Emet-Selch's dry comments earn a tortured look from Howl, the young wizard knowing the old mage well enough at this point to know when he's being teased. But whatever he might have done and said is halted immediately by the large, broad hand pressed against his upper back, and the second that comes to push down on his shoulder.

Howl's eyes tear away from Emet-Selch to look up at Hythlodaeus instead, mystified and starstruck at the same time. He does not sit down. Hythlodaeus will find, in fact, that the more he presses down on Howl's shoulder, the more it starts to feel like he is pressing down on stone instead of flesh.

"Yes, I did," Howl insists. "I came to check on him because I hadn't seen him in days. Now I know he's fine, and — what it is he was doing."

Without wasting another second, he ducks underneath Hythodaeus' arm and away from his touch, and walks backwards towards the door as he continues.

"Anyway, as I said! I'll leave you two to it!" It will be clear to the other Stargazer how desperate Howl is to get out of here, just as it was alarmingly clear to Howl that Hythlodaeus was staring at him with mischief in his heart. "It was, ah, quite wonderful meeting you, finally, Hythlodaeus! See you... around and about."