"Feel free to convince me I'm wrong by not getting in trouble for, oh, two days in a row." He was talking to be talking, really; it seemed to be helping, and if he could keep Gabriel from bolting, well, that would be just wonderful. It was an effort to keep his voice level when all he wanted to do was demand in a very, very loud voice what exactly had happened, when, and why.

That seemed like a terrible idea, though tempting, and so he flexed his fingers and took one more step back. "Are you coming or going, my dear?" he asked in as neutral a tone as he could manage. "I can walk with you, if you'd like."