Raimut laughs and reaches out to chummily pat Dist on the shoulder.

"Do calm down," he says. "It's easy to forget, with how he dresses." He doesn't let go of Dist's shoulder, instead squeezing it, gently. "Like I said, I have no interest in contacting Jay again, without his permission. I know better than to force him to be agreeable."

And in any case, he adds to himself, the boy will come running back to me the moment things get the least bit hard. He shan't last on his own.