---
He went on, voice quiet enough to be dangerous. "A lesser opponent would have folded under the first pressure line. He did not. A better-supported opponent would have dragged this longer and dirtier. He did not." His eyes narrowed slightly. "That means Sekhmet is neither merely lucky nor merely protected. He is choosing correctly under pressure."
The butler inclined his head once.
The dark-clothed man remained still.
The armored woman watched Mihos with the kind of attention mercenaries and hunters used when deciding whether a contract was worth the blood it would cost.
Mihos set the untouched cup aside.
"Dickoff is a fool."
This time, no one needed to pretend uncertainty.
"He cannot overcome difficulty once the field stops flattering him. Iron House has become more useful as a warning than as a partner."
The dark-clothed man finally spoke. "Then why save it."
Mihos looked at him.
"Because I do not reward a victory that was not supposed to happen."
