[I suppose there is precedent. Even if he'd been inclined to nurse the unintentional wound Simon's words had left, that would do for taking away some of the sting.] You wait and see. Even if you do get the secret of giant growth out of those enormous elves and end up of a size to wrestle dragons, I've got tricks at my disposal still.

[Knight-enchanters were known for bearding dragons in their lairs, after all. What's one extra-large shem compared to that? Even an extra-large very distracting shem.] Come back in one piece, is all I ask--the lot of you, I mean, [hastily amended.] Though I'll be very put out if the rest of them make it back without you.

[.......He is making such a hash of this.] But if you find a weird seashell or something that looks promising, I'll take it.