"A couple of hours," Alain says with a little shake of his head, letting himself be led out to the balcony and digging in his pocket for the packet of cigarettes. Snapping the filters off two of them and flicking them over the edge of the balcony, he offers one to Roland. He does wipe his eyes on his sleeve, though not thoroughly. "I stopped for a drink. Felt some need for it, after everything."
His eyes, like Roland's, go out to the view for a moment. It's beautiful, yes, but it's also alien, and with the thoughts that are still plaguing him, it makes his skin crawl. "I'd hold palaver," he agrees quietly, after a moment. Dan-dinh, if you'd have it, he tries to add, but his tongue tangles around the High Speech, and he gives up on that quickly. Leaning on the rail of the balcony, he lights his cigarette and closes his eyes. "Our conversation in the woods was cut short." There's a heaviness in his voice, a definite sense he doesn't really want to talk about this. But Alain, shy though he can be, has never been one to shy away from things that need discussion. "If you'd sooner it wait, though, we can talk of such heavy things another day."
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His eyes, like Roland's, go out to the view for a moment. It's beautiful, yes, but it's also alien, and with the thoughts that are still plaguing him, it makes his skin crawl. "I'd hold palaver," he agrees quietly, after a moment. Dan-dinh, if you'd have it, he tries to add, but his tongue tangles around the High Speech, and he gives up on that quickly. Leaning on the rail of the balcony, he lights his cigarette and closes his eyes. "Our conversation in the woods was cut short." There's a heaviness in his voice, a definite sense he doesn't really want to talk about this. But Alain, shy though he can be, has never been one to shy away from things that need discussion. "If you'd sooner it wait, though, we can talk of such heavy things another day."