Gene's reaction was standard when it came to Hopeless; everyone reacted in such a way for one reason or another. The part that made Hopeless different, the part people had trouble understanding, wasn't that Hopeless couldn't turn the power off--it was that his knowing didn't stop the secrets from being secrets.

There were few things Hopeless had taken as seriously as his vow of silence.

But Anton didn't say that, because Hopeless wasn't there to need defending. Instead he simply inclined his head. "You're welcome, Master Khan. If you require more detail in the future, you need only ask."

It was a tacit invitation for an impartial ear, if Gene needed it later. For now, Anton returned to his knitting.