Raphael lets out a small guffaw of a laugh that says he could certainly count the ways. But which way could he mean? Does he believe the Archduke is a forgery? Did he notice he only spoke of the stone? Likely that one, and if the half-drow had let it slip his mind, he would have taken advantage, but really, it was just there to take in Gortash's reaction. The possibility that these people were here to claim the stone alone and leave him to his fate.

And his reaction was muted but it was there. Everything was a fight to draw from him. So the agony was really only bubbling under the surface somewhere, its only telltale signs the way his eyes fell. Too proud (or perhaps too wise) to beg for reprieve, so quietly resigned.

He would have spent the whole night unraveling that.

But Raphael's focus remains trained on the Dark Urge, who was much more giving in his reactions. His anger bloomed on him beautifully. And even with time short -- or even because of it -- he can only continue to draw it out.

"You? Hardly. Why, whatever do you mean?"