It was just like Seel had thought. Pell was worried because Cal had distanced himself from him, that he didn't want that Pell anymore. Cal, you idiot. Looking at Pell, it wasn't hard to see the scared human boy who Cal had just kidnapped away and spirited to Saltrock. Wondering if he'd done the right thing, or if he'd made a horrible, horrible mistake, fighting against forces he couldn't possibly control.

"You have limits Pell. You're not a god. You're a figurehead. There's only so much you can do with a million eyes looking your way. And only so much you can do against a force like Thiede. He wanted to keep you two apart. You couldn't do anything against that, just like you couldn't have stopped that bullet."

Seel paced, walking back and forth while he talked to Pell. "Swift and I were strangers when we first met. You and Cal have more of a foundation. He wants you Pell. Any you. You both are just too afraid to do anything about it."