Eighteen
"I see," said Judy. "So that's what happened to Craven."
They were almost back to the house. Judy was tucked against Nick's side, his arm draped around her shoulders and her paws wrapped tight around his waist. It made walking a slow and awkward process with constant hip bumping and feet tripping against each other.
Judy had never felt more content.
"Well, on the plus side, at least we know Craven is safe and where we can find him."
"I think being held hostage by a deadly psychopath might be pushing the definition of 'safe'," said Nick, "but sure."
"If Silos needs him as bait for Robin, that makes him non-expendable, which is more than any of us can claim to be right now."
The trees thinned out and Robin's house came into view. They both slowed to stop. Judy took in the ancient stone walls and narrow, high windows, feeling in some ways as if she were seeing the place for the first time.
"I can't believe Robin's ancestors actually took down an entire ruling family of snakes," she said.
Nick's gaze also lingered on the house, but his expression was less awestruck and more mournful. "I hate to break it to you, my little revolutionary, but I don't think this sequel Robin's planning is going to end as successfully."
"Leave that to me," said Judy. "I have lots of experience convincing stubborn foxes."
"Says Zootopia's most stubborn bunny."
Judy turned into him, prepared to give that smug mug of his a pinch, or maybe a kiss, when the front door flew open and Finnick came charging down the steps, bat over his shoulder and curses flying from his lips.
"Oh boy," said Nick.
The smaller fox spotted him halfway across the yard and froze, his expression thunderous. Nick gave him a tiny wave. "Off somewhere?"
Finnick pointed the bat at him. "You."
Nick eased Judy away from him. "Now, now. Remember what we discussed about using our words."
Finnick stormed forward. "You dumb, stupid, idiot!"
"A little repetitive. But I get what you were aiming for."
"I'll show you aim," Finnick snarled, and swung his bat at Nick's middle.
It was a slow swing, all things considered. Judy suspected that was on purpose. Nick caught it easily, but it still made a painful smacking noise where it connected with his palm. Nick hissed as he shook out his paw. "Go easy, will you? I've got enough bruises to deal with already."
"Your brain is a bruise!" shouted Finnick. "Robin told me you were running off again."
"Well if Robin had waited ten minutes like he was supposed to this wouldn't even be an issue, because as it turns out, I was heading back inside anyway. So really, you should be angry at Robin right now, not me."
Finnick's eyes flashed. He raised his bat again.
Judy placed a restraining paw on the small fox's arm. "It's true, Finnick. Not the part about it being Robin's fault—Nick's fully to blame for this, one hundred percent—"
"Thanks for the support, Carrots."
"But it is true Nick wasn't going to leave."
Finnick turned to jab the end of the bat at her. "You're no better. Chased by a mob, snatched by a cat—"
Nick frowned. "What about a mob?"
"It sounds worse than it was," said Judy.
"She had half the Order on her tail! If Fru Fru and I hadn't showed up when we did—"
"It was close, yes, but we got away okay."
"When you say 'close'…" said Nick.
Judy gesticulated toward herself. "Look at me. I'm fine."
It was the wrong tactic to take. Those sharp fox eyes swept her from ears to toes, clocking every bandage and scrap in-between. Judy automatically did the same to him. She looked up and met his gaze, sending a silent vow that she would be taking a better account of his injuries later, and found the same promise reflected back at her. They traded smiles.
Finnick caught the exchange and rolled his eyes. Letting out a gusty sigh, he swung his bat back up onto his shoulder and looked at Judy. "So. You made it back."
"Of course."
He snorted. "'Of course', she says. Did you at least get some helpful answers out of the cat?"
"Possibly," said Judy. "I'm still thinking on it."
"By all means, take your time. It's not like we're under attack or anything."
He gestured them toward the house, taking up the rear like he didn't trust them not to make a run for it once his back was turned.
Judy entered first. A few distracted glances her way turned into double takes, and then the room was erupting in shouts and happy squeals. Marian, Scarlet and Fru Fru enveloped her in hugs and injury checks while the others gathered close behind, peppering her with questions.
"I'm okay," said Judy, trying to reassure the little shrew who was clinging to her collar. "It wasn't what it looked like. I'm sorry I scared you."
"Scared? Try traumatized, Judy! What in the world happened?"
It was then that Nick, who had been hovering just outside the doorway, was nudged none-too-gently into the room by the end of Finnick's bat. Silence fell, tense and heavy, as everyone's gazes flicked between Nick and Robin.
"So. You came back," said Robin.
"I decided I had more to say to you."
Robin's expression shuttered. "I think I've made it clear your opinion on this matter isn't wanted."
"Of course," Judy agreed sarcastically. "I mean, why would you want to listen to Nick? Just because he's the only one who's actually met the snake you're after—"
"His motives are suspect," snapped Robin. "Our goals are clearly not aligned in this. I must put Craven first, above all else."
"Above even yourself, you mean. Do you really think that would make Marian happy if she got her brother back only to lose you instead because you sacrificed yourself in some half-baked scheme?"
Marian looked up at Robin with wide eyes. "You weren't thinking of doing something like that, were you?"
"No, of course not, darling." He reached out to pet her cheek. "Hopps is being overly dramatic."
"I'm not," said Judy. "Animals are being cut down out there like stalks of wheat. Civilians and officers alike. We cannot afford to underestimate this enemy. Our priorities might differ, but I'm offended if you think Nick or I aren't one hundred percent committed to getting all of you through this alive, Craven included. Isn't that your goal too?"
"You know it is."
"Then I don't see the problem."
Everyone looked at Robin.
He heaved a giant sigh. "Fine. We'll try it your way. But I'm not wasting days on a plan that is liable to fall apart anyway."
"That's fair."
Robin checked the time. "It's almost sundown. Somehow, I don't think the cover of night is going to give us the advantage it normally would. So you have until dawn to help us come up with a plan. After that, we're going, regardless."
"Deal," said Judy.
And so began several grueling hours of strategizing. Robin brought out an old whiteboard that looked like it had been used for many a past brainstorming session, and every idea that was tossed out got scribbled down and debated. It was a long and painful process. No one was at their best. Too many hours of built up stress with too big of a burden hanging over them. They all knew how bad the odds were, and how bad the consequences would be if they failed. It made it hard to think up ideas but at the same time made it easier to shoot holes in the plans others managed to provide.
Case and point: No one was impressed with the intel Ciara had provided Judy on Silos.
"He's afraid of birds?" The disappointment in Scarlet's voice was reflected in the crestfallen expressions of everyone in the room. "How's that supposed to help us?"
"She also said he's sensitive to the cold."
"Great. We'll just sit back and wait for winter then, shall we?" said Little John.
"Hey, you wanna cool it with the sarcasm there, pal?" Nick said with a growl. "I don't see you offering any ideas."
"I'm just telling you what Ciara told me," said Judy, rubbing at her temples where a headache steadily pounded in unison with all her body's other aches and pains. "I'm sorry it isn't more helpful."
"Don't apologize," said Marian. "You've risk more to set things right than any of us."
But it wasn't enough. No one said it, but the words hung there, silent and heavy.
Evening waned into night. The kits were put to bed in a guest room on the first floor in case they needed to be retrieved in a hurry. Reynard and Marian took turns walking the grounds so everyone else could focus on strategizing. Not that they made much progress.
At some point, Judy looked down at the map of the city that Robin had spread out on the table and realized she couldn't differentiate between the lines of streets and lines of text.
She felt the ghost of a squeeze around her arm. "You should rest."
Nick hadn't left her side all evening, but this was the first time since entering the house that he had initiated physical contact. It had probably been a wise decision on his part. The moment he touched her, it was like the last dregs of strength left Judy's body. She slumped back against him, loving the way he looped an arm around her waist to pull her closer and take more of her weight.
"Rest." He kissed the soft spot behind her ear and it took everything Judy had not to let go and doze off right there.
"You need sleep more than I do," she murmured back to him.
"Well I think you two stubborn creatures both need a lie down," said Fru Fru, loud enough that the whole group looked over.
Judy felt her cheeks heat. She struggle to stand upright and found it harder to accomplish than she thought, even with Nick's help.
"I'm fine," she said at the same time Nick declared, "I'm good."
Smirks passed around the table. Finnick grumbled, "You two are useless like this anyway. So spare us the chore of dragging your stubborn tails to bed ourselves and just go."
"He's right," said Robin when Judy opened her mouth to deny it again. He raised a warning brow at her. "Don't make me use my big brother voice on you."
"But we haven't come up with a plan yet," argued Judy.
"Contrary to popular belief, smart ideas rarely occur when you're exhausted," he told her. He waved them towards the stairs. "Go. Let the rest of us start pulling our weight a little. I promise we'll have a decent plan by dawn."
Judy bit her lip. "Maybe we should stay and rest on the couch? Just in case—eep!" She let out a squeak as Nick swung her up into his arms.
"Never look a philanthropist in the mouth, Carrots. Isn't that what they say?"
"It's gift horse."
"That can't be right. Have you ever met a horse? Stingiest animals you'll ever meet." While Judy was struggling through her exhaustion to pick out everything wrong with that statement, Nick turned to Robin. "You know where to find us if you need us."
The fox winked. "Try to get some rest too, yeah?"
"Maybe in the attic," suggested Finnick.
Nick only laughed. Judy was too tired to feel embarrassed by any of it.
Thankfully, he ignored his friend's suggestion about the attic. Instead he brought her to a bedroom that had a small on suite, which he took her to directly.
Judy shot him an arch look. "Nicholas Wilde, are you trying to tell me something?"
"As much as I love seeing you in my clothes," said Nick, "I think you'll agree we're both too foul to just fall into bed."
Judy did agree. She hadn't felt this grimy in a long time. More upsettingly, Nick carried a faint hint of blood and sickness on him, and while he was obviously fine enough to carry on, it bothered her every time she caught another whiff of it.
She flicked the brim of his baseball hat so it toppled backwards onto the floor, grinning at his nonplussed expression.
"Well, then." She tipped her head towards the tiny shower. "Care to share?"
Despite her teasing, it was not a fun clean up by any stretch of the imagination. The closeness was nice. Being able to take a little time to touch and be touched was more reassuring than all the hours they'd spent hovering near each other. But that was where the enjoyment ended. They were too dead on their feet to engage in anything beyond washing up, and they had too many injuries to relish the feeling of water at any temperature beating down on them. The soap stung their cuts and they both had so many bruises and sore muscles that they needed help reaching around to get their backs or bending over to scrub their feet.
They came out clean smelling and even more exhausted. They bundled up in towels and Nick found extra toothbrushes under the sink for them to use. Judy watched, first in amusement and then concern as Nick viciously scrubbed at his canines. It seemed going a couple days without being able to brush his teeth had really bothered him. Only when she spotted flecks of blood in the sink and warned him to mind his gums did Nick finally relent and rinse.
When they shuffled their way back into the bedroom they found that someone had laid out fresh clothes on the bed along with a small first aid kit.
Nick insisted on tending to Judy first. Though he growled at every injury she pointed out to him, his touch was always gentle. He rewrapped her toe, which had swollen to the size of a grape, and smeared more ointment over the gouge in her shoulder before sticking on a new bandage. Despite their earlier intentions to interrogate each other about everything later, neither had the energy for it. They were back together. Still alive and kicking, as they say. Explanations could wait a little longer.
Judy insisted on wrapping Nick's ribs, having noticed how much he'd favored them while he was showering. She could tell he was suffering from massive amounts of bruising all over his body, but short of giving him some painkillers there wasn't much she could do to help him. The only other treatable injury Nick had was a ragged cut on his arm. Luckily it didn't need stitches. She spread an antibiotic salve on it that claimed to work as an analgesic too, then wrapped it snugly.
With that all done they forced themselves to dress. It was nearly as painful an experience as the shower, but they agreed it was better to be ready in case anything happened and they needed to leave in a hurry.
At least everything fit, more or less. Nick's outfit consisted of black sweatpants and a t-shirt that smelled like Robin, to Nick's consternation. Judy had been given a pair of blue shorts and a shirt with the fuzzy outline of a fox on the front of it, clearly old clothes of Vixie's, who was closest in size to Judy.
Finally, they were able to let themselves collapse onto the bed. Judy cuddled up against Nick as he pulled the blankets up over them. She expected sleep to come quickly, but the minutes continued to tick by and still she couldn't relax. Her body and soul were an achy mess. Too many questions haunted her. Too many dangers were waiting for them beyond sunrise.
"You need to sleep." Nick mumbled the comment into the nape of her neck.
Judy smiled into her pillow. "Says the fox who's also not sleeping."
The arm draped across her waist cinched a little tighter and Judy wasn't sure if he was trying to take comfort or give it.
Judy squirmed until he loosened his hold enough for her to roll over. She stroked Nick's cheek, reassuring herself with his presence. He was here. She'd gotten him back, despite all odds. As long as they stuck together, they could make it through the rest.
She leaned over and kissed his chin, reveling in how such a tiny gesture still made him shiver. She kissed his cheek, his nose, his forehead, his scrunched shut eyelids.
If she hadn't been so tired, if she hadn't been trying to shake her own worries, maybe she would have noticed the tension in his frame, the way he was holding his breath as she leaned in to kiss his lips.
A puff of breath and he was gone.
Judy blinked. "Nick?"
From somewhere out in the darkness of the room she heard him say, "Here. I'm here. Just… give me a sec."
Judy hadn't thought she had any energy reserves left to feel anxious, but hearing the strain in Nick's voice had her wide awake and off the bed in a heartbeat. She couldn't see him, but she could hear his shuffling movements as he paced the floor. Five steps and she managed to snag his arm. "Nick, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," was the immediate reply but it was such an obvious lie that Judy didn't even bother calling him on it. Nick's breathing was coming too short, too fast. He was going to hyperventilate at this rate.
She wrapped her arms around his middle, being careful of his ribs, more relieved than she wanted to acknowledge when he let her do it. That was good. If he was still allowing touch than it couldn't be that bad, could it?
"Breathe, Nick. Talk to me. What is it? Was it something that I… that I did?"
"No," the word exploded out of him, breathless. "It's not you. You didn't do anything wrong."
Something about the way he emphasized the words sounded off, but Judy was so tired. She didn't think she had ever been this exhausted in her life. Her brain just couldn't put the pieces together properly. "Then are you hurt somewhere? Did I miss something earlier?"
"I'm not hurt," he said, but somehow that rang like a lie too.
Judy ran her paws gently but determinedly up and down his back, over his shoulders, down his arms, looking for the injury. When she started pawing at his hips he hissed and grabbed her by the wrists, twisting out of reach. In a choked voice that sounded torn between laughter and tears he said, "Have some mercy on me, will you, Carrots? I promise I'm not hiding any injuries."
"Well you're hiding something," said Judy, her emotions, already elevated by the stress of the day, threatening to bubble over. "And it was bad enough to make you run away from me again."
Nick sucked in a sharp breath. In the next second he swept her up into a fierce embrace. "I wasn't running. I promise, I wasn't. It's just… there's things I still haven't told you. Things I've… things I've done. And the thought of kissing you when you don't know felt too… shameless." He added with a self-deprecating chuckle, "Even for me."
Oh, thought Judy as her tired brain dredged up the memory of his words from their reunion earlier. He had mentioned something similar then too, hadn't he? She had assumed he'd been referring to his solo jaunt into the Wildlands. What else had happened to her poor fox?
He didn't pull away when she raised her paws up to cup his face.
"Tell me," she said.
It was like pulling the proverbial keystone. It all came tumbling out. Nick told her about meeting Silos. About the "meal" the Order had fed him. About finding Craven and then leaving him behind. About relocating her family, and how he threatened Gideon into keeping watch. About lying to Robin and then immediately being caught out.
Judy kept hold of Nick the entire time, wiping away the occasional tear that fell. Nick's voice was shaky and quiet but he never hesitated in his retelling, nor did he sugarcoat any of his actions. If anything, he seemed to be biased against himself. Her silly fox. Nick would never have understood if Judy told him, but it was one of the reasons why she loved him so much. Why she would defend him with her life and forgive him for anything.
"Thank you for confiding in me," she whispered when he at last had fallen quiet.
A soft, incredulous laugh. "That's it? That's all you're going to say?"
Judy hummed and rose on her tiptoes to place a light kiss against his lips. He stared at her with wide, wet eyes. "And thank you for coming back to me alive." She kissed him again. "Thank you for finding Craven." Another kiss. "Thank you for saving my family." Kiss again. "Thank you for doing your best to protect Robin and his family."
Her next kiss was interrupted by a gusty sigh from Nick. "Hopps… you can't just twist everything around to make it sound better than it was."
"Who says that I am?" asked Judy with feigned affront. "Are those not the facts?"
Nick buried his face in her palms.
"Intentions matter, Nick," Judy told him softly. "And I know that your intentions were good. They always are. I'm only upset I wasn't there to have your back."
Nick shuddered. "I missed you like crazy, Carrots. But you don't know how thankful I am that you weren't there. Just the thought of you getting within a city block of that snake makes me want to stress shed all my fur off."
"That would certainly be a new look for you." Judy stroked his cheeks. "Will you come back to bed with me now?"
She could feel more than see the weight of his stare on her as he lifted his head. "You mean it? You're really okay with… everything?"
"I'd be happy to prove it to you more," said Judy. "But honestly, right now I'm so tired I'm afraid if I blink too long I'll fall asleep right here. You'll have to wait until later if you require further convincing."
Nick gave a low rumble and stepped into her space, releasing her paws to cup the back of her head and tip her chin up so that they were nose to nose.
"Is that a promise?" he asked.
Judy swayed into him so that their noses bumped together and smiled. "Promise."
Judy expected sleep to still allude her after that. But the next thing she knew she was being shaken awake by a small paw one her arm. Shaking, shaking.
She scrunched up her face and tried to tell whoever it was to stop it. It came out sounding like, 'Mmrrf."
She'd half-burrowed under Nick so she couldn't roll away, and some merciless mammal had snatched the covers, giving her nowhere to hide. Every inch of her body felt heavy and sore, her brain crying out for more sleep. She could feel it like an undertow, actively fighting to drag her back down into the peaceful darkness of unconsciousness, and oh, how she wanted to go.
The paw released her and Judy relaxed, happy to drift off again, but it had only changed victims. Nick made similar unhappy noises before Judy heard Finnick's gruff voice say, "Wake up. Something's happening."
It was like being doused with icy water. All her memories returned in a stomach-lurching rush. Judy's eyes flew open. The room was still dark. She didn't hear any sounds of fighting.
"What happened?"
Nick was already scrambling out of bed, one arm clutched around his bound middle. Judy was right behind him, wincing as she came down on her bad toe. Outside the window the sky had lightened to the violet glow of predawn. She could see thin plumes of smoke rising here and there beyond the trees.
"There's something going on at City Hall. It's being streamed over the local network. Come on."
They moved swiftly downstairs, staying quiet as they passed the room where Vixie and Todd still slept. Everyone else had already gathered around the TV when they entered the living room. Judy hopped up onto the couch in order to see over everyone, Finnick on the other side.
On the screen was a shot of ZNN's wide front steps, dark except for the occasional puddle of streetlight. Whoever was operating the camera had chosen a spot off to the side, giving a profile view of the two animals currently in frame.
At the top of the steps loomed Silos, looking bigger than any snake of the modern age had a right to be. He had raised himself up to about half his total height. It was still more than enough to dwarf the bunny who stood a few steps below.
Benjamin Cottontail.
Marian whimpered. "Peter."
Despite all the pain between the foster siblings, Judy knew Marian still cared about Cottontail, and perhaps held some misplaced feelings of responsibility for the bunny's worser traits, having been the impetus for why he had left home all those years ago. But they had been starting to make headway on reconciling these past few months. Even Robin and Nick, who were far from being Cottontail's fans, looked horrified to see him facing off against the snake.
"Is this live?" asked Nick, his voice coming out a rasp.
"Appears to be," said Scarlet. "There might be a few minutes delay. Why?"
Nick didn't answer. Judy knew he was mentally doing the math, factoring how long it would take to get to the ZNN building and head off whatever was about to go down, because she was thinking the same. Unfortunately she knew the answer already: too long. Even if they left now and took Finnick's van, and managed to avoid every Order member and every flooded road, whatever was about to transpire would still be long over.
"What does that fool think he's doing?" Little John wondered aloud.
As if he could hear him, Cottontail answered. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."
"You are a brave animal to make such a request," said Silos. "I respect that."
Despite his words, his expression was bored as he weaved idly back and forth. It was a casual, undulating motion that was both hypnotic and nauseating to watch.
Cottontail tipped his head towards the camera. "Is filming necessary?"
"I believe in transparency with my subjects. I thought the citizens of Zootopia would appreciate it."
Will, who was standing besides Nick, gave a disbelieving snort. "This isn't transparency. It's fear mongering."
"How do you mean?" asked Fru Fru.
"He's not filming this to be honest. He's doing it to scare whoever's watching into submission."
"He's not doing anything too scary right now," said Marian, in what Judy thought was a pretty desperate grasp at optimism.
Cottontail gave the camera another look and then dismissed it. "Shall we get down to business then?"
The snake curled his lipless mouth in what he probably thought passed for a smile. "I'm all ears."
"I'm here to discuss terms."
"And what makes you think you have the right to make decisions for this city?"
Cottontail dared to mount another step. "The current mayor is MIA. As I have been leading in the polls, I figure I might as well take up the mantle now."
"A bold move," said Silos. "Unfortunately, I care not for your political games. No weak power grab such as the one you are attempting holds sway any longer. You are not the true leader of this city and therefore I will not acknowledge you as such. You should be on your way now while I'm still feeling charitable. It is not often I let a possible future rival walk away unscathed. If you still feel like challenging me after I have secured my rule over this city, I will honor your wish for death then."
Walk away, Judy silently willed the bunny. Walk away now. Please, Ben.
But Cottontail did not walk away. He took another step up. Spreading his arms wide to gesture at the empty streets around them, he said, "You might not want to acknowledge me, but from what I can see I'm the only one here willing to acknowledge you."
The snake's eyes narrowed. "Give it time."
"I would, you see, but your people are doing a number on this city. On my city." Another step. Judy watched, her heart in her throat. This was the bunny who had walked away from everything when he was still just a teenager. For misguided reasons, yes, but still. The courage it must have taken. To find a burrow on the outskirts of the city and in a few short years turn it into one of the most successful businesses Zootopia had ever seen. To remake himself in every possible way, from his perfectly straight ears to his fitted suits to finally extending a paw to those he'd wronged most.
"This Order of yours," said Cottontail. "They're terrorizing my citizens. Destroying homes and businesses. I can't let it go on."
"Liberation is always a bloody process," said Silos. "You should give up on being a leader if you can't stomach it."
"What I can't stomach is waiting around until whoever it is you think deserves the honor of your attention decides to appear. I saw your last broadcast. You spouted a lot of bull about freeing the city, but I think deep down you're only looking for revenge." Another step up. His tone turned cajoling, one cutthroat business mammal to speaking to another. "I can help you with that. Tell me who it is, and maybe we can work out a deal. You get your mammal. I get the city. We go our separate ways peacefully."
"I want what is mine." The undulating motion of Silos' body intensified. He speared Cottontail with a look, and the bunny seemed to freeze mid-step. Judy noticed that Nick was breathing in shallow gasps beside her.
"I want what is owed to me. And I will see it paid in land, blood, and power. You cannot begin to comprehend what it takes to be a true leader. A true ruler. But I will show you. I will show all of you."
He was rising up. Judy was internally screaming at Cottontail to run but he seemed pinned the step, though his eyes were huge and dark with fear. He knew what was coming, so why wouldn't he move?
That long, scaly tail shot out, a hundred pounds of pure muscle slamming into the bunny and sending him catapulting down the steps like he weighed nothing. There were screams from distant onlookers. The camera followed his path, but lost focus halfway down so that Judy could only make out the dark blur of his small body as he tumbled down step after step before eventually coming to a rest in the middle of the empty road. The image bobbed and shook as whoever was behind the camera struggled to bring him back into focus. When they finally managed it, it was only to reveal Cottontail's unmoving figure, shrouded in darkness save for a single back leg that stretched out, crooked and exposed, under a streetlight.
Marian let out a heartbroken whine.
The camera suddenly jerked around, startling all of them. Silos's face, too close, stared directly into the camera.
"The longer you wait, the more animals will pay the price," said the snake. "You can be remembered as a martyr, or as a coward. Your choice."
The picture cut out.
For a moment everyone stood in silence around the darkened tv.
"I just can't believe it," whispered Robin. He turned to Nick. "And you're sure it's me he's looking for?"
Nick seemed to struggle to find his voice. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah. It's you."
Judy watched as Robin seemed to take that in for the first time. An entire city was being attacked, animals were being killed, his family held hostage, just to get to him. It sounded insane because it was. But it was also very, very real.
But then he straightened, as if pushing back against an impossible weight, and though his trademark grin was a bit wobbly, it was impressive that he'd managed one at all. "Well then. It's a good thing we've come up with a plan."