Cal glances up at him. A lot of the problem is stuff he can only really talk about with Esfir, about how unimaginably hard and painful it can be to die and not be dead. Gone, but still here. Never being able to go home. No choices. He could talk about that to Sam, he thinks - Sam couldn't possibly understand, but he would at least listen - but some of it's . . . too private.

He doesn't want Sam to know that he thinks sometimes about following someone back to their world and finding a quiet place to just. fade away.

But some of it's safer, so he goes with that, using the time-honored tactic of not quite answering the question.

"I was talking with someone earlier about Halloween. You have any kids?"