When Fitzjames joins in it doesn't sound very promising, at first. But then he's going along with the plan after all, only making it sound convincing, and when Raju moves the roots Francis had set out for him to grind, along with the steel bowl and round, smooth rock, off the counter and to the table out of their way, it's with a distinctly satisfied air.

"You'll have to show him what needs doing, Francis," Raju tells him, pleased, and lifts the roots to indicate them. "I've grinding to do."

Which neatly gives Francis something to think about outside whatever'd driven him down to the cellar in the first place. He'd be surprised if Francis tried to get out of it; it'd take a little more than this, Raju thinks, to get him gloomy enough to refuse to play along.