Oh, she wanted an explanation. So did Nigredo. The only difference in their wants was the level of consideration. Something this surreal could not possibly warrant a straightforward explanation. If anything, they should be on their guard against him-- Whatever he was.

And that involved the gun being out and ready. Therefore, he all but obeyed. "How should I know?" muttered Nigredo. His eyes darted between the two forms. "And I'm not putting it away."

"Then don't," his mirror retorting, shrugging as though none of this particularly mattered. The gesture might have been humorous at another time, but in this situation, it served only to irritate. Nigredo didn't know why. "If you want explanations, the person you should be asking is him."

Here, he nodded to the child, who seemed almost to flinch. "He knows exactly what I'm talking about."