"And you'll continue to consider it if I become a threat or the boss man decides it's time to mount an assault. I hope it's not as dramatic as last time," he remarked, pushing his chair back from the table so he had room to fish in his pocket for another smoke. He had been smoking with increasingly frequency and made no effort to stop.

"Death isn't permanent, but it has a cost," he acknowledged. "And the cost isn't consistent from person-to-person apparently. So, if you do go through with it, you better hope I lose something that will stay my hand from a repayment."