"What--oh, yeah," Kit agrees, oblivious at first to the soldiers' approach--not because such things escape his notice ordinarily, but because they tend to if his left ear is turned to them. Which it is.

As he helps to heft the bag of frozen cabbages out of the street, however, he catches sight of their approach and grimaces, quickening his pace some. Strolling past them, one of the soldiers gives them both an exceptionally unfriendly grin and spits onto the stone in front of them.

"Keep the road clear, lads," he says.

"Whatever," Kit mutters.