Now she frowns in earnest, confused but regrettably certain that she must have once again failed to offer him protection against something disastrous. "You don't owe me anything," she replies emphatically, yet just as softly. "But I would be grateful to know."

The Unicorn, meanwhile, continues its careful examination of Arista and mutters, "The passage of time does not concern us." Then a few cat hairs tickle its nostrils and it snorts indelicately.