"Hey, shut up. I showered like five minutes ago." And as long as he could keep bantering with the kid he had his arm around, he felt less like a stray dog trying to comfort...well, a kid. Which was all Artemis really was, even with the boy genius accomplishments, even if he would probably make more sour faces at Badou for saying so.

"You'd look ridiculous smoking anyway. How old are you again? Ten? Eleven?"