You're forgiven, Stephen. Arnoud thinks in a mockingly serious tone as their host leaves without preamble.
What was it with these self-righteous babies? For people who allegedly died decades ago they hadn't outgrown their infantile behavior. If Lenny wanted Myrmidon he'd have to do the political thing to get it. If Stephen wanted to talk mission and position he could just as easily -if not more easily- bring it up in private with the individual Carthians. How these guys thought they could get anything done just by stamping their feet like little princesses was beyond Arnoud.
You didn't deny your situation, you analyzed it and used it to your benefit.
The upside to all this nonsense was, of course, that Arnoud looked better by comparison. While he had been off to a craptaculair start he'd improved whereas the others had only devolved into whining disappointments. The talk with Jack probably wouldn't be too bad, considering... Unless Jack was the kind of guy that took out his frustrations on the innocent in which case Arnoud was going to get tenfold the crap he would've normally received.