Should the night have to end so soon?  What time was it anyway?  Reflexively, Edmund squeezed Francis' hand back and lifted his head.

"Home," he said softly, "follow me.  I still have to... the baton, I'll show it to you."  The words were accompanied by an equally soft smile and Edmund glanced around before starting off down a road he was only half sure head to the hotel.

Was it very late?  The sky was dark, but it could have still been early,  Edmund had no idea how long he'd been inside the pub.  He was mostly concerned Mable would be back in the hotel room when he arrived, but it wasn't that big of a deal.  She could meet Francis, and be happy for him for making a friend, and then she'd not even care that he'd been out drinking.