"You should have! You should have summoned us on the spot!" Lesgle laughs, because it's a delightful image: "Sending out calls on our watches: Come quick, someone is discussing human nature and societal change! We could all have had a big rowdy argument and scared her away from ever talking to any of us again. Well, no; I don't think Mlle. Ysalwen scares."

Joly is showing many signs of being flustered. Lesgle studies him, then wraps an arm around his shoulders and tugs him a little closer--mindful of the brandy glass. "Tell me about her cause?"

Someone else's cause will surely pull Joly out of whatever internal fussing is happening.