"Busy. It's been a long couple'a months."

He refrains from kneeling to give Tanis belly rubs, for the moment. Artemis has his attention.

"I've been out Nevada way," he says. "Had to cut out of the territories after I ran into a bit of trouble. Keepin' my head down, doin' some business...you know how it is."

(He shot a man in Reno last night -- and didn't stick around to watch him die.)

"What about yourself?"