has to do with those hunters you mentioned. Care to share?"

[[b]9[/b] on Speak Softly.
What were they doing, and what are they going to do next?
What should I be wary of when dealing with them?
What can they tell me about things that hunt trains?
One of these answers is not helpful.]