"Ever'one might have somethin' to contribute. But one thing don't make the train want ya. Kids in service to gods. Ones who gonna go home an' change the whole world. Ones who turned into killers 'cause they got their hearts broke too early. Might be some tetherin', but all of us weren't just a lil' important, we left big ol' craters.

"Ethical beliefs ain't what value leaders or strategists place in fights. Don't get me wrong, I hate it too." He doesn't get real passionate about it, though. "Hey, hey, easy there, big guy. I'm talkin' from the eyes of somebody that got sold as a baby. I ain't talkin' from the view o' someone anxious to see these kids used."

Just to be clear, and it makes him drop the pretense that everything about his life was okay for a bit. He'd been like a bunch of these kids (it constantly magnifies his guilt for his other crimes). He'd not just been a battle slave, he'd been since he could barely remember.

"Your lil' friend got a question."