He pretends that he is still meditating; he does not want to be bothered. He is reflecting on his chat with the Avatar in Xai Bau's Grove. He only answered her questions to keep her there while he sent his comrades on their way to capture her, to bring her to him, Zaheer. Now, he wonders if this was the right thing to do.
When they talked, she actually wanted to hear what he had to say. She listened hungrily. Speaking to her felt different than speaking to his posse. They have to listen because he was the leader of their gang; he has all the ideas and not to brag, they are awesome. P'Li has to pay attention to him because she is his girlfriend and that is what girlfriends do: listen and support.
But the Avatar has no real connection to him. Yes, she is the protector of the world, which includes him, but she does not have to sit with him like she did and pay attention to his words. He likes to rant when he is with his friends, but with the Avatar, it was like educating someone, who is eager to retain all of the information thrown at her.
'She really isn't that bad of a person. She's actually pretty cool,' Zaheer muses.
He marvels at how young she is and the fact that she takes her job seriously is mesmerizing. Most kids her age do not even know what they want to do with their lives. Some do not even know what they will be having for dinner. She was born with a job to do and she is doing it, giving it her all.
'So does she really have to die? Is it necessary?' he asks himself.
He ponders if his actions might be a little extreme. Will killing all of the world leaders help the world? Does he have to capture, torture, and kill the Avatar? Is his last resort - using the new airbenders as leverage and then killing them if she does not show up - way too severe?
His heart is totally in on the plan. That action will be chaotic and Zaheer loves chaos. His brain, on the other hand, is a little apprehensive. Zaheer never doubted any of his ideas up until now.
'Will any of these actions solve anything? Will they help me accomplish my goal? Won't people band together to fight the chaos? Will the anarchy bring in a different order? '
Questions plague his cranium and they make his head ache. He tries to meditate to make them go away, but they are as persistent as those pesky bumbleflies. He decides to disucss this with P'Li. Maybe she can offer him some advice or at least, lend him an ear. Maybe if he talks about it and hears it out loud, he will realize what he should do.
He turns around and faces P'Li, who has been guarding his body while his spirit was away. He sees scrapes on the rocks. P'Li has been filing her nails. He notices he is a little stiff so he stretches. He confides all of his thoughts to P'Li. While he is talking, her brow keeps furrowing. When he finishes, she laughs.
"Do you also want to throw a pink themed tea party and invite everybody?" she teases him.
"No, tea parties are for little girls and the former General Iroh."
"Or does your heart desire to rescue all of the turtleducks?" she jokes.
"I like turtleducks."
"Since when did you become a softie?" she asks him while still laughing. "You're such a marshmallow!"