Since Raine was willing to dirty her hands, literally speaking, Anton handed her the bag so she could focus on the flesh-and-blood remains while he picked up the tainted weapons. He put them on the desk to begin with, in a pile with all the blades facing the same way. He had to do it carefully; his hands still trembled by the time Raine spoke.

"There is no need for apology," Anton said. "The Hotel is a place that should be able to welcome everyone regardless of affiliations. That the cultists have forced me to contravene the spirit of that law--" His mouth tightened. "I do not appreciate it."

He straightened to pick up the last of the weapons and place them gently on the stack, and glanced at Raine. "Do not mistake what happened here today as being your fault, Master Sage. It would have happened sooner or later, for any number of reasons. Your presence, and Ryder's, was simply an excuse."