"Oh, you flatter me, Dr. Murtakhor," he says with a laugh. "But you would be surprised. There are all sorts of difficult people out there, and most are difficult for the stupidest of reasons."

Garrot's faux pas amuses Luka. He'd been so polite in conversation, and the sudden foul language added a passion behind his words that pleased Luka's ego.

"I mean, there's a chance some of the Knights this year will want to work against me. They'd be complicit in the end of the world. How stupid is that."