It's an innocent enough question, and a bit of company after that harrowing encounter would not go amiss--but then, of course, there is the matter of literally everything inside his wagon. And Lorne, generous and attentive and prone to random acts of unexpected heroism though he is, is as much an unknown element to Tuo in this regard as Tuo likely is to him.

So it should not come as any surprise when Tuo demurs with, "Perhaps another time, if you don't mind." Already he is carefully pushing himself up to his feet, wobbling only momentarily when the magpie still perched on the awning swoops down to land clumsily on his shoulder.

One wing smacks into the side of his head, which Tuo endures with a tolerant grimace. "Hello to you, too," he tells Alvi, already turning to reach for the door to his home.