"Ah," Trilby said dryly. "Boys will be boys?"

He cast a glance around the faces, unfamiliar but for Ms. Hodges and Loki. Ideally he would have idled in the background to get a feel for these people first, out of sight, but these rooms were so brightly lit he was surprised none of them was getting an indoor tan.

"My compliments to you, then, as the host," he said. "I've been led to expect such things, but that is an unusual name you have."