"Really?" Solomon asked dryly, lifting his eyebrow at Paddy. "You can't imagine? I thought priests weren't allowed to lie. Then again, I thought they weren't supposed to imagine, either, and look where that's gotten me."

"And this!" Dexter whirled and, given his propensities, probably pointed dramatically at Paddy. "And this, lady and gentleman, is a very rare, nay freak occurrence--a priest who lies. And this is ... actually I have no idea who that is."

'That' was the intensely curious and vibrant young soul in the doorway, swirling with confusion and amusement.

"Dexter," Solomon said longsufferingly, "this is Father Paddy Steadfast and, I assume, his nephew, whose name I unfortunately don't know. Paddy and his-nephew-whose-name-I-unfortunately-don't-know, this is my new minion Dexter Vex, and a ... former associate of my former associates, Saffron Sweetgrass."

"Hello," Saffron murmured. Her soul had pulled in, withdrawn and contained, uncertain. The only grounding she had right now was Solomon himself. He chose to ignore the fact that that meant there were lines arcing out from her to him. That would change. It surely had to.