"True enough," he concedes, giving a small grimace. "I guess I mean going well in terms of, you know. Apart from all the strangeness."

He marks his place in his book and sets it aside, patting the sofa next to him, if Randvi wants to join him. "I have heard about the bear. I thought I heard the bear once or twice, actually. But that could just be my mind playing tricks. Power of suggestion, and so on. Or the wind, maybe."