"Have you died, before?" The question is out of his mouth before he can quite stop it. "Or--died partially, at any rate, if one cannot come back from this gate you mention."

Had his captain been here, he might have felt embarrassed about asking the question, after a while; as it is, he only blinks at Sabriel with guileless curiosity. In truth he knows very little about what her position entails, save that it is an important one.