Rat screws up his face, a little troubled at the idea of being cute. "I am no such thing," he says, taking a long drink of his coffee. Now that he's said it, of course, it will only serve as provocation for Marius to insist upon it more.

"I'll have you know I have a roll of gaffer's tape in my bag and it will be very effective for stopping the flow of idea," Rat warns. It's an empty threat, largely because gaff tape is painful to remove from someone's face.

"Apparently dying released a lot of power. She's quiet though. Doesn't bother me. Scares people sometimes, which is a bonus."