"Hullo then, Roger," said Adam quietly, but his voice had no problem carrying. He was faintly amused at the odd collection of rescuers that Pepper had acquired, but, as John presupposed, that was part of the point. It was still us against them. Adam was just changing the definition of us.

"Don't mind the others. They're all just tryin' to tell you that you'd be safer if you went someplace else. They just have dif'rent ways of doin' it."

He ignored the comment about Roger being Pepper's boyfriend. Saying the word didn't make it true.

"Was there somethin' you wanted to ask me before you left?"