She waited -- patient -- for the penny to drop. And when it did, she kept her satisfaction well below the tipping point of smugness. As smug as she wanted to be, she knew well enough to endure the vagaries of her own pride as easily as she endured pain. Her body ached still, after all; she ignored it as best she could and reached for a brine-bathed sausage. Vienna.

"With any luck, we'll find their metal guards have long out-lasted them." And (speaking of) she seemed intent to let her wrist brush his with grave intention. A spark of contact -- their first since the flare-up on the plateau.