"I'd wear it," Nathan says, rubbing his aching stomach absently, and then he pulls out his cellphone from the pocket of his abandoned pants and dials the lie detector.

"Hallo, Maggie!" he says. "Calling to say that I have not killed anyone, my eyes are red for entirely innocuous reasons and Alice should not advise Her Majesty to have me punished upon seeing them. Well now, must you know? All right. I've gone and gotten mated, if you hadn't heard, and - yes, thank you - and he's got a bit of offworld magic, and if he likes being bit and he's fine afterwards, I ask you, have I any reason to complain? I have not. That is the story. Say hi to your lovely wife and daughter for me, will you? Bye, Maggie."