[ The vague prickle of feeling used - sure, of course the way to counteract the promise of a blank check is to move your funds into a different account - is balanced with a grudging respect. He doesn't want to be manipulated. God, he doesn't want to be manipulated. He'd like it if his liege-lord were truly honest. But no one really is, and so if he isn't, at the very least he can be canny.

Maybe canny actually is better than completely honest, now that he thinks about it.

Better thinking about that than thinking about his genetic code. He pushes on, past that vague compliment that's not a compliment to him, exactly - ]

I could get around it, though. I promised to not to do you harm. I didn't make any promise of...calling in my favor as - asking you to be in a specific place at a specific time, and letting harm come to you. If - the Komarrans show up here. I could put you in their path.

[ The thought fills him with the ache of nausea. He looks down at his plate, and picks at the last crumbs of egg. Wonders if he could take the last omelet, or if that's for Gregor... ]