[Sabriel shrugs. She's obviously not that optimistic.]

If they want to punish us, i suspect they'll do it directly. But for now... you're right. It's better to be a reed than an oak. Especially when the storm has only just begun.

Yes, it was. If my own death taught me anything, it's that Death here is in many ways the same as Death in the Old Kingdom- and I started walking in and out of it when I was twelve. Unless you mean you don't think he'd want to talk about it?