The expression of shock on Echelon's face was priceless; if Alasdair could have photographed and framed it he would have hung it on his wall forever. Or stashed it in his suitcases, rather, since he didn't exactly have walls of his own on which to decorate. Which was a lovely mental segue into what he had been hoping to drive the conversation towards, and what Echelon had just given him an opening for...

"I spend a lot of time as a house guest," he explained with a grin. "It's a nice way to repay a host, to entertain this way."

Now hopefully Echelon would be thinking ah, I'd like to see more of it; I'll invite him to stay for a bit.

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