"To think of him. As flesh and blood. Not like the—well; that—what we've read about."
Mia glanced suspiciously around him at the shadows. "You begin to understand a lot of things, after seeing him."
Ri picked nervously at the cover of his sleeping bag.
"It makes you think," Mia added. He twitched. "I'm afraid. I'm afraid he'll.... Listen, we'll talk. When we get back to civilization. You, me, the bearers. About him. He can't let that happen. He'll kill us first."
Ri looked up at the moon, shivering. "No. We have friends. We have influence. He couldn't just like that—"
"He could say it was an accident."
"No," Ri said stubbornly.
"He can say anything," Mia insisted. "He can make people believe anything. Whatever he says. There's no way to check on it."
"It's getting cold," Ri said.
"Listen," Mia pleaded.