"And maybe I'm a little bit of all of it," he says. "But whatever happens, I never go into a situation without a plan to get out of it. And I never send my crew into one I think they won't survive. You say my luck's going to run out? I say it's beginning to look like fate."

He leans forward to snatch at the bottle before Rhade gets a chance to refill his glass.

If he really does respect Dylan as much as he says he does, then he's doing him a favor. He wouldn't want to be saying the things he's saying. Not if he were sober.

Unless Dylan's future self is a far worse leader and judge of character than he chooses to believe.

Dylan leans forward, eyes intent.

"Pessimism isn't a survival trait. I told Gaheris that once. But you know what? Hope is."