Elijah closed his eyes and relaxed enjoying a small breeze. "I do like it when it's relaxing like this though.'

Simon looked up for a moment. But then he cast his eyes down again, before his father could see it. "I suppose that's good..." Ben said. "Better than York."

Silence again.

Elijah opened an eye. "You ever been to York, Ben? It's not all that bad. It's busy though.. and hectic. But it's got its good side too."

"No, but I don't need to." Ben said. "Ye told me there's more crime there. Breeding place for criminal behaviour, I am sure of it." His eyes landed on Simon for a moment, but the young man seemed particularly concentrated at not looking up.

"You have more crime when you have more people in a smaller space. More people means more people doing more things, and smaller spaces mean more people easily get more frustrated and have more opportunity to do things. It could happen here if this place was busier. That doesn't mean it doesn't have its good points too. It has museums and theaters. University. It has opportunities one could never find here. That was why I went there after all..." Elijah tried to explain.

All those 'good points' were accessible only to the rich, Benjamin thought. The poor were probably ten times worse. But he didn't say it. "Well, we're glad you're back anyway..." Usually the children would have nodded. But all of them sat very still, only their hands moving.

Elijah nodded. "It is good to be back. I learned and experienced a lot, but I missed this place." Not that coming back had been his choice.

"Aye, well we're glad to have you back..." Ben said, even though at the moment, he was more annoyed.

Elijah nodded. "Thank you." He became quiet and stared down awkwardly at the ground.

After a little while, a clock stuck in the distance, and suddenly the children got up to gather their work and go inside. "I'll walk you home, Elijah." Ben said, and he got up as well and gave the nets he had been working on to Simon.