And Anthony tried not to let self-conscious tension set in in another layer already on Mr. Lyall's moving to settle into a place for conversation - a small mercy it was that he, himself, hadn't had any reason to cast any awareness back onto the fact that he smelled like something that had died.

"Fine," he said - and even in spite of his mood he said that with a certain amount of eagerness and heart, a string of warmth. Things had gone well for him this past month - and nothing, to his knowledge, had gone any worse. "...Ahm -- how did - things - go..." Voice thinned, uncertain blinking. " -- the last full moon...?