"Well, I didn't mean me, necessarily. I'm not a writer or poet. But a poet certainly could, I would think," Oliver said.
"No, no, you don't get to escape that quickly. It is you that made the bold claim, and it is you that ought to stand by it… And look, you're already pulling such a troubled face. Fine then, I suppose I shall be merciful. Two things, then, if you distil it all down – merely give me two topics that so dominate the minds of men," Asabel said, bulling ahead like a racehorse, cutting off any chance that Oliver might have had of worming his way out of it. He rather regretted his choice of words.
