She shook her head, a smile still on her lips. Right then, she didn't bother to try and make it look modest or baffled. "You flatter me, sir."

"That advice is a comfort. I have nothing but my knowledge to offer, so if that doesn't work..." She shrugged and let her lips fall into a brief pout.

It only took a second for the smile to return again. "I'd expect you're more than a fair judge of influence. Force and one's own voice aren't such different methods, when it comes to results."