It was Lingormr after all, and Soma returned his smile as she wheeled herself closer to the door.

"You don't need to apologize for anything," she told him, pulling the books into her lap. "Thank you for coming."

She glanced down: a volume of Shakespeare and a collection of Sherlock Holmes. They were both familiar to her--the lieutenant colonel had had both in his library--but she'd never had the opportunity to read either. If Rapunzel wasn't free tonight, maybe she'd get the chance to.

"I'm sure you have plans for tonight," she added, her smile fading slightly. "I've kept you from them for long enough. These will be more than enough to distract me tonight."