Alain smiled slowly, a spark of humour in his placid blue eyes. "Good. Fresh wit is just the thing, for such a contest. I look forwards to seeing how you and your kin hold up."

"Still feels odd without Cort and Vannay to butt heads over it," Bert mused aloud, around a mouthful of chicken. "Remember when we were boys, the time they riddled against each other for an hour straight? I still wonder that they had the breath for it." He smiled, but rather sadly, and half-raised his glass. "Ah, well. There's to the passing of time."

Alain nodded, raising his own glass. "Don't get too caught up in what was," he advised Bert soberly. "We have enough on our plate with what is."