Ford's eyes popped a little wider and he shook his head at the accusation. He might not have been entirely sure what he was doing, but he knew for sure it wasn't making fun of Darrow. That wasn't likely to help him get out of here, nor was it going to make Darrow feel any better — both of which were sort of goals, at this point. At least, both were on the horizon, orbiting each other vaguely, and he was aiming for one of them. He still wasn't sure exactly which was more important, or if one was a means to the other. In any case, he certainly hadn't planned to make fun of Darrow.

"You're not going to find it," he ventured nervously. "You didn't even see the boomslang skin." Ford was watching Darrow, and he thought Darrow was eying the cabinet, which made his heart rate pick up slightly. He didn't want Darrow to get his wand back, at least not yet. Not until he'd figured out how to prevent Darrow from force-feeding him a potion.

He took a breath, steeling himself and hoping this worked. "Untie me and tell me what to look for," he said, trying to sound confident, as though he knew what he were doing and this was a good plan for both of them. "That's your only chance. You're never going to find it by yourself."