"Thanks for getting my message through."
"This is you," she said slowly. "In person now."
"Uh-huh."
"I'm not quite sure what to say," she said, blinking. "Except I'm glad."
"I've got some bad news," he said.
"How do you mean?"
"Very bad news. It'll hurt you."
She looked puzzled, her head going to the side.
"Tomar's dead."
The head straightened, the black eyebrows pulled together, and her lower lip tautened across her teeth until her jaw muscles quivered. She nodded once, quickly, and said, "Yes." Then, as quickly, she looked down and up at him. Her eyes were closed. "That ... that hurts so much."