"Pity you've only the two selves."

"Unironically yes. I'm sure I could make time for it if there was someone who wanted to do it with me, that being how Time Enough For Love works."

"I'm sure there's a frustrated journalist in here somewhere. It isn't me, though."

"I didn't think so. That wasn't a hint."

Nod. "Anything else?"

"...So, uh, absolutely feel free to tell me to fuck off, but do you want to come down to the graduation hall with Orion and me?"

"It was really very daft of me to go out at night, you understand."

"No, I get that."

"Also Arjun is now trying to forbid me."

"I can...see why he would want to do that." 

"He is literally my real dad but still."

"He is literally your real dad, and if at any point you decide to do or not do something based on his wishes I will respect that, but it is still your decision."

"What's the plan, for Patience and Fortitude?"

“Not to touch them just yet. What I want to do is capture a smaller maw-mouth and experiment on it, try to get people out or failing that kill it. But if my first couple of capture attempts don’t work then the plan is to retreat immediately and form a better plan before trying again.”

"- capture one. You don't have a power for that."

“Not directly, no. My first idea is to create some kind of container that can hold one—at least temporarily—and then try to transfer it out of my pocket dimension already around the thing.”

"Anything a dozen people will've tried something like, won't work. The pocket dimension is special but - appearing things in place is not unheard of."

“Oh, good to know. I was thinking nobody else would’ve been willing to get close enough to be relying on Lightfoot not to get touched, but probably you can appear things in place from a distance.”

"People've been willing to try stuff. If their kid is in there, if the maw-mouth's in their enclave vestibule and their kid is in there, whatever."

"Then the plan is to retreat at the first sign of maw-mouth unless one of us has an idea that wouldn't work without something new."

She nods.

"I think I will not accompany you but perhaps I'll be feeling very daft that day."

"Okay. I'll let you know, day of, or if I have any more brilliant ideas that need sanity-checking."

Nod.