Smirking, Teige hauled himself up to sit down on the bench next to Hawk. Hawk looked distinctly caught off guard by Aram's compliment, and glared defensively at Teige, a hand pressed over his mouth.

"Shut the fuck up."

"I didn't say ennything," Teige said matter-of-factly. "Won't, either." His self-satisfied smile faded a bit, and quietly, he continued, "Something Parker said reminded me, I ent never known you when you weren't grieving. It took me months to laugh at ennything after my stepda was taken. So I reckon it ent fair of me to be teasing you now. Even if," he added sardonically, "it's really hard not to make fun of you."

Hawk looked at him for a moment, and then started to say, "Wull I--"

"Ah!" Teige interrupted, jumping up. The werewolf and Joe the tanuki had been arguing for a few minutes, and now both were on their feet--the werewolf was holding a small cell phone up above his head, and Joe was now hanging off his arm, trying to reach it. "Is that a mobile phone?"

"Huh?" the werewolf said, trying to peel Joe from his arm. "Yeah."

"It don't call off-world, does it?" Teige asked.

"Sure does," the werewolf answered, seeming totally unperturbed by the tanuki's weight. "This drunk fuck's tryin' ta call our buddy in Escalus. You need to make a call?"

"Yeah!" Teige said eagerly. The werewolf passed him the phone.

"Be my guest, pal."