Emrys shrugged at that reply as if to cede that Pettigrew had a point (or at least half a point). "I'm a patient man," he said, putting the cigarette in his mouth and replacing the case without offering one to Pettigrew. He turned his attention to finding his lighter, then took the time to light it, take a drag, and put the lighter away. He took a second deep breath of smoke before he spoke again, though his attention was on his fingernails again.

"I wonder," he said speculatively, "if there's anything left in you worth investing in."